7 Poetry Collections You Want In Your Reading List

Most people regard poetry as some sort of lesser level reading, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Many times there are life lessons to be learned through poetry that you just won’t get from an ordinary book or a full-length novel. On top of that it makes for easy reading.

Think of it as pocket life education. It’s there when you have time and you will never have to immerse yourself more than you have time for. A full-length novel will keep you shackled up until you’re through to the end and breaks can be both frustrating and disorientating.

Here’s what we say! Want to pick up some reading material but don’t have the time for a full-length novel? If you want something short and sweet, why not go for poetry? If you’ve always been interested but don’t know where to start, here are a few collections to help you easily fall in love with the genre. With these additions to your reading list, you’ll find yourself reaching out for a poem rather than a novel or short story in no time.

1. Human Wishes by Robert Hass. Lifehacker says reading can help build your empathy. That’s the perfect description for this little gem from Hass. There’s no one else out there who sounds like him, who delivers the heartache, fresh and bright and in lines so light you often wonder why it’s blinding. This is the book that underhandedly restores your faith in humanity. Hass seems to be the voice that’s internally temperamentally in tune with the wishes of the human heart. You won’t see it coming. But after you’ve read a piece or two, you’ll find yourself lighter, able and willing to connect to the world and the people in it.

2. Erosion by Jorie Graham. You either hate her or you love her. Readers have had a long-standing love-hate relationship with Graham, especially since the release of Overlord and Never. However, Graham remains one of the most ambitious poets we have on the scene. And if you find her latest works unwieldy, it might be best to start with one of her first collections. Erosion, released after Hybrids of Plants and Ghosts, is as striking as ever. If you’re in the mood for something devastatingly irresistible, download this Nook eBook on your Samsung Galaxy Tab 8 and start reading. By the end of this collection, you’ll know why Graham bagged one of the most prestigious awards in the literary scene, the Pulitzer Prize.

3. The Collected Poems of Rumi. According to OfficeVibe, 77 percent of Americans in the workplace say work, alongside money, is one of their greatest sources of stress. One way to combat that stress is to read. According to Pulptastic, reading helps reduce stress levels a lot. It’s a form of distraction. When you sink into a story, you tend to forget about the deadlines you missed, that coworker you have with the annoying, braying laugh. With Rumi, you don’t just lose your stress, you find yourself lighter for it. If you like your poems sensual, spiritually-aware and inspiring, run to your nearest bookstore and get this or log on to your favorite eBook store and download the collection right away.

4. The Collected Poems of Frank O’ Hara. Not merely provocative with subjects and forms but thought-provoking in the philosophical dimensions of his work, Frank O’Hara is one of the most celebrated poets out there. Exclusively autobiographical, his poems are often easy to relate to. From pieces about another affair to another work day, his work is resonant and open and exemplary. Whether you’ve got a favorite or this is your first time reading O’Hara, you’ll find something delicious, irreverent and serious in this collection.

5. The Wild Iris by Louise Gluck. The Huffington Post says that reading also helps you relax and is a handy way to let you sleep. If that’s the kind of reading material you want, don’t start on this one. If you do, you’ll find yourself thumbing through the pages until the daylight begins to seep through your windows. If you’ve already read Proof and Theories, a collection of her essays on poetry, then you already familiar with how her process and mind works through the poems. However, it’s a wonder to watch that mind at work in her Pulitzer-prize winning collection, The Wild Iris. Gluck finds a way to explore the most intimate of our feelings and draws out the pain, loneliness, and longing in ways that are stark and beautiful. If you want ambition, darkness, and heart delivered with beauty and deft hands, this is the poetry collection to add to your reading pile.

6. Complete Works of Rainer Maria Rilke. Rilke’s works, according to the Poetry Foundation, are mystical and lyrical. He is one of the most well-known and most quoted poets in pop culture. By working with themes such as beauty and suffering, Maria Rilke was able to access and reconcile two of the most dominant human feelings. His Letters to a Young Poet continues to be an enduring classic, giving hope to aspiring writers in every generation.

7. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Had a bad day? Reading can help make you feel better. One reading choice to go for is Gibran’s works. His spiritual poetry talks about the idea of universal love and has proven to be incredibly resonant with global audiences throughout generations. The positivity alive in the work also makes it a great choice for those who deal with depression and loneliness.

There you have it — 7 poetry collections guaranteed to take you on an irresistible, intimate exploration of one of the most fascinating and often confusing subjects for which our interest endures: the human heart.