who's your favorite poet? why?

Rimbaud was done. Even if he had lived for fifty more years he wouldn't have produced anything more (I'm almost certain), so losing him wasn't a great loss.

Rimbaud's loss was perhaps less heart-wrenching than that of Keats in the sense that he voluntarily abandoned poetry... theoretically in response to the negative criticism leveled at him by other poets and critics as a result of his relationship with Verlaine and the manner in which this was documented in Une Saison en Enfer. But of course what artist gives up because of a bad review?

Keats would probally be a completely different poet if Death was not so near him. Of course he could have mastered the long dramatic poems with more time to work, since he had already notable momments there. But the urge that he seemed to have to produce was well used in his sonnets and odes. I really do not see Shelley or Byron achivements being increased by a few more years, no more I would imagine if Baudelaire had more time to work (Or Poe, or Kafka)
I could think of some women: what would happen with Elizabeth Browning if she matured together with Robert. She was already quite good, what would she do seeing the results of Book and the Ring ? Or worst, would her existence hold down Robert?
I can imagine Emily Bronte (And Anne maybe). As much as I like her poetry and Wuthering Heights, those works are flawed. But they are quite amazing, her potential was imense.
In Brazil the two best romantic poets (IMO, the only two that achived a quality to place them among the best european poets) died quite young, Castro Alves and Gonçalves Dias. Gonçalves then was quite perfect reggarding technique and vocabulary, he could have done much more, I have no doubt.

Besides the fact that Shakespeare has probably always been my all time favorite poet (and to say so has become somewhat of a cliche), I would have to say that I have always loved T.S. Eliot, John Milton, Wallace Stevens, Hart Crane, Thomas Hardy, W.B. Yeats as well as the rest of the modernists and imagists.
Recently I've re-discovered cummings and Tennyson.

By the way, Chineese poetry is pretty damn good. Very subtle and quiet.

hi everyone:

My favorite poet is Rumi. He is one of the Sufi's great ones, always expressing love for the Divine and great hints for living.

It's great to be here!!!

Philip Larkin.

Robet Frost because the first poem of his I read made an impact on me at the age of 12, "Stopping by woods on a Snowy evening." What did I know at 12 or now at 58, but the words just touched something inside of me even to this day. I also love Emily Dickinson because I love how she saw the world around her, and wish I had that gift myself.

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who's your favorite poet? why?

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William Blake, because he was crackers! :banana:

Billy Collins, contemporary poet. He writes about ordinary things but somehow is able to elevate them and give them all more universal meanings.
I think Princemyskin also strives for that and for the most part is equally successful. I always admire poets that make their art look so effortless. We have a lot of them, right here on Litnet.

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Originally Posted by Lynne50

Billy Collins, contemporary poet. He writes about ordinary things but somehow is able to elevate them and give them all more universal meanings.

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Collins is pretty good. I've enjoyed reading some of his poems.

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Originally Posted by danielbenoit

besides the fact that shakespeare has probably always been my all time favorite poet (and to say so has become somewhat of a cliche), i would have to say that i have always loved t.s. Eliot, john milton, wallace stevens, hart crane, thomas hardy, w.b. Yeats as well as the rest of the modernists and imagists.
Recently i've re-discovered cummings and tennyson.

By the way, chineese poetry is pretty damn good. Very subtle and quiet.

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Gregory Corso - colourful, eccentric, brave and powerful - just read 'Bomb' or 'Marriage'.

It´s impossible to say. There´s so many. Shakespeare, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Fernando Pessoa. I love the Portuguese Luiz de Camões (1524-1580). He is the greatest poet of the Portuguese language. His poetry is very beautiful, musical and plenty of life.

Amor é fogo que arde sem se ver

Amor é fogo que arde sem se ver;
É ferida que dói e não se sente;
É um contentamento descontente;
É dor que desatina sem doer;

É um não querer mais que bem querer;
É solitário andar por entre a gente;
É nunca contentar-se de contente;
É cuidar que se ganha em se perder;

É querer estar preso por vontade;
É servir a quem vence, o vencedor;
É ter com quem nos mata lealdade.

Mas como causar pode seu favor
Nos corações humanos amizade,
Se tão contrário a si é o mesmo Amor?

Luís de Camões

My favourite poet is war-time poet Rupert Brooke; i especially like his poem "The Fish"

Browning and Shelley- both made my skin crawl with Porphyria's Lover and The Daemon of the World