10 Feminist Poets You Should Know

by Emily Temple. Flavorpill -  Wednesday May 16, 2012

When we think of feminist poetry, we think of Adrienne Rich, one of the most influential poets of the past century, not to mention one of the most important feminist poets. Had she not passed away earlier this year, today would have been Rich’s 83rd birthday, so to celebrate her life, we’ve put together a list of feminist poets still living and continuing her legacy. Because Feminist Ryan Gosling only goes so far. Click through to see a few feminist poets you should probably know about, and since there are of course many more than we can list here, let us know if we missed your favorite in the comments.

Maya Angelou
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” Maya Angelou once wrote. The incredibly prolific and powerful lady is also one of the best living feminist poets around, though she hasn’t always been completely on board with the prevailing logic of the cause. “The sadness of the women’s movement is that they don’t allow the necessity of love,” she wrote. “See, I don’t personally trust any revolution where love is not allowed.” We want to join your revolution, Maya.
To Read: “Phenomenal Woman”
All ten -  Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Anne Waldman, Carol Ann Duffy, Carolyn Kizer, Katha Pollitt, Lyn Hejinian, Margaret Atwood, Maxine Kumin, Maya Angelou, Susan Howe