There is a tragic misconception that poetry only belongs under a microscope in English class, and if you can’t write five pages on the writer’s use of poetic fallacy, then what’s the point in reading it? Rather, poetry is an art form that weighs more than that crusty anthology at the back of your attic, and immaculate analytical skills aren’t necessary to appreciate the beauty in such a raw and uncensored form, as illustrated by these poets. Following the devastating circumstances that have finally brought light to the question of female safety, it is equally important to recall the universal truth that sisters, mothers, daughters and friends are worth our weight in gold. Little is quite so empowering as pouring over these literary marvels who celebrate girls just as much as we do. After all, what better muse is there than a woman?
Atticus
It is nearly impossible to scroll through one’s Instagram without passing at least one of this infamous poet’s work, but a mainstream audience has never been quite so deserved. Atticus is an anonymous poet who rose to fame from his short poems, admitting to Teen Vogue that ‘I just started writing [poems] on my phone. Then I was like, “You know what, I’ll post. I’m gonna write anonymously. There’s no risk in it.” I never expected them to take off the way they did.’ His book Love Her Wild was published in 2017 which was a combination of his online poems and new ones. This was divided into three sections dedicated to each word in the title; his section on ‘Her’ alone is enough to qualify for this list. Atticus states how this “is sometimes my muse or just the female spirit.” He does not write with flowery long sentences, but with magic in its simplicity, almost as if to say, “I’m just reading the poetry inside of you” [1].
Maya Angelou
(TW: rape)
No matter how well renowned she is, it won’t be enough because, for Maya Angelou, poetry is one among many feats she’ll go down in history for, alongside her past as a memoirist and civil rights activist. Her colourful life involves many moments that likely compromised her view of herself as a woman and a person. This involves having been raped by her mother’s boyfriend at the age of eight, and when the perpetrator was beaten to death, she was “frightened by the power of her own tongue” and was silent for the next five years. Fortunately for the world, this did not last and in her later life, she released multiple volumes of her story, notably I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Embracing her place in the female race in spite of it all, Maya’s strength in overcoming the severe trials in her route to glory is nothing short of awe-striking in itself and paved the way to literary masterpieces such as And Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman. Her poems address the struggles of women amidst racial discrimination which provides the world with an indispensable angle into a woman’s battle [2].
Nikita Gill
Another beautiful writer celebrating her gender. Nikita Gill is perhaps amongst the most explicitly feminist writers in contemporary poetry with multiple books dedicated to the female race, including She is Fierce and Gold Goddesses. Not only limiting herself to realism, but Nikita also peers into a woman’s soul with a mythical twist, often seen in her book titles. Immersing yourself in her poetry is like reading a Homeric epic about yourself. With poems such as Athena Girl and Queens II, she’ll make you feel like a warrior because you’re a woman.
What did I tell you? You are a muse, after all.