Poetry is the literature that inspires, moves, and teaches with the use of few words, a bit of feeling, and a dash of experiences. This type of writing contains so much meaning, imagery, and symbolism — which were embedded by the poet to express his heart out in an indirect but impactful way. There are just so much beauty, aesthetics, and weight that poems hold, making every reader somewhere in the corner of this world happy, motivated, in pain, and more.

The literary realm is full of amazing poems written by brilliant poets. Some of the most popular poets of all-time are Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and others. Apart from these writers, there are also many poetry books that readers should check out this brand-new year. If you wish to check out some wonderful poetry books, here are some of the best ones.

Trini: My Life of Poems by Trinidad Rodriguez

Published in 2015, Trini: My Life of Poems contains beautiful and meaningful poems that highlight the life of the author. Most of the works showcase bravery, determination, and strong faith. The book also shows that the experiences turned Trinidad a woman of character, meaning the poet has shown how strong she is as a person, mother, and woman. Every entry feature a part of a single mother’s life that is full of either or both challenges and triumphs. Hence, you can truly understand and share the experiences and emotions in every line by viewing them from the author’s point of view. Some of the book’s content enables you to fly freely like a butterfly while others ignite pain in your heart.

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is a poetry book by remarkable Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. It was originally written in Spanish with the title Veinte Poemas De Amor y Una Canción Desesperada, but it was impressively translated by W.S. Merwin with an introduction by Cristina Garcia. The book has sparked some controversy because of its sexy, erotic, and provocative meaning considering that the poet is still young during the time of publication. Despite everything, 20 million copies of the book were sold, and is still known to be the best-selling Spanish poetry book. Additionally, it turned out to be Neruda’s most popular work and one of the most wonderful poetry books in the world, which became the basis of Lynda Thomas’ song Ay Ay Ay in 2001.

Home Body by Rupi Kaur

The third poetry book of Rupi Kaur, Home Body, was recently published in November of 2020. The 21-year-old poet, artist, and performer explored the themes of love, loss, and trauma. There are also other significant and heavy topics that the poems tackle, which are mending, femininity, and migration. Home Body features a deliberate and personal journey that looks into the past, present, and future self that will surely entertain and teach the readers. Thus, this amazing anthology of poems makes the readers think of keep engaging on love, family, acceptance, and others. What makes this poetry book more captivating is the bunch of amazing illustrations embedded in it.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawing by Shel Silverstein

The popular author-illustrator Shel Silverstein is the man behind the brilliant Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawing. This collection of poems is humorous yet contains a deeper meaning. It showcases a guy who suddenly becomes a TV set and a girl who devours a whale. Both the Unicorn and the Bloath live in that particular place. A girl named Sarah Cynthia Stout who doesn’t want to bring out the trash also resides there. The area is certainly the ideal place to wash one’s shadow and unbelievably grow diamond gardens. There are just a lot of surreal things that these poems hold and showcase.

Your shelf and the reading list can surely make room for more wonderful poetry books in this New Year. What are you waiting for? Check them out now!