Poetry is a space for exploration.
From the far corners of the earth to the next block over, identity and culture with poetry helps find ways to allow readers small glimpses into their everyday worlds. As a mirror for identity and culture, this art form takes us deep into the hearts of communities we may have never seen by transcending all geographical barriers. Or perhaps you’re searching for a familiar soul whose walls feel like the home of your own heart. If so, there’s certainly a poem for that too.
With rhythm, rhyme, and carefully crafted imagery, poets use the lines of a page to voice their collective histories.
This journey is often far more rich when deepened by culture, heritage, and whispers to generations ahead. Culture is anything but static. It’s shaped and altered by history and the world surrounding us. Because of this, marginalized voices are often overshadowed by more familiar and louder perspectives. But artful literature has become a rebellious and essential way to celebrate diversity, honor legacies, reclaim narratives, and challenge perspectives. From exploring queerness, ancestry, gender, and race, we open our eyes to both new and shared stories.
When we embrace diversity in poetry, we begin to broaden our horizons. We consider the journeys of those around and understand that this human experience is so beautiful because of our differences.
Here are a few poets who lean into their uniqueness with grace, fiery prose and colorful landscapes. See how far you can expand your horizons through reading their work today. Who knows, maybe you’ll find we’re all not so different after all.
Danez Smith
With a handful of awards under their belt already, one gets the feeling that Smith’s still just getting started. Clever and conversational poetry addresses their thoughts on race, gender, and queerness through their experiences in Black America. The finalist for NAACP Image Award in Poetry, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the National Book Award challenges the status quo with each line, leaving every reader more compassionate and openhearted than when they first found Danez Smith’s work.
Poetry to begin with:
Principles- Watch here
Collections and work to discover:
Fatimah Asghar
Powerful wordsmith, Fatimah Asghar, knows no limits. Their brutally honest poetry exposes their innermost thoughts on being a Pakistani and Muslim queer human in America. With a unique lens, Asghar is the bold human you want on your side. Feeling understood and seen has never been easier than through the words of the poet, screenwriter and director’s debut poetry collection, If They Come for Us.
Poems to begin with:
Collections and work to discover:
Natalie Diaz
Natalie Diaz is a Mojave poet revealing truths surrounding Indigenous identity, colonialism and love within Native communities. As a Pulitzer Prize winner, former professional basketball player and associate professor, Diaz’s life experience is colorful and well-rounded, much like the darkly humored and powerful verses within her collections.
Poetry to begin with:
