Favorite Recent Poetry: 1980-2022

List of the Month
April 2022 (see all)
Description
April is National Poetry Month, and in honor of the occasion we're devoting our List of the Month to our favorite recent works of poetry, published between 1980 and 2022. Please add your top five picks, and only downvote titles if they do not fit the theme and/or publication range.
1
A Light in the Attic: Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein
10,741 members
207 reviews
½ 4.3
10 Members
jeshakespeare, yoyogod, amanda4242, sundancer, perennialreader, Mary-Anne42, rhbouchard, al.vick, mrortiz, Tosta
3
An American Sunrise: Poems
by Joy Harjo
362 members
9 reviews
3.9
5 Members
jeshakespeare, Kristelh, LizLindsey, ManWithAnAgenda, Tosta
4
Ted Hughes: New Selected Poems 1957-1994
by Ted Hughes
479 members
3.8
4 Members
thorold, AntonioGallo, Boand, Louiseworthington
5
A Thousand Mornings: Poems
by Mary Oliver
899 members
29 reviews
4.2
4 Members
AmyBHenderson, Heather39, msjudy, LizLindsey
6
Merwin: Collected Poems 1952-1993
by W. S. Merwin
82 members
½ 4.5
3 Members
melmore, dianeham, gagapa
7
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude
by Ross Gay
377 members
13 reviews
½ 4.4
3 Members
laytonwoman3rd, AmyBHenderson, ArcherKel
8
Words under the Words: Selected Poems
by Naomi Shihab Nye
316 members
6 reviews
4.2
3 Members
lorsomething, Heather39, dianeham
9
David Whyte: Essentials
by David Whyte
47 members
½ 4.3
3 Members
cornerhouse, melmore, JustJune
10
Poems and Songs
by Leonard Cohen
266 members
1 review
4.2
3 Members
amanda4242, LizLindsey, JustJune
11
She Had Some Horses: Poems
by Joy Harjo
340 members
6 reviews
4.1
3 Members
rarm, PaperbackPirate, LizLindsey
12
Falling Up: Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein
7,921 members
199 reviews
4.2
3 Members
sundancer, perennialreader, Mary-Anne42
13
Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson
4,473 members
377 reviews
½ 4.4
3 Members
wisemetis, sallylou61, mrortiz
14
Home Body
by Rupi Kaur
897 members
9 reviews
4
2 Members
Cecrow, thereseg
15
Alive Together: New and Selected Poems
by Lisel Mueller
216 members
3 reviews
½ 4.5
2 Members
chellerystick, Heather39
16
Monument: Poems New and Selected
by Natasha Trethewey
124 members
4 reviews
4.2
2 Members
kara.shamy, msjudy
17
Standing To
by U. A. Fanthorpe
4 members
1 review
2 Members
charl08, abbottthomas
Explanations
abbottthomas: I accept that this is a borderline case. Some of the poems in this collection predate 1980 but many do not. Fanthorpe deserves an entry!
18
Kid
by Simon Armitage
335 members
4 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
abbottthomas, thorold
19
Magic City
by Yusef Komunyakaa
115 members
3 reviews
3.9
2 Members
melmore, DoomLuz
20
Human Chain
by Seamus Heaney
419 members
13 reviews
3.9
2 Members
cornerhouse, Boand
21
Birthday Letters
by Ted Hughes
2,325 members
23 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Boand, Louiseworthington
22
Night Sky with Exit Wounds
by Ocean Vuong
951 members
20 reviews
4.1
2 Members
ManWithAnAgenda, gagapa
23
99 Poems: New and Selected
by Dana Gioia
81 members
2 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
AntonioGallo, SplendorofDelight
24
Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems
by Billy Collins
701 members
53 reviews
4.2
2 Members
Morphidae, Heather39
Explanations
Morphidae: The first book of poetry I've ever read through. Made me realize that maybe this "poetry stuff" isn't all that bad. 😄
25
The Opera of Trees
by Joseph Brinson
6 members
3 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Quixada, absurdeist
26
Citizen: An American Lyric
by Claudia Rankine
2,039 members
70 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
charl08, Kristelh
27
Serious Concerns
by Wendy Cope
365 members
7 reviews
4
2 Members
abbottthomas, thorold
28
The Golden Gate: A Novel in Verse
by Vikram Seth
1,487 members
41 reviews
4.1
2 Members
charl08, JustJune
29
Sailing Alone around the Room: New and Selected Poems
by Billy Collins
2,382 members
30 reviews
4.2
2 Members
lorsomething, charl08
30
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein
15,936 members
482 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
jeshakespeare, perennialreader,karenb
Explanations
karenb : This came out in 1974 and isn't quite new enough.
31
Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse
by Anne Carson
2,150 members
36 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
mrortiz
32
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
by Billy Collins
774 members
10 reviews
3.9
Member
sundancer
33
Dream Work
by Mary Oliver
664 members
15 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
slimikin
34
Bright Dead Things: Poems
by Ada Limón
378 members
9 reviews
4.1
Member
PaperbackPirate
35
The Changing Light at Sandover
by James Merrill
367 members
3 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
mandojoe
36
The Best of It: New and Selected Poems
by Kay Ryan
317 members
10 reviews
4
Member
cornerhouse
37
What Kind of Woman: Poems
by Kate Baer
251 members
6 reviews
3.9
Member
Tosta
38
The Darkness Around Us Is Deep: Selected Poems of William Stafford
by William Stafford
225 members
6 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
lorsomething
39
Voyage of the Sable Venus and Other Poems
by Robin Coste Lewis
223 members
10 reviews
4.2
Member
rarm
40
Hold Your Own
by Kae Tempest
190 members
5 reviews
4.1
Member
charl08
41
Nature Poem
by Tommy Pico
135 members
8 reviews
4.2
Member
karenb
42
Come, Thief: Poems
by Jane Hirshfield
110 members
5 reviews
4.1
Member
melmore
43
The Gods of Winter: Poems
by Dana Gioia
98 members
½ 3.7
Member
EricStellrecht
44
The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic
by Mahogany L. Browne
96 members
½ 4.5
Member
susanbooks
45
How to Love a Country: Poems
by Richard Blanco
95 members
15 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
MonaJean18
46
blud
by Rachel McKibbens
72 members
3 reviews
4.2
Member
bellawether
47
Emerald Ice: Selected Poems 1962-1987
by Diane Wakoski
68 members
1 review
3.8
Member
SimoneWrites
48
A Portable Paradise
by Roger Robinson
61 members
2 reviews
½ 4.7
Member
kidzdoc
49
June Fourth Elegies: Poems
by Liu Xiaobo
54 members
7 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
SplendorofDelight
50
North End Love Songs
by katherena vermette
48 members
1 review
3.9
Member
gypsysmom
51
The Fortunate Traveller
by Derek Walcott
44 members
4.8
Member
absurdeist
52
Time Will Clean the Carcass Bones: Selected and New Poems
by Lucia Perillo
37 members
½ 4.7
Member
Aug3Zimm
53
Thinkers and Doubters
by Michal Arbel
33 members
29 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
Yuki-Onna
54
The Moons of August: Poems
by Danusha Lameris
23 members
4
Member
2wonderY
55
Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life
by Ruth Padel
21 members
1 review
3.8
Member
AnnieMod
56
The Malarkey
by Helen Dunmore
21 members
2 reviews
½ 3.3
Member
si
57
Hold
by Bob Hicok
13 members
2 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
VioletBramble
58
Acts of Contortion
by Anna Meek
9 members
½ 4.5
Member
hipdeep
59
A Half-Life of Cardio-Pulmonary Function: Poems and Paintings
by Eric Gansworth
8 members
1 review
5
Member
AbigailAdams26
60
The Sign of the Dragon
by Mary Soon Lee
5 members
3 reviews
3.8
Member
wisemetis
61
Moon Go Away, I Don't Love You No More: Poems
by Jim Simmerman
4 members
5
Member
lottpoet
62
Werkboek : bloemlezing 1983-2010
by Jana Beranová
3 members
4
Member
EMS_24
63
Late Assignments
by Larry Watson
1 member
½ 4.5
Member
edparks
64
Crossword: A Woman's Narrative
by Margo Swiss
1 member
4
Member
pickupf
65
Electric Church
by K. Curtis Lyle
1 member
1 review
Member
paradoxosalpha
66
The Poet X
by Elizabeth Acevedo
2,570 members
168 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
mrortiz
67
100 Love Sonnets
by Pablo Neruda
1,568 members
20 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
sundancer
68
Book of Longing: A Song Cycle Based on the Poetry and Artwork of Leonard Cohen
by Leonard Cohen
1,413 members
15 reviews
3.8
Member
Mary-Anne42
69
Native Guard: Poems
by Natasha Trethewey
537 members
17 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
kidzdoc
70
Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems
by Billy Collins
474 members
13 reviews
3.8
Member
bellawether
71
What Narcissism Means to Me: Poems
by Tony Hoagland
354 members
4 reviews
4
Member
laytonwoman3rd
72
A Working Girl Can't Win and Other Poems
by Deborah Garrison
192 members
4 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
melmore
73
Late Wife: Poems
by Claudia Emerson
181 members
6 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
jeshakespeare
74
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song
by Kevin Young
176 members
4 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
AmyBHenderson
75
The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop
by Kevin Coval
173 members
2 reviews
4.2
Member
susanbooks
76
Blood Dazzler: Poems
by Patricia Smith
160 members
6 reviews
½ 4.6
Member
DoomLuz
77
Pillow Thoughts III: Mending the Mind
by Courtney Peppernell
141 members
3 reviews
3.8
Member
Yuki-Onna
78
The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy
by John Brehm
96 members
1 review
½ 4.6
Member
Aug3Zimm
79
Scar Tissue: Poems
by Charles Wright
78 members
3 reviews
4
Member
slimikin
80
Dearest Creature
by Amy Gerstler
61 members
3 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
VioletBramble
82
Small Congregations: New and Selected Poems
by Thylias Moss
41 members
4
Member
lottpoet
83
Hill of Doors
by Robin Robertson
40 members
½ 3.5
Member
si
84
A Nail the Evening Hangs On
by Monica Sok
39 members
1 review
3.9
Member
AnnieMod
85
Waves
by P.J. Thomas
39 members
33 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
rhbouchard
86
The Last Uncle: Poems
by Linda Pastan
37 members
3 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
msjudy
87
Eyeshot (Wesleyan Poetry Series)
by Heather McHugh
32 members
2 reviews
3.9
Member
chellerystick
88
77 Fragments of a Familiar Ruin: Poems
by Thomas King
27 members
1 review
½ 4.7
Member
gypsysmom
89
From Eve's Rib
by Gioconda Belli
27 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
AbigailAdams26
90
From Scratch
by Clayton Eshleman
10 members
Member
paradoxosalpha
91
Weapons Grade: Poems
by Terese Svoboda
6 members
5
Member
absurdeist
92
Sunday Sugar
by Q. Gibson
6 members
1 review
½ 3.7
Member
wisemetis
93
After Love
by Merle Amodeo
2 members
4
Member
pickupf
94
The Last Human Heart
by Allison Joseph
1 member
½ 4.5
Member
hipdeep
95
Beowulf
by Beowulf Poet
25,543 members
334 reviews
3.8
Member
rhbouchard
96
The World's Wife
by Carol Ann Duffy
750 members
14 reviews
4.1
Member
Louiseworthington
97
Why I Wake Early: New Poems
by Mary Oliver
722 members
10 reviews
4.2
Member
msjudy
98
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson
494 members
36 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
sallylou61
99
Sifting through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way: New Poems
by Charles Bukowski
423 members
4 reviews
4.1
Member
edparks
100
Postcolonial Love Poem
by Natalie Diaz
352 members
10 reviews
4.2
Member
gagapa