Somewhere along the line, poetry got a bad rep.
“It’s too confusing.”
“Only literary snobs like that stuff.”
“I’d rather just read a novel.”
I’m a firm believer that if you’re just “not a poetry person,” then you haven’t found your poet. Here are some totally bad ass lit ladies who will spark your passion for poetry:
SARAH KAY
Sarah Kay is a Brooklyn-based poet whose poem “If I should have a daughter…” you might have heard in her 2011 TED Talk on Youtube. She is a self-proclaimed smoothie expert and describes herself as “less cool than her little brother.” Aside from being mad smart (she’s a Brown alumni) and absolutely stunning, she’s got some seriously thought-provoking stuff to say about love, empowerment, and womanhood.
RUPI KAUR
Known for her signature style of simple black type, beautifully messy sketches, and lack of capitalization, Rupi Kaur is perhaps the most popular poet for Millennial women right now. Kaur, who was born in India, emigrated to Toronto with her parents in the mid-90s when she was 4 years old, so, yep, you did the math right—she’s only 24! Her first collection of poems, “Milk and Honey,” published in 2014 was a smashing success, and she has hinted on her Instagram that another book should be hitting the shelves soon!
LANG LEAV
Lang Leav is the international best-selling author of “Love & Misadventure” and the soon-to-be published novel, Sad Girls. Leav and her partner, Michael Faudet, are both social media megastars, drawing in a large portion of their audience from Tumblr and other sites. She has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, and more. The main themes of her work? Love and loss but also, hope.
MEGAN FALLEY
The unique metaphors, vivid imagery, and jaw-dropping last lines of Megan Falley’s poetry set her apart from the rest. (Just read Beginning in an Ice Cream Truck and Ending in a Court Room for proof.) Falley, who identifies as a queer femme, focuses on body positivity, LGBTQ issues, and love in her writing. According to Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast, Falley’s work is “some of the best poetry being produced today.” Check out her pieces, and decide for yourself.
BLYTHE BAIRD
Looking for something to send chills down your spine? Listen to Blythe Baird’s slam poem called “Pocket-Sized Feminism.” This 20-year-old published her first collection of poems, “Give Me a God I Can Relate To,” in 2015. Baird uses her personal experiences with eating disorders, sexuality, and feminism to inspire her work, making for incredibly raw and original poetry. She has been featured on Huffington Post, EverydayFeminism, and one of her poems is even included in “The Vagina Monologues.” #GirlPower.
What are your thoughts on poetry? Let us know in the comments!
(Featured image whowhatwear.com)
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