I`ve just discovered the forum and seem to be the first to post.(For once in my life!) I read a lot of contemporary Scottish poets(being from Glasgow, y`see), but probably my biggest influences are Jack Gilbert, Bukowski, TS Eliot, Larkin and Dylan Thoma
Robert Frost is my main man in poetry and "kudos" to everyone here, fantastic writes, it's just so hard to read them all LOL but, I'll buy some time to do so.........
LOL, I almost forgot, I love Thedore (spelling?) Geisel AKA The Cat in the Hat (God rest his soul)
Edna St. Vincent Millay, hands down the most emotionally-charged work I've read in the longest time. Wrote her best work in 1917, just after she graduated high school (a personal inspiration) -- "Renascence and other Poems". It's great stuff.
Theodore Roethke, Sylvia Plath, Tony Hoagland, Sunil Freeman, Margaret Atwood, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Jeez--TS Eliot!! Absolutely the worst thing that ever happened to Western literature
I don't have a "favorite poet" persay. I don't know... I really like finding those little poems that are the hidden pearls shining out from talent that's been shut up and repressed. That's where the best work comes from. The unnoticed true poets who write for no one but themselves.
My favorite poem... Hmmm... Probably "Manly Man" by Bradley Hathaway
Some of my favorites... Sophie Hannah - When people disapprove of you, Anne Bradstreet - the two sisters poem, many more just can't think of them...
My favourite poet so far has to be Edgar Allan Poe. But I also like Roo Borsons "Loyalties". She's pretty good.
I would also have to say that Eliot ranks as one of my favourites, although his works are a pain in the ass to understand, I still find him a brilliant writer. My favourite of all is probably Bob Dylan. Even though he is considered a song writer, in his own words he quoted "I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I'll die like a poet."
siegfried sassoon, undoubtedly the most moving poet of the early 20th centuary
I'm a Frost guy, but my favorite poem ("You, Andrew Marvell") was authored by Archibald Macleish.
Many good poets mentioned here, but I can't help but point out that no one named 'Ginsberg or most of his contemporaries (do you people not read post WWII poetry? or is it too modern and unconformist for you Eliot, Poe and Frost lovers?)
Well... if those are their favorites Why do they have to name yours? you name them and be happy. Maybe they do like them but they are not "the favorite", or maybe it just happens to be a thing about different people than you with a different taste than you. My advise: respect their right to have their own favorites, even if those are not your favorites and be happy. Life's to short to be getting a heart attack everytime someone commits the heretic act of not picking someone you like... And by the way, Bod Dylan counts as an post WWII poet, even if you'd like to dismiss him as pop culture icon or because he is a songwriter (poems with music, that's the whole difference) or whatever the reason you have to disagree with his name being here.
e_writer
Sad to say I've not read any great poets recently. Although I always have my favorite poems close to mind. "TS Eliot" from beginning to end. Just great!