Diverse Poetry Collections From the Last Decade That Uses Poetic Form and Technique in a New or Interesting Way

For many, the word poetry does not produce a feeling of excitement for two main reasons. One, the outdated language makes some poems difficult to understand. Two, and perhaps the deeper reason behind negative perceptions of poetry, the majority of the poets (and authors) studied in middle and high school English classes belong to the literary canon. The Canon, as it is often referred to, includes authors and poets such as Mark Twain and William Shakespeare, and has, in the last few decades, come under scrutiny for almost exclusively being made up of older, white, able-bodied, straight, cisgender men. As such, their experiences are not relatable and their ideas on race, gender and gender roles, sexuality, mental health, etc., are outdated to much of the population today. This absence of relatability in older works is problematic because everyone deserves to see at least one part of themselves reflected in the world, especially in the arts, which is a safe space for so many.   Therefore, with this list, I hope to help challenge those negative perceptions we have of poetry.  The poets I included in this list speak candidly about important and prominent issues in the world today, such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, abuse against women, everyday microaggressions, anti-immigrant sentiments, and mental health and mental illness, but write just as honestly and as evocatively about strength, resilience, love, optimism, and happiness.  Note: If you are interested in learning more about the criticism surrounding the literary canon, Kevin Williams' 2021 article, Voices of the Establishment or of Cultural Subversion, is a good starting point.  Citation: Williams, K. (2021). Voices of the Establishment or of Cultural Subversion? The Western Canon in the Curriculum. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 55(4–5), 864–877. #IndyPLAdults