I love spending time on my balcony with a great book! In nice weather, I hang out there reading a fair bit of non-fiction and fiction for pleasure and to vet things for my classroom too. (You can read past reviews and how to use them in class including this one about John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed and this one about two memoirs.) But recently I’ve been making a strong effort to to read more poetry collections for pleasure and as research for what to add to my classroom library.
Since I’m always on the lookout for new poetry, I went on a search for collections from recent years. I requested nearly 30 poetry collections from my local library based on the description of the collection, a mini dive into each poet, as well as their covers (let’s be honest, we all still judge a book a little by its cover!). I think many will work for a variety of English lessons, plus, it will be a chance to include the works of more living poets. But, most of all, I’m excited to spend time with these poets and their words.
Here are 15 poetry collections you should read. Bonus they’re all great additions for your high school English classroom library too! The list includes collections that are suitable for all high school grades and some that are more for senior students. As always, I encourage you to check out the collections before adding them to your classroom library.
Where possible I’ve included links to buy the books; these are Amazon affiliate links so I do receive a small commission from each purchase, which helps me to keep this website running. Thank you for your support!
❤ This List of Poetry Collections
Letters to the Person I Was by Sana Abuleil
A collection about past, present, future focusing what the poet wishes had been said to her when she was a young girl. This is one my favorites from this whole list. I’ve added this to my high school English classroom library and I’d urge you to do the same!
Bless the Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head by Warsan Shire
First full length poetry collection from renown Somali-British poet who is a collaborator with Beyoncé. Read an excerpt from the collection here. Warsan Shire is an amazing poet and this collection or any of her collections are worth adding to your classroom library!
Zoom Rooms: Poems by Mary Jo Salter
Poems about our most recent existence in light of C-vid and our alone together of it all. This one is great for contemporary discussions and an examination of writing through our times.
The Kissing of Kissing: Poems by Hannah Emerson
Debut collection from a nonspeaking neurodivergent poet, which is part of the publisher’s “Multiverse” series. These poems are new and interesting, the images they invoke are eye-opening! Like this line: “Look very hard to find / the place between / the pillow and hell”!
While the Earth Sleeps We Travel: Stories, Poetry, and Art from Refugee Youth Around the World by Ahmed Badr
A mix of poetry, personal narratives, and art collected by Badr after he traveled and held workshops with displaced youth; his own poetry is also included.
Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock
Debut collection described as “a journey from girlhood to womanhood through poetry” is from a spoken word performer Mayrock.
Check out Mayrock reading from “Dear Girl” here.
home body by rupi kaur
This collection, Kaur’s third, is a journey through the past, the present, and the potential of the self. Typical of kaur it includes illustrations by the author to accompany the poems. kaur is always a favorite in my classroom so I’ll always add a new collection from her so my students can spend time with her thoughts and poetry!
You can see works by rupi kaur on her Instagram feed.
Cane | Fire by Shani Mootoo
A poetic memoir as the narrator traces her migration, much like that of Mootoo from Ireland to San Fernando to Canada.
Read about Mootoo’s personal and professional history here.
Occasionally Petty by Michelle Lietz
Using lyrics from the songs of Tom Petty, Lietz, in her debut collection, explores nostalgia, adolescence, and the poet’s identity.
If you’d like to brush up on your Tom Petty before checking this one out, here are the greatest hits from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
shine your icy crown by amanda lovelace
This is the second collection in the “you are your own fairy tale” feminist poetry series. Lovelace’s first collection is “women are some kind of magic” – a bestselling trilogy. This is similar to rupi kaur’s style with images and lower-case text of poems focusing on women. Dare I say that I like this one better than kaur’s???!!!
Each One A Furnace: Poems by Tolu Oloruntoba
The collection explores (im)migration, diasporas, and more with a focus on finches (yes, the birds!), in particular.
His first full collection of poetry – The Junta of Happenstance – won the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for English Language Poetry.
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
You might be familiar with Vuong from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and in this collection he continues his examination of personal trauma, in light of his mother’s recent death. I would suggest this one with some caution, while beautiful the subject matter is heavy.
Vuong talks about reclaiming joy in the face of unimaginable grief in this PBS Newshour report.
Standing in a River of Time by Jónína Kirton
A combination of poetry and memoir focusing on intergenerational effects of colonization on a Métis family.
“My life was really hard and full of challenges. But I want people to know that they should hang in — miracles can happen.” from CBC.ca Books article about the collection.
Dream Drawings: Configurations of a Timeless Kind by N. Scott Momaday
The collection is 100 prose poems in Indigenous oral tradition from this Pulitzer Prize winning poet. The collection also includes black and white paintings by the artist.
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
A coming of age poetry collection with a focus on race, feminism, and queer identity. I LOVE this one!
You can watch an excerpt of Mans reading from the collection here.
I hope that one or more of these poetry collections find their way into the library of your high school English classroom. I have slowly been adding a few more to mine and my wish list continues to grow!
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