Give poetry a go this October

Are you a poetry reader? Whether you love poetry or are interested in giving it a go, we’ve got a huge list of suggested poetry, recommended by Rose from East Grinstead Library.

Share your favourite poetry reads by submitting your own review, posting in our Facebook group or tweeting us @WSCCLibraries using the hashtag #MidSussexReadingChallenge.

W.H Auden’s Selected Poems: This contains a selection of his poems, including the famous Stop All the Clocks from the Four Weddings and a Funeral movie.

The Top 500 poems Anthology: Contains everything from William Shakespeare to Christopher Marlowe to Phillip Larkin to Sylvia Plath. You can find pretty much find a poem for every occasion in this book! It’s huge, but nice to go back to every now and again.

Lang Liev: I’m not specifying one particular anthology that is my favourite as to be honest I love them all. She’s written four, which have a selection of short stories and poems –some spanning a few pages, others only a few lines long—and focuses predominantly on themes of love, friendship, adventure and loss. She has a beautiful way with words that sticks with you for a very long time afterwards.

Sonnets by William Shakespeare: This one is a pretty obvious choice, but I really like his sonnets and the way they range from everything in someone’s life from love to loss to death and back again, all in his signature rhythmic prose.

Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne: A beautifully written poem with every sentence rhyming with the next, leaving it running around your head for days afterward.

Stardust by Lang Leav: Ok, this one kinda isn’t a poem, however it’s in a poetry anthology, so thought I’d include it anyways! This one is all about memory and love and knowing someone even though you’ve never seen them before. A personal favourite of mine.

Tic Tac Toe (also) by Lang Leav: A four line poem that is short yet powerful at the same time.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost: This compares the two elements to love in a very lyrical manner.

The Road Not Yet Taken by Robert Frost: A moving poem about something every human thinks about many times: the endless possibilities of choice.

I Wandered Lonely as A Cloud by William Wordsworth: A very sweet poem about daffodils and the power they have to make you happy.

Bright Star by John Keats: Something which I can happily go back to over and over again, all about comparing someone’s lover to a star.

Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen: Sad, but beautiful all the same.

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll: Probably best known for being in Alice in Wonderland, this poem is compelling both in language and because of the strange creature it describes.

We’ve got lots of poetry collections available to borrow from your local library! Reserve any of the titles above for free by visiting our library catalogue.

The views expressed in this review are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of West Sussex Libraries.