What's On My Poetry Bookshelf 🕊️
Inspiration to Brighten your Day!
Hello! If you’re new to In the elements I want to welcome you. I’m excited to share with you a few poetry books that live on my bookshelf. I’m an avid reader and my collection of books has grown extensively.
Before poetry I mostly read personal growth books that grew dry and uninspiring over time. In retrospect, I can’t believe I lived so many years without poetry. It’s brought back the color, music, and beauty to my world.
Of Wings & Dirt, Kimberly Phinney
Winter Trees, Sylvia Plath
The Ocean In The Next Room, Sarah V. Schweig
Rilke’s Book Of Hours: Love Poems to God
A Poetry Handbook, Mary Oliver
And Yet, Kate Baer
Grand Tour, Elisa Gonzalez
Dream Work, Mary Oliver
The Well Speaks Of Its Own Poison, Maggie Smith
Bright Dead Things, Ada Limón
Good Bones, Maggie Smith
The Wild Iris, Louise Glück
Tips For Improving Your Writing Craft
When a person falls in love with poetry, writing eventually follows. Poetry at its core is an imaginative language that inspires co-creation and self-expression.
You don’t need a creative writing degree to grow in your skill as a writer—you only need to branch out and read! Gain exposure. See what you like in the work of other poets, the style you gravitate towards will inevitably shape your own writing.
My entry into the world of poetry has been on-the-go exploring. And, gathering what looks or seems inspiring at the library—bringing home a stack of books and reading for no other reason than enjoyment.
One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read a wide variety of poets, notice their approach and style. Read books you’re naturally drawn to and books you wouldn’t normally choose.
Sylvia Plath’s “Winter Trees” is a collection entirely over my head. Plath’s lexicon is extensive and sometimes archaic. But reading her poems piqued my curiosity in a new way and improved my use of diction and metaphors.
If you’re new to reading poetry I recommend “Dream Work” by Mary Oliver or Kate Baer’s poetry. If you enjoy fairy tales with a darker twist, check out Maggie Smith’s “The Well Speaks Of Its Own Poison.”
I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful!
Poetry Books Make Great Gift Ideas
If you’re in need of a fun gift idea for yourself or a loved one, check out my latest poetry book Fire and Flourishing. Reedsy gave it a glowing five star review! 🤩
I am a HUGE fan of Mary Oliver - I have every one of her books of poetry.
Great advice regarding reading poetry. It not only helps us as poets but I am convinced it deepens, stretches, and opens our souls to the Light. Creative light, compassion's light. Love.
Call me naive but I can't help but think our world would not be in the mess it's in if more of us were poetry devotees.
I forgot to add this thought, Kassi. You know what also helped me as a poet? Memorizing works I admired by other poets. There's no 'teacher' of powerful writing & communicating like Memorization. No wonder, back in the dark ages, when I grew up, we were required to memorize poetry, or Shakespearean soliloquies, or speeches.