Top Ten Poems for College Students
Poetry that Works Well in College Level Creative Writing Courses
Students are not always naturally inclined to love poetry. In honor of National Poetry Month, check out these poems.
Not every teacher can be as inspiring as Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society. Though, in a dream world, students would meet late at night to read poetry, it never seems to work out that way. Some college student might be resistant to poetry that doesn’t relate to them or isn’t attention grabbing enough.
The challenge for the instructor is to balance concepts like syntax, image, and form while also hoping her/his students will fall in love with language. Here are ten poems that seem to make an impact on college level students. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but any means; it is simply a starting point.
1. “Oath to My Former Life” by Bob Hicok from his collection, Insomnia Diary
This poem involves several drug references, violence, and cursing and still maintains its simplicity and beauty. Students will love it for all of the above reasons.
2. “Sunday Night” by Raymond Carver from his collected poems, All of Us
This is such a short and powerful poem, you can write it on the board rather than making photocopies. When Carver says “Make use of the things around you,” creative writing students understand; inspiration can occur anywhere.
3. “Skinhead” by Patricia Smith, reprinted in The Poet’s Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux
Warning: this is a brutal, difficult poem to read. However, there are few better examples of voice that students respond to. This is memorable on numerous levels and is bound to generate discussion.
4. “Nude Interrogation” by Yusef Komunyakaa, reprinted in Janet Burroway’s Imaginative Writing
This prose poem serves as a beautiful example of setting, character, and syntax. Showing varying types of poetry like this will open up a student’s mind about the possibilities of poetry.
5. “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath from her collection, The Collected Poems
It seems wrong to teach poetry without mentioning Sylvia Plath. “Daddy” is not only memorable, but can be taught alongside many of her other poems or even Plath’s history.
6. “Mary Todd on her Deathbed” by Julianna Baggott, from Lizzie Borden in Love
This entire collection is filled with poems written in famous women’s voices. Any of Baggott’s poems could serve as an example of how voice, research, and language can combine to produce fascinating results.
7. “Watermelons” by Charles Simic, reprinted at Poets.org
Another short and fun, but powerful poem—this time by the Poet Laureate. Try submitting this poem to your students without the title and let it serve as a riddle. They might even try writing their own.
8. “Tonight I can write the saddest lines…” by Pablo Neruda, reprinted at Poemhunter.com
Truthfully, anything by Neruda will be a blessing for both teacher and student. No one writes about love and sadness better than him. Let this serve as an example of true emotion and image rather than abstraction and sentimentality.
9. “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich, from Diving into the Wreck
Many students will relate to this poem, and those who don’t will be interested enough to discuss it anyway. After a full semester, many students claim this poem to be one of their favorites.
10. “Crater face” by Denise Duhamel, from Two and Two
Duhamel’s poetry is often fun and easy to read, but can also be heartbreaking and strike emotional chords in many student writers. They’ll enjoy her so much they’ll want to read the whole collection.
Other poets that students enjoy:
- Charle Bukowski
- James Harms
- Anne Sexton
- Nikki Giovanni
- Sharon Olds
