Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly (c. 1753 – December 5, 1784) was the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry.  Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write and encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent.
The publication of her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral on September 1, 1773, brought her fame both in England and the American colonies. Figures such as George Washington praised her work. During Wheatley's visit to England with her master's son, African-American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in his own poem. Wheatley was emancipated (set free) shortly after the publication of her book. She married in about 1778. Two of her children died as infants. After her husband was imprisoned for debt in 1784, Wheatley fell into poverty and died of illness, quickly followed by the death of her surviving infant son.

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Lists about and ranking the best poets and poems of all times, including rhymes, haiku, sonnets, free verse, blank verse, epics, ballads, love poems, villanelles, and even limericks. 

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Who is the best American poet? This list includes poets such as William Faulkner, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, and Robert Frost.&nbsp;From the postcolonial era to modernism, to post-WWII, to present day, great American poets continue to make us think. This list features the best American poets, who have entertained and touched readers throughout history.We often feel an emotional connection to poetry. It all begins with the words written on the page. Whether short or long poetry is often illusory, and full of rich imagery or hidden meaning. It is these elements which provoke us as readers to dig deeper. The best of poems and poets are read throughout the ages. They are passed from generation to generation and taught throughout schools to young students.Poets and their poetry have the ability to take us places and into the lives of those we’ve never imagined. Poets are often be tortured souls or great thinkers who allow us a new view of world which we never would have imagined. These greatest American poets provide the kind of emotional connection with the reader that few can. They are moving, saddening, or romantic.Vote up the best American poets below or add the poet from the United States you think is the greatest if he or she isn't already on the list.

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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. Vote up the all time best poets on the list below or add the poets you think are the greatest if they aren't already on the list.

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The Greatest Poets of All Time

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Poets

Who are <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-voice-ever?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the best female</a> poets? This list includes great female poets such as Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sylvia Plath, and Emily Dickinson. The women on this list have all changed poetry in their own way and left their mark on the genre. Women have been writing poetry through many eras and generations, but the poets on this list are the best.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 schools to young students. Poets and their poetry have the ability to take readers places and into worlds never imagined. Poets can often be tortured souls or great thinkers who allow readers a new view on the world. These greatest women poets provide the kind of emotional connection to the written word that few can. Vote up the best woman poets on the list below, or add the women poets you think are the top if they aren't already on the list.

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The Best Female Poets of All Time

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Poetry

Who are the best African American poets? This list includes great African American poets such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, and Gwendolyn Brooks. The male and female African American poets on this list have left their mark on the world of poetry, and are still contributing to the genre today.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 never imagined. Poets can often be tortured souls or great thinkers who allow readers a new view on the world. These greatest African American poets provide the kind of emotional connection to the written word that few can. Vote up the best African American poets on the list below, or add a poet of African American descent who is truly great, but not already on the list.

Langston Hughes

The Best African American Poets of All Time

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&quot;You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies, / You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I&rsquo;ll rise.&quot; Maya Angelou published these lines in 1978, and they still resonate today. She&#39;s one of the many great Black female poets celebrated on this list.&nbsp;Some talented Black women poets write about love and heartbreak, while other famous <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-african-american-poets/ranker-books?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">African American poets</a> are best known for expressing outrage at the way Black women are treated by society at large.

Who will you find on this list of the top Black female poets? The aforementioned Angelou&nbsp;would often perform live readings of her poetry at venues all over the world. Civil rights activist Audre Lorde is another one of the most popular female Black poets of her generation. June Jordan&#39;s first book, Who Look at Me, was a collection of children&#39;s poems. Other talented Black female poets featured on this list include Lucille Clifton, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker.

Which Black female poet do you think deserves the top spot on this list? Give the best poets a thumbs up and share some of your favorite quotes&nbsp;in the comments section.

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The Greatest Black Female Poets

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Female Professionals

Looking for your next engrossing read? Look no further. This list features the most famous Black female authors of all time, known for books spanning multiple genres.&nbsp;The best Black female writers come in many forms. Some of these talented women are novelists, while other notable Black female writers also pen&nbsp;poetry. A number of these works have even been adapted into feature films.

What literary luminaries will you find on this list of Black women authors? You might vote Maya Angelou to the top spot.&nbsp;I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings put her on the literary map in 1969 and she continued her success with such books as Gather Together in My Name and All God&#39;s Children Need Traveling Shoes. Toni Morrison is another great African American female author. Alice Walker&#39;s The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and its film adaptation was nominated for several Academy Awards. Angela Davis, TerryMcMillan, and Audre Lorde are also featured on this roundup.

Which woman should be ranked at number one on the list? That&#39;s up to you to decide. Give your favorites a thumbs up to move them towards the top,&nbsp;and please add any talented writers that are missing.

Maya Angelou

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History

African Americans have been breaking the color barrier for centuries. Black history is full of incredible people who accomplished amazing feats, achieving success in the realms of politics, medicine, the arts, athletics, and science.From being some of the first (and even youngest) to photograph for the likes of&nbsp;Vogue&nbsp;to the first Black billionaire, African Americans have achieved amazing cultural firsts.Who was the first Black person to play in the MLB or become the first African American US Representative? How about the first African American to earn a PhD? There are even African American firsts that aren't just Black firsts – they are world firsts; a Black man invented the blood bank, and the gas heating furnace was invented by a Black woman.&nbsp;Black Americans continue to make history well into the 21st century. Learn about all of these awesome Black Americans who weren't afraid of being first.&nbsp;

Phillis Wheatley

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