When you first start writing, it can be tempting to not read other poets’ work for fear of being influenced and losing your own style. When you’re not sure of yourself it can feel like you’re going to lose yourself in someone else’s work or world and become something that you’re not or don’t want to be.
But here’s the thing — all the great poets build on the poetry that has come before them. They read it and write in response to it. They comment on it and improve it. They are in conversation with it. To join in on the conversation, you need to start reading work by other poets.
The great painters of the past started out by copying the work of the great masters. It was how they learnt the techniques of their craft and once they had mastered the basics, they went on to create their own style. Copying the poetry of poets you love is a way to learn those techniques. As long as you cite your reference by putting ‘after Judith Wright’ below the title of your poem, it’s okay to be a fan and copy your heroes. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants after all!
So when you read poetry by other people, be critical. Note your response to a poem. Write down what you like about it. Think about its style and if it’s something that resonates with you. If you are consciously responding to the poem, you won’t get so lost or overwhelmed by someone else’s work.
On this page you will find a list of famous and not so famous poets from around the world, a list of books Pocketry recommends as well as some videos for you to watch. These lists are by no means exhaustive or definitive — once you start reading poetry, you’ll find yourself going off in all sorts of strange directions and tangents — but they will provide you with a starting point on your poetry reading journey.
Rest assured, over time you will develop your own unique style based on all the bits and pieces you have learnt from your poetry heroes.