Feminist Poetry Recommendations

I have grown to prefer nonfiction literature over fiction, but it is intimidating when I have mostly only read fiction my whole life. I’ve found that reading poetry is a perfect way to get into it because it is usually short but still powerful and thoughtful. So here is my list of some feminist poetry that I’ve read in the past year to honor Women’s History Month!

The Complete Poems of Anne Sexton

This is a very long collection of poems, over six hundred pages, but they are classics and wholly unique. Anne Sexton lived a chaotic life with mental health struggles which she depicts very openly in her work. She touches on many taboo topics alongside mental health such as adultery, drug addiction, and periods. She is often compared to her contemporary and friend Sylvia Plath. While their writing styles are quite different, if you are a fan of Sylvia Plath, I would recommend looking into Anne Sexton because they do share many themes and topics in their work. Although Sexton eventually died by suicide, she was able to become a revered poet even having won a Pulitzer during her lifetime. 

“All day I’ve built

a lifetime and now

the sun sinks to

undo it. ” – “The Fury of Sunsets”

Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón

Limón uses a beautifully optimistic approach to her poetry. She talks about womanhood, God and religion, grief and dealing with death, sexuality, and being Latin American. In 2022, she was appointed the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, making her the first Latina to be one. In my opinion, her poetry reads easily and smoothly, like it has a rhythm. She writes in an observatory yet confessional way that manages to fully encapsulate the depth of the human experience. Overall, she is a master at using language and I recommend any other poetry by her as well. 

“I relied on a Miracle Fish, once, in New York City, to tell me my fortune. That was before I knew it was my body’s water that moved it, that the massive ocean inside me was what made the fish swim.” – “Miracle Fish”

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire

This collection by Warsan Shire tackles a lot of hard topics witha delivery that you will never forget. She touches on black womanhood, trauma, migration and displacement, and identity. I really enjoyed how she writes vividly and she uses Arabic words (which are explained at the end of the book if you’re unfamiliar like I am) and palpable sensory descriptions. While these topics are dark and will hit you hard, Shire also pushes hope throughout the book, especially near the end when she writes:

“I’ll rewrite this whole life and this time there’ll be so much

love,

you won’t be able to see beyond it.” – “Backwards”

Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season by Forugh Farrokhzad

Farrokhzad is an Iranian poet who died young in an accident, and this poem collection was published posthumously. It is translated (in the version I read, translated by Elizabeth Gray) but you can tell that Farrokhzad’s writing was gorgeously elegant and mature. She wrote about longing and desire, wisdom, hope, and grief. It feels painful but simultaneously like pure love.  

“That night your kiss scattered the drop of eternity into the mouth of my love.” – “Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season”

Your Silence Will Not Protect You: Essays and Poems by Audre Lorde

This collection has both poetry and prose but both, I believe, are essential readings for feminist literature. I think we should read this in the school curriculum. She covers intersectionality and identity, race, gender, sexuality, revolution, and challenging preexisting ideas. It was both inspiring to read and somewhat disheartening because she wrote this even before the twenty-first century, yet we are still able to relate to these issues. Education is important to promote change, and this is an excellent book to start educating. 

“Decisions to cut aid for the terminally ill, for the elderly, for dependent children, for food stamps, even school lunches, are being made by men with full stomachs who live in uncomfortable houses with two cars and umpteen tax shelters. None of them go hungry to bed at night.”

• female poets
• poetry
• women writers
• Women's History Month