Best Poets

We already have a "best Poetry Books" list, but this is different. Here you vote for a poet, or their overall output as a poet, not for one of their specific volumes. So when you add a book to this list, only vote for the poet's selected or collected works. Other volumes will be deleted.
100

by
4.05 avg rating — 2,204 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
102

by
3.99 avg rating — 1,447 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
103

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,333 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
104

by
4.32 avg rating — 6,265 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
105

by
3.96 avg rating — 49 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
105

by
4.20 avg rating — 2,515 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
107

by
4.30 avg rating — 408 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
108

by
4.16 avg rating — 1,031 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
109

by
4.32 avg rating — 13,744 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
110

by
4.15 avg rating — 3,166 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
111

by
4.04 avg rating — 332 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
112

by
4.34 avg rating — 2,070 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
113

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
114

by
4.31 avg rating — 74 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
115

by
4.38 avg rating — 1,073 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
116

by
4.13 avg rating — 6,260 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
117

by
4.09 avg rating — 9,977 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
118

by
4.05 avg rating — 1,133 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
119

by
4.33 avg rating — 821 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
119

by
4.24 avg rating — 21,220 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
121

by
4.28 avg rating — 420 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
122

by
4.43 avg rating — 3,782 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
123

by
3.83 avg rating — 30 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
123

by
4.65 avg rating — 426 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
125

by
3.85 avg rating — 668 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
126

by
4.24 avg rating — 2,319 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
126

by
4.34 avg rating — 41,469 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
128

by
4.05 avg rating — 55,593 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
128

by
4.10 avg rating — 4,559 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
130

by
4.43 avg rating — 1,102 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
131

by
4.05 avg rating — 57 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
132

by
4.25 avg rating — 483 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
133

by
4.04 avg rating — 83 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
134

by
4.33 avg rating — 269 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
134

by
3.99 avg rating — 352 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
136

by
4.44 avg rating — 13,910 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
137

by
4.27 avg rating — 142 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
138

by
4.18 avg rating — 11 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
139

by
4.17 avg rating — 3,575 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
140

by
4.41 avg rating — 1,689 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
141

by
4.02 avg rating — 412 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
142

by
4.43 avg rating — 5,322 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
143

by
4.06 avg rating — 252 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.62 avg rating — 150 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.34 avg rating — 38 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.50 avg rating — 421 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.07 avg rating — 30 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.64 avg rating — 11 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.31 avg rating — 209 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.14 avg rating — 28 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.52 avg rating — 50 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.71 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.21 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.18 avg rating — 49 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.86 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.94 avg rating — 51 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.93 avg rating — 28 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.04 avg rating — 25 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.64 avg rating — 56 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.43 avg rating — 410 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.56 avg rating — 9 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 13 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.07 avg rating — 15 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.26 avg rating — 376 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.47 avg rating — 123 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.65 avg rating — 20 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.85 avg rating — 179,008 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
144

by
4.90 avg rating — 10 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
515 books · 385 voters · list created August 29th, 2009 by John Burns (votes) .
102 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


John 846 books
53 friends
Christy 7507 books
2609 friends
Ruth 2646 books
382 friends
Khanh 554 books
18 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3384 books
853 friends
Judy 879 books
8 friends
Gwyn 122 books
81 friends
Joan 1874 books
43 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by John (new)

John Burns Deleted the wasteland and other poems because it isn't a selected or collected volume. If a poet has a selected or collected volume add those instead. You're voting for poets here, not for specific volumes of poetry.


message 2: by John (new)

John Burns Removed leaves of grass.

It's interesting how different this is to the "best poetry books" list. Leaves of grass and howl are the top 2 books there, but whitman and ginsberg barely register on this list. Shows the distinction between voting for best books and best poets. PPL have heard of howl and leaves of grass because of their historical significance, but not many seem to care for the poetry so much...


message 3: by Peter (new)

Peter Should the Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge not be removed? After all, it only represents a very small part of either poet's output...

Anyway, I'm really quite surprised at Yeats being at the top, though I suppose given how paradoxical and contradictory he was throughout his life there's going to be at least one poem in their collection for any kind of nutcase.


message 4: by John (new)

John Burns Peter wrote: "Should the Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge not be removed? After all, it only represents a very small part of either poet's output...

Anyway, I'm really quite surprised at Yeats being ..."


Well spotted. Deleted the lyrical ballads.

I though yeats was pretty good... i don't think paradox and contradiction necessarily bother ppl. Most probly don't notice it, i didnt.


message 5: by Peter (new)

Peter Hah, I suppose Yeats's contradictory nature is really only going to be highlighted if you happen to study him or you're involved with Irish poetry/politics in some way... He's definitely one of the greats though. Perhaps the last great Romantic and certainly among the first Modernists too. Personally, I'll always prefer Keats and Shelley though.


message 6: by Antoine (new)

Antoine Killthepopular wrote: "Removed leaves of grass.

That's fine, I guess. But it is worth knowing that Leaves of Grass (unlike Howl or the Waste Land) is basically Whitman's only book. Some poets do not have a proper "collected works." Virgil comes to mind. So does Shel Silverstein, who appears on this list three times. I suggest you leave his highest ranking book in place and delete the others.



message 7: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 04, 2016 07:23AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) I don't think Eugene Onegin (#90) or The Divine Comedy (#11) should be on this list...?


message 8: by John (new)

John Burns Dante is only really known for two works: Divine comedy and Vita Nuova. Vita Nuova is a short and comparatively obscure volume and the divine comedy is a compilation of three previously published works so I'm inclined to regard The Divine Comedy as being more or less the same as a collected works volume.


message 9: by John (new)

John Burns Deleted The Prophet seeing as we have the collected works of Gibran hanging round #50.


message 10: by Vincent (new)

Vincent By God, why is this list so anglosphere oriented. Where are the great French, German, Norse poets in the top 10? The only ' foreign' poet in the top is Dante Alighieri and he is only tenth!


back to top



Related News

Those who have picked up the habit can tell you: Poetry is a lot more fun than you might expect.   This is especially true if you have a love...

Anyone can add books to this list.