Some of the most iconic 20th century poets were young men killed in the First World War. Whilst Rupert Brooke was not killed in action, he was quickly celebrated as the fallen ‘golden warrior’, a vision of patriotic beauty and talent. Born in 1887 to a respectable, academic family, Rupert received a good education from two independent schools in Rugby. Before ...
The librarian poet, Philip Larkin (1922-1985) is a poet whose work has helped to shape the literary world. A strong follower of Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin mimicked his style. The abandonment of the style of neo-Romanticism was typical of poets of his time. However, his deeply rich poems of the life and love have made him to be considered in the ...
Poet and mystic Kabir lived between 1440 and 1518 in India and has had a great influence on Indian society, and beyond, ever since. He was an intensely spiritual man, taking concepts from both Hinduism and Islam to present a world view that reduces man’s place in the universe to its simplest components. His poetry feeds from this well of simplicity and ...
Born into the hustle and bustle of Manhattan in 1941, Billy Collins grew up to become one of America’s most prominent modern day poets. A professor at New York’s Lehman College, Collins was crowned Poet Laureate for the United States between 2001 and 2003. He has produced a number of poetry works including The Best Cigarette which became a bestseller in ...
Born in New York in 1940, Jack Prelutsky describes himself as a sensitive kid who had a bit of a rough time growing up in a poor neighbourhood. He had no inkling during his school days that he would grow up to be a successful children’s poet and seemed to have received little encouragement to do so at that time. Poetry bored ...
