Originally by Ranker BooksList RulesVote up the all time best poets
Who are the best poets of all time? It includes poets such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, and Sylvia Plath. Poetry has captivated readers for thousands of years. Regardless of the time period during which they wrote, the great poets on this list have used their talents and ways with language to connect with readers of all ages. Written works have the ability to make us feel. They make us want to believe, be inspired, and live vicariously through the stories on the page. Whether short or long form, poetry is often illusory, and full of rich imagery or hidden meaning. It is these elements which provoke readers to dig deeper. The best poems and poets are read throughout the ages. They are passed from generation to generation and taught throughout school to young students. Poets and their poetry have the ability to take readers places and into worlds they've never imagined. Poets can often be tortured souls or great thinkers who allow readers a new view on the world which they never would have imagined. These greatest poets provide the kind of emotional connection to the written word that few can.
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7,361638Vazha-Pshavela
Host and GuestBirthplace: Georgia
Vazha-Pshavela (Georgian: ვაჟა-ფშაველა), simply referred to as Vazha (Georgian: ვაჟა) (26 July... more2
3,194664Francisco de Quevedo
El Buscón, Sonetos deBirthplace: Madrid, Spain
Nationality: Spain
Francisco Gómez de Quevedo y Santibáñez Villegas, KOS (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈθisko ðe... more3
2,466496Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev selected worksBirthplace: Kalofer, Yuzhen tsentralen, Bulgaria
Nationality: Bulgaria
Hristo Botev (Bulgarian: Христо Ботев, also transliterated as Hristo Botyov) (6 January 1848... more4
2,841583Allen Tate
Hovering Fly and Other Essays, Collected PoemsBirthplace: Winchester, Kentucky
Nationality: United States of America
John Orley Allen Tate (November 19, 1899 – February 9, 1979), known professionally as Allen... more5
3,186663José Emilio Pacheco
The Place Without Limits, The Castle of PurityBirthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Nationality: Mexico
José Emilio Pacheco Berny audio (June 30, 1939 – January 26, 2014) was a Mexican poet,... more6
2,583523Hristo Smirnenski
Da bŭde den, Izbrani sŭchinenii︠a︡Birthplace: Kilkis, Greece
Nationality: Bulgaria
Hristo Smirnenski (Bulgarian: Христо Смирненски), born Hristo Izmirliev, (September 17, 1898,... more7
3,916464Galaktion Tabidze (Georgian: გალაკტიონ ტაბიძე), simply referred to as Galaktioni (Georgian:... more8
3,122648Rafael Cadenas
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3,311691Christoph Martin Wieland
OberonBirthplace: Achstetten, Germany
Nationality: Germany
Christoph Martin Wieland (German: [ˈviːlant]; 5 September 1733 – 20 January 1813) was a German... more10
3,013623Mihai Eminescu
Articole şi traduceri, Scrieri de criticǎ teatralǎBirthplace: Botoșani, Nord-Est, Romania
Nationality: Romania
Mihai Eminescu (Romanian pronunciation: [miˈhaj emiˈnesku] (listen); born Mihail Eminovici; 15... more11
3,648769Marina Tsvetaeva
Izbrannai͡a︡ proza v dvukh tomakh, Za vsekh-protivu vsekh!Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Nationality: Russian Empire, Soviet Union
Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva (Russian: Мари́на Ива́новна Цвета́ева; 8 October [O.S. 26 September]... more12
2,872590Giuseppe Ungaretti
Il taccuino del vecchio, 1952-1960Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Nationality: Italy
Giuseppe Ungaretti (Italian: [dʒuˈzɛppe uŋɡaˈretti]; 8 February 1888 – 2 June 1970) was an... more13
2,345468E. J. Pratt
Complete poems, Selected poemsBirthplace: Newfoundland Colony
Nationality: Canada
Edwin John Dove Pratt, (February 4, 1882 – April 26, 1964), who published as E. J. Pratt,... more14
2,317462Delmira Agustini
Selected poetry of Delmira AgustiniBirthplace: Montevideo, Uruguay
Nationality: Uruguay
Delmira Agustini (October 24, 1886 – July 6, 1914) was an Uruguayan poet of the early 20th... more15
2,566520Kālidāsa
Raghuvaṃśa, ṚtusaṃhāraBirthplace: Gupta Empire
Nationality: India
Kālidāsa was a Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist... more16
2,406483Cyprian Norwid
Poems, lettersBirthplace: Głuchy, Poland
Nationality: Poland
Cyprian Kamil Norwid, a.k.a. Cyprian Konstanty Norwid (Polish pronunciation: [ˈt͡sɨprjan... more17
3,218670José Martí
Inside the Monster, Tu MartíBirthplace: Havana, Cuba
Nationality: Spain, Cuba
José Julián Martí Pérez (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse maɾˈti]; January 28, 1853 – May 19,... more18
2,569519Derek Walcott
Omeros, The CapemanBirthplace: Castries, Saint Lucia
Nationality: Saint Lucia
Sir Derek Alton Walcott, KCSL, OBE, OCC (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian... more19
2,295457Richard Aldington
Lawrence of Arabia, Death of a HeroBirthplace: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Nationality: England
Richard Aldington (8 July 1892 – 27 July 1962), born Edward Godfree Aldington, was an English... more20
2,132419Yehuda Amichai
The great tranquillity, The world is a room and other storiesBirthplace: Würzburg, Germany
Nationality: Israel, Germany
Yehuda Amichai (Hebrew: יהודה עמיחי;born Ludwig Pfeuffer 3 May 1924 – 22 September 2000) was... more21
2,903597Robinson Jeffers
The beginning & the end, and other poemsBirthplace: Allegheny, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nationality: United States of America
John Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was an American poet, known for... more22
3,787525Prince Nikoloz "Tato" Baratashvili (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ "ტატო" ბარათაშვილი; 4 December 1817 – 21... more23
2,356470Yosa Buson
Haiku master Buson, Yosa no BusonBirthplace: Settsu Province
Nationality: Japan
Yosa Buson or Yosa no Buson (与謝 蕪村, 1716 – January 17, 1784) was a Japanese poet and painter... more24
2,644537Ben Johnson
Luke & John, An evangelism primerBirthplace: Elba, Alabama
Ben Johnson is a minister.... more25
2,871590Kobayashi Issa
The autumn wind, The spring of my lifeBirthplace: Shinano Province
Nationality: Japan
Kobayashi Issa (小林 一茶, June 15, 1763 – January 5, 1828) was a Japanese poet and lay Buddhist... more
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