I started writing poems when I was six years old. I never really knew it was poetry I was writing, however, I did know that I loved getting words down on a paper, as it helped me express my feelings.
Words motivate me like nothing else, and just listening to a poem can ease my stress and help me feel less alone. My walls at home are decorated with quotes from my favoirte poems, and my lock screen on my iPhone is always sporting a quote that I feel best relates to my life at the time. Below are six of my favoirte poems that I go back to time and time again, and hopefully, they can inspire and uplift you the same way they do for me.
1. “The Fish”, by Elizabeth Bishop
This poems is one of my favorite of all time. I remember cracking open a poetry book on the night table beside my grandfather’s bed exactly to the page, which had this poem on it. I had to read it multiple times to fully understand it. To me, it describes the struggles of life – hopes, dreams, and failures.
2. “Bookshelf Heart”, by Erin Hanson
Every poem I read by Erin Hanson snags my heart in some way. The message of every poem is clear, deep and thoughtful, and the rhymes and sentence structure pull everything together are music to my ears. Though many of her poems are my favorite, this one certainly sticks out to me because of the imagery. I’ve always been a lover of books, and they way she describes someone’s life in realtion to reading is so beautiful.
3. Sonnet XVII, by Pablo Neruda
I discovered Pablo Neruda during my senior year of high school. Aftering reading just one of his poems I was addicted, and could not stop going on with the rest. He has written many love poems, however, this one especially touches my soul because of how the explanation of his love is unusual to the way people commonly think of love. Is it darker, deeper and more genuine, which speaks to me.
4. “And Then”, by Lang Leav
Lang Leav is another great writer whose work centers around love poems. I especially love how clever this poem is, because of how she weaves the phrase “and then” throughout the whole piece. The last line especially hit me, and each time I read it I never fail to think, wow.
5. “Dinosaur Love”, by Eliot Katz
This is a poem I found while reading through a book of assigned poetry for a class last semester. Something about the playful tone of the poem mixed with the heavy, complex topic of humans and their nature is so intriguing.
6. “Masks”, by Shel Silverstein
Finally, I had to include at least one of my favorite childhood poems. I don’t know how Shel Silverstien is able to explain a message so deep with words so simple. This poem will forever be one of my favorites by him, as it really touches the importance of being yourself always.