Modern poets, aka contemporary poets, is an elite group of brilliant individuals responsible for the success of poetry in the 21st century and beyond.
Poetry is bounding off the page. In a 2017 survey, 11.7 percent of Americans said they had read poetry in the last year. That’s whopping 28 million adults, or about as many people as live in Texas!
While many people read classic poetry, modern American poets offer terrific perspectives on politics, society, and love that resonate with readers deeply. But do you know who the best modern poets are? Or what makes their poetry beautiful?
Answering these questions can give you appreciation for contemporary American poets. Here is your guide to seven amazing modern poets who have established themselves as champions of the genre.
Martín Espada
Martín Espada is an American prose poet. He was won numerous awards, including two creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Much of Espada’s poetry focuses on social justice. His 2001 poem, “Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100,” commemorates 43 union workers who lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center.
His work is also rooted in his upbringing. Espada is of Latino ancestry, specifically from Puerto Rico. He incorporates Spanish words throughout his poetry; “alabanza” means “praise.”
Espada’s diction is rich, summoning precise images that invoke the reader’s senses. In “Alabanza,” he describes the view from the World Trade Center as “Atlantis glimpsed through the windows of an ancient aquarium.”
Kim Addonizio
Kim Addonizio is a modern poet who has written more than one dozen books, including seven poetry collections. She hails from the Bay Area, and her work is laden with urban narrators and details.
Her poem, “‘What Do Women What?'” is a great example of her unique voice: that of a confident narrator strutting through her hometown.
Addonizio provides a litany of details. She describes two brothers “slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly, / hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.” She talks about a dress that she hopes will “confirm / your worst fears about me.”
Yet her narrator is not without vulnerability. She wants the dress to show “how little I care about you / or anything except what / I want.”
The poem concludes with the hope that the dress is “the goddamned / dress they bury me in.” The poem is not quite a breakup poem. But it is a great consideration of the boundaries of a relationship.
Rae Armantrout
Rae Armantrout has had a long and successful career in American poetry. She has published ten books and won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2010. She remains influential over many modern poets and musicians.
As a contemporary poet, Armantrout engages the reader with short lines, some of which contradict each other. Her poem, “Confidential,” provides the stanza, “Pigeons bathe in technicolor / fluid ‘of a morning.'”
But her work is deeply emotional. Her poem, “Language of Love,” discusses physical boundaries and language used to describe gestures.
She writes how “[i]t’s common to confuse / the distance / with flirtation.” A man tries to flirt with a woman, “[b]ut he exaggerated it / by mincing / words like ‘micturition.'”
The narrator ends the poem feeling unhappy about words and gestures. Armantrout reminds the reader about the importance of boundaries and the breadth of love. It is not something that can be contained in single actions.
Richard Blanco
Richard Blanco is best known for performing at Barack Obama’s second inauguration. But he has long been recognized as one of the best modern poets, especially on queer themes.
Like Espada, Blanco’s poetry is prosaic. He writes in full sentences, conjuring scenes and people that invoke beloved memories.
“Contemplations at the Virgin de la Cardid Cafetería, Inc.” is an ode to the titular place. Blanco describes “the wild steam of scorched espresso cakes rising / like mirages from the aromatic waste.” The narrator compares themselves to “the brilliant guitar of a tropical morning.”
Yet the cafeteria will not last. The last lines speak about what the narrator knows, “culture of café and loss, this place I call home.”
Louise Glück
Louise Glück surged to prominence among even the most famous contemporary poets when she won the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature. But she has been one of the most important modern poets for some time before that.
Her work discusses a range of themes, including desire and physical intimacy. “Anniversary” is a frank treatment of both.
The poem begins, “I said you could snuggle. That doesn’t mean / your cold feet all over my dick.”
Yet the narrator does want their lover’s attention. They ask their lover to pay attention to their feet “[b]ecause there’s a lot more where those feet come from.”
Glück’s poetry does not shy away from the harsh side of love. But she still recognizes love’s immense power as the ruler of our world.
Aja Monet
The modern poet Aja Monet originated from the slam poetry tradition. At 19, she became the Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion.
She writes in a surreal fashion while affirming equality, justice, and the power of love. “for the kids who live” is a tribute to youth.
Monet begins the poem by asking, “what becomes of children who survive us?” She describes “voices made of tire swings and milk crates” to answer her question.
She describes people who imagine worlds within “the power to better / love above law.” She champions the kids who live in Liberty City and see a world without walls.
Layli Long Soldier
Layli Long Soldier is one of the fastest-rising American contemporary poets. Her first volume of poetry, Whereas, was a finalist for a National Book Award.
The volume focuses on the treatment of Indigenous Americans by the American government. She combines deep respect for Indigenous traditions with righteous outrage at the government’s apathy.
The poem, “WHEREAS,” begins by describing an apology that the Obama administration made to Indigenous people. The narrator’s mind races around the apology, “like a bird darting from an oncoming semi.” They hate how the apology describes “genocide” as “conflict.”
Their anger overwhelms them, but Soldier remains focused. She observes how Native people “are people with their own nations.” Indigenous communities are resilient against apathy and they can use language to affirm social change.
Seven Great Modern Poets: in Conclusion
The seven modern poets mentioned in this article are living and keep producing brilliant work. Martín Espada writes excellent prose poems about social justice and Latino life. Kim Addonizio describes urban narrators and scenes.
Rae Armantrout uses short lines to discuss love and language. Richard Blanco discusses love and loss through prose poems.
Louise Glück discusses physical intimacy in concrete terms. Aja Monet is more surrealist and political. Layli Long Soldier focuses on language and Indigenous power.
Keep reading from the best contemporary poets, and you’ll be amazed what difference it can make in one’s life! Romantic Poems provides great poetry on love and intimacy. Read some beautiful goodnight poems before going to bed and don’t forget to let us know who you favorite modern poets are in the comments!
Thank you for this list and summary.