Poet links

 

Find a Poet http://www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm

Our site currently includes biographies, photos, and other information on more than 450 poets, with new pages being added all the time.

 
Paula Gunn Allen (1939- ) http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/poets/bio/allen_p.htm
The works of Native American Paula Gunn Allen (1939- ) include "The Woman Who Owned the Shadows" and "Spider Woman's Granddaughters." Allen is a poet, essayist, and novelist. Gale Group, Inc., a division of the Thomson Corporation, presents a biographical sketch of Allen and a discussion of her contributions in the field of Native American literature as part of Poet's Corner. Poet's Corner is a resource featuring biographies of poets, poems, commentaries, poetry activities, and more.

 
Maya Angelou http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/angelou/angelou.html
Features information about the African-American author Maya Angelou (1928- ), who writes novels and poetry, presented by The Circle Association. Includes a biographical sketch of Angelou and a photograph of her. Highlights other African-American authors, such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, and Rita Dove.

 
Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672 http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/lit/bradstre.htm
As part of an online project on the literature of Colonial America (1607-1783), Romon Gonzalez provides information about the English-born American poet Anne Bradstreet (c.1612-1672), who is regarded as the earliest English poet of merit in America. Bradstreet was a Puritan, and her later poems show her spiritual growth. Gonzalez provides a biographical sketch of Bradstreet, a bibliography of works by and about her, a timeline of the most important events in Bradstreet's life, and study questions for students.

 
Emily Dickinson
American poet Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1830 in Amherst, MA. During her lifetime, she only published only seven poems, but after her death, her sister Lavinia Dickinson discovered more than a thousand poems, many of them hand bound into little books. In the 1890's Lavinia had the poems edited and published in three editions. Emily Dickinson's fame grew considerably in the twentieth century, however, when Thomas H. Johnson published an unedited collection of all 1775 of her poems in a single edition in 1960.

Modern American Poetry: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/dickinson.htm
The Department of English of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presents information about the life and works of American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) as part of "Modern American Poetry (MAPS)." The information includes descriptions of Dickinson's work, a biographical sketch, a selection of poems, and access to additional resources.

 
  Dickinson Electronic Archives http://www.emilydickinson.org/
This scholarly Emily Dickinson archive challenges common misconceptions about her, including the"fact" that she was isolated, morbid, or did not have a sense of humor. Start by studying the correspondence between Emily and her sister-in-law Susan Dickinson (Emily Dickinson Writing a Poem) as Emily edits the poem "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers." Next, peruse Letter-Poem and ask yourself where the poem ends and the personal correspondence begins. Teachers will not want to miss Teaching with the Archives, which includes resources from a variety of external websites.

Poetry of Emily Dickinson Read By Laura Lee Parrotti http://wiredforbooks.org/poetry/laura_lee_parrotti.htm
At WiredforBooks.org, Laura Lee Parrotti reads 184 Emily Dickinson poems. Each audio clip is available in RealAudio format for online or offline listening. I wish they were in MP3 format (it would make it easier to play them offline) and that the written versions were available alongside the audio. You can, however, find the Series 1 poems at Bartleby.com ( http://www.bartleby.com/113/ ) and all three Series at Online-Literature.com ( http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/ ).
 
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/poets/bio/dickinson_e.htm
The majority of the works of American lyric poet Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-1886) were published posthumously; only ten poems were published before her death, and those were published anonymously. Gale Group, Inc., a division of the Thomson Corporation, presents a biographical sketch of Dickinson as part of Poet's Corner, a resource featuring biographies of poets, poems, commentaries, poetry activities, and more. Access to "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," a poem by Dickinson, is also available.

 
John Donne http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/
Friend of both Izaak Walton and Ben Jonson, John Donne was the most famous of the metaphysical poets of the 17th century, a group that included George Herbert and Henry Vaughan. Placing a premium on intellectual wit, learned imagery, and subtle argument, Donne's poems have remained some of the most enduring from this period. Created as part of the Luminarium Project by Anniina Jokinen, the site features the complete works of John Donne, including spoken word versions of many of his poems. The additional resources section is quite helpful, as it contains many different biographical sketches of Donne, along with a number of images of Donne from his childhood to his appointment as the Dean of St. Paul's in 1621. Scholars will be pleased to find a page of critical essays on Donne's works available here, some written by students, some by faculty, and one particularly trenchant commentary by T.S. Eliot.

 
Selected Poetry of Langston Hughes (1902-1967) http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/authors/hughes.html
Features a selection of poems written by American writer Langston Hughes (1902-1967), provided as part of "Representative Poetry On-line," of the University of Toronto English Library (UTEL). Provides information about editorial conventions and usage, as well as brief notes about Hughes' life and works.
see also http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=84&CFID=12862051&CFTOKEN=25472831 

 
  Frost, Robert (Link)

 

Two on Poet Robert Lowell
Academy of American Poets: Robert Lowell http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=10
Salon.com: Robert Lowell, "The Voice of the Poet" [RealOne Player]
http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/lowell/index.html
Born into one of Boston's most prominent families (and growing up to detest it), Robert Lowell was perhaps the most important poet writing in English during the second half of the twentieth century. After leaving Harvard to study at Kenyon College, Lowell went on to study at Louisiana State University under the novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren. Lowell's second book, Lord Weary's Castle, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1946, and remained in the eye of the public until his death at age 60 in 1977. At this first site (provided by the Academy of American Poets), visitors can read about Lowell's life and read some of his finest poems, including For the Union Dead, Man and Wife, and The Drunken Fisherman. The second site (provided by Salon.com) affords visitors the opportunity to listen to Lowell read two of his own works, Skunk Hour and Dunbarton. Overall, these sites work well as a nice introduction to one of the 20th century's most gifted poets.

Modern American Poetry - Grades 9-12 http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/
Edited by Cary Nelson and hosted by the Department of English at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, this site provides an online journal and multimedia companion MIT 16 to the Oxford Anthology of Modern American Poetry. Study over 150 modern American poets from Sherman Alexie to Louis Zukofsky. Look for sample poems, biographies, bibliographies, commentaries, and links to resources.

Ogden Nash http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html

 
Neurotic Poets: Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) http://www.neuroticpoets.com/plath/
Brenda C. Mondragon presents a biographical sketch of the American poet Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), as part of Neurotic Poets. Throughout Plath's life, stress would often lead to bouts of illness, which would cause depression and more stress. Plath's poems were published in "The Colossus" (1960), "Ariel" (1965), "Crossing the Water" (1971), and "Winter Trees" (1971). Platt eventually committed suicide. Mondragon provides a photographic image of Plath.

 
Analyzing Poe http://www.challenge.state.la.us/edres/lessons/middle/lesson9.htm
"Analyzing Poe" is an American literature lesson for middle school classes that was developed by Mary E. Falgout and Anne de Graauw as part of the Louisiana Challenge collection of activities for the K-12 classroom. The students compare "Annabel Lee" and "The Raven," two poems by American poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). The authors list the materials needed and highlight the lesson procedures. This lesson does require Internet access. The Louisiana Challenge Grant provides the lesson online.

Knowing Poe: The Literature, Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe . . . In Baltimore and Beyond
Provides biographical information about Edgar Allan Poe through an interactive timeline. Poe's personal life and his writings are juxtaposed with other published literature, Maryland's history, and American history.  Activities are designed to help answer questions such as "What did Baltimore look like when Poe lived there?," "Why did Poe die?" "What was it like to go to school when Poe died?"  Find out more about Poe's writing by following activities focused on point of view, writing tools, and re-writing.  An interactive sound board allows for adjustments in voices, music, and other effects for the reading of each stanza of Poe's poem, "The Bells."  Explore primary source documents related to Poe's life and death, including photographs, manuscripts, a letter from Poe to his wife Virginia, Poe's handwriting on letters and drafts of his work, and a copy of a Poe obituary that appeared in a Richmond, Virginia newspaper. A video clip of actor John Astin interpreting "The Raven" is available as well as information on how Poe's image and words live on in today's modern society.  A complete list of Poe's short stories with links to some online stories with full-text is provided.

 
  Shel Silverstein (born Sheldon Allan Silverstein in 1930) is best known for his quirky children's poetry and stories, but he also wrote, composed and drew for grownups. His award-winning children's books include "Where the Sidewalk Ends", "A Light in the Attic" and "The Missing Piece." His song credits include the lyrics to "A Boy Named Sue" (recorded by Johnny Cash) and the theme song for "Thelma & Louise."

Academy of Poets: Shel Silverstein http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/104
"Silverstein's work, which he illustrated himself, is characterized by a deft mixing of the sly and the serious, the macabre and the just plain silly." The Academy of Poets honors Silverstein with a short bio and links to related resources. In the right-hand column, you'll find two poems: "Mr. Grumpledump's Song" and "Sick." In the left-hand column, you'll find Further Reading (such as an article about reading poetry with children) and links to external sites.

Kids Reads: Shel Silverstein http://www.kidsreads.com/features/0204-silverstein-author.asp
"Silverstein's flair for fun, tinged with a bit of naughtiness, makes his books enormously popular with kids. Altogether his titles have sold more than 18 million copies around the world and have been translated into twenty different languages." Visit Kids Reads for a short Silverstein bio, a list of his children's books, and a page of Silverstein trivia. Best of all, when you're done, there are oodles of other authors to explore.

NPR: Shel Silverstein's 'Runny Babbit' Tales http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4787324
In 2005, six years after Silverstein's death, two new works were released: a CD with many of his most loved poems and songs, and a book of previously unpublished spoonerism rhymes "Runny Babbit." Listen to this NPR "All Things Considered" interview with Silverstein's nephew Mitch Myers (editor of the "Runny Babbit"collection) and click around to read some of the poems. "Runny Babbit with his axe / Chopped down a trerry chee. / When Raddy Babbit asked, ‘Do whid it?' / Runny said, ‘Mot ne.'"

 
Robert Penn Warren- Poetry Exhibits http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=17&CFID=84069&CFTOKEN=23160558
The Academy of American Poets presents an overview of the life and works of American writer and poet Robert Penn Warren (1905-1989). The academy offers a biographical sketch and full-text versions of selected poems by Warren. A selected bibliography of Warren's poetry, prose, and letters is offered.

 
Walt Whitman (1819-1892) http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/poets/bio/whitman_w.htm
American poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892) served as a hospital nurse during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The works of Whitman include "Leaves of Grass," a collection of verses, as well as such poems as "Song of the Open Road" and "I Sing the Body Electric." Gale Group, Inc., a division of the Thomson Corporation, presents a biographical sketch of Whitman as part of Poet's Corner, a resource featuring biographies of poets, poems, commentaries, poetry activities, and more. Access to "O Captain! My Captain!," a poem written by Whitman after the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), is provided.