Great Writers

"Before you know what kindness really is, you must lose things," writes poet Naomi Shihab Nye.

Clear, evocative, simply beautiful – words that describe this poet's work.

Toni Morrison, the first Black woman to be awarded the Nobel laureate in literature, gained worldwide acclaim for her unvarnished exploration of Black identity in America. Have you read her work? 

She is one of the most original and prolific poets of all time, the incomparable Emily Dickinson (1830—1886). 

Their poetry is intersectional, inclusive, and powerful. 

Get to know this poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.

The youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history and an award-winning writer and social activist, whose poem, "The Hill We Climb," wowed America at President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021.

Hi Poets! For the month of December, William Blake is YWP's Great Poet – recommended by YWP intern Anna O'Reilly.

Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, draws on her ancestors' experience in her award-winning poetry. She was the 23rd United States Poet Laureate (2019-22).

Get swept away by the haunting poetry of Ocean Vuong, an award-winning young Vietnamese-American poet, essayist, and novelist. 

Born in Seoul, Korea, Sandra Kim grew up in California and now lives in Massachusetts where she is an English professor and author of three poetry collections. Lim is the recent recipient of the 2023 Jackson Poetry Prize. 

American poet and essayist, Louise Glück (1943-2023) won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. She also had a strong connection to Vermont where she was poet laureate in the 1990s.