We’ve all been in a reading slump at one time or another. Honestly, as deadlines ramp up and exam season looms, I find myself in one now. I come home after a long day of classes and readings and stare at the thick novel sitting on my desk with contempt. Exhaustion and stress diminish any motivation to pick up a book that, at best, I am only making meagre progress with. Instead, I pull one of my beloved poetry collections from my shelf and flick through. Sometimes I find new ones I am yet to discover, other times I reread my favourites over and over again. I think more people would feel less defeated by their reading slumps if they, too, opted to read a few poems rather than attempt to get back into reading with a long, intimidating book.
Ok, I am admittedly an English Literature student. I guess I have to like poetry. I suppose when you mention poetry, people think of the likes of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Walt Whitman. But there is a plethora of contemporary poetry that is accessible and relatable to readers today. I have selected three of my favourite poetry collections that I would recommend to both poetry superfans and those who have never read a poem in their lives. Each one offers something different, and I would greatly encourage delving into whichever takes your fancy this summer.
Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope (1992)
Wendy Cope’s poetry is simply a reflection on everyday life, and her second collection, Serious Concerns, epitomises this. Cope’s short-form verse is funny and light-hearted; “Two Cures for Love” provides us with witty relationship advice, “Another Christmas Poem” reminds us to give “goodwill to men, and make them do the washing-up”. “Loss” is an amusing breakup anecdote. Serious Concerns is a mirror for the mundane. The best example, and the highlight of the collection, is “The Orange”, a poem about some of the most ordinary happenings in life but written with such tenderness that it never fails to make me smile. “I love you. I’m glad I exist,” writes Cope after recollecting a day filled with sweet, simple pleasures. This collection is therapy for me; it reminds me to appreciate the everyday, and it celebrates the collective experiences that make us human. If “Some More Light Verse” is what you fancy, Wendy Cope is the poet for you.
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire (2022)
Somewhat of a shift in tone, Bless the Daughter Raised by a voice in Her Head is a devastating but pertinent collection that explores migration, womanhood, and trauma. Kenyan-born Somali poet Warsan Shire’s first collection is a veritable triumph, with her enrapturing, visceral, poetic voice running throughout. Some of the individual poems took my breath away with their evocativeness. The most famous poem to emerge from the collection is “Home”, a poignant insight into the experience of refugees; “no one puts children in a boat, unless the water is safer than the land”, is a fiercely devastating line that directly calls out the intolerance to migrants forced to travel to safety in small boats. Shire’s poetry could not be more relevant, given the current political climate. This collection is a gut-punching series of poems that has haunted me ever since I first read it. I am so excited to see what Warsan Shire does next.
The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy (1999)
Saving the best for last, ex-poet laureate’s seminal collection The World’s Wife is my favourite, and always will be. Written from the perspectives of the wives of famous figures from history and mythology, it is quite simply a masterpiece. The collection has just about everything; “Mrs Darwin” and “Mrs Icarus” are both hysterically funny, “Anne Hathaway” is a beautifully romantic poem about Shakespeare’s wife, but there are others that touch on more sincere issues. “Medusa” is particularly poignant, as is “Little Red Cap”. It is one of Duffy’s greatest strengths that she is able to achieve such a range of tones within just one collection. Admittedly, some of the poems in The World’s Wife require a considerable breadth of literary or classical knowledge, but for anyone with a love for literature, it is a delectable collection that I could not recommend enough.
Disclaimer: Both Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head and The World’s Wife deal with sensitive topics such as xenophobia, suicide, sexual assault, and eating disorders. Please check content warnings carefully before reading either collection.
Image: “Making poetry” by aurelio.asiain is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.