Poets That Inspire Me to Write
I started taking poetry seriously about six years ago, when I was 16 years old. I’ve only ever taken creative writing classes in high school and one poetry class as an elective for my journalism degree. Other than that, I’ve relied solely on reading the work of other poets and speaking to other writers to drive my ideas. Poetry has grown and adapted to take several different forms over the years, whether it’s poetry from a century ago that you’d dissect in your high school English class or slam poetry that’s plastering social media in 2019.
I’ve listed four different poets, all from unique realms, that inspire me to write my own content. You might not be surprised by these names, but there’s a reason they’re so well known.
Margaret Atwood
You Fit Into Me
“you fit into me / like a hook into an eye / a fish hook / an open eye”
Margaret Atwood is currently receiving a lot of attention for her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which aired as a TV show in 2017, and its sequel The Testaments, which was just released in September.
Atwood also has a whopping 15 published collections of poetry. She’s not afraid to write about bold topics, particularly the female experience. I find her so inspiring because she somehow forces me to tap into emotions I didn’t even know were there. For example, You Fit Into Me is a poem with few words, but with a strong message I interpret to be about a relationship turned toxic. I’m not in an unhealthy relationship, but suddenly I’m transported into the mind of someone who is. I’m aching, desperately wanting to leave something that feels inescapable.
Rupi Kaur
I don’t need more friends
“you ask / if we can still be friends / i explain how a honeybee / does not dream of kissing / the mouth of a flower / and then settle for its leaves”
The face of modern day poetry, Rupi Kaur made her breakthrough when her well-loved collection Milk and Honey was released in 2014. She writes about a wide array of topics: love, loss, healing, and trauma — all relatable poems that come together with her very own illustrations. Similar to Margartet Atwood, what inspires me the most about Kaur is that several of her poems are fairly short and simple, yet they convey a message in such a unique way. She explores these common themes in a unique light with eye-opening metaphors.
Shane Koyczan
From Heaven or Whatever
“You meant that whatever I choose to do, I must not be aimless. / I must not simply spin this globe and go wherever I stick my finger / because 71 per cent of the time I will end up in the ocean.”
I can thank spoken word poet Shane Koyczan for inspiring me to start creative writing in the first place. I remember watching the film adaptation of “To This Day,” a seven-minute piece about bullying, in my 11th grade English class. I went home that day thinking ‘I want to become a writer like him.’ He performs his spoken word with such passion in his voice (I know this because I saw him live when he came to my home city several years ago). Even if you weren’t particularly passionate about a certain topic, he’ll make you care; he’ll make you see it in such a different light with his creativity. Aside from “To This Day,” I also love “Shoulders” and “Heaven or Whatever.” I often listen to them to get in a creative headspace.
Blythe Baird
From When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny
“If you develop an eating disorder when you are already thin to begin with, you go to the hospital. If you develop an eating disorder when you are not thin to begin with, you are a success story.”
Blythe Baird is a Button Poetry slam poet, who writes particularly about feminism, eating disorders and LGBTQ. As a young artist, it’s amazing how much she’ll leave a mark on you. Like Shane Koyzcan, she performs with unmatched emotion. Even on paper, her poems will make you shiver. You’ll carry them with you. Baird inspires me to make an impact with my poetry as much as she does. I would say she’s the least publicized poet on this list, but she’s the poet I find most inspiring above all.
About Jayda Noyes
Jayda Noyes is a journalist in Saskatchewan, Canada, but has been a lover of creative writing for much longer. She’s fresh out of university with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and now writes for a small city's daily newspaper. While she's passionate about giving others a voice, creative writing is how she gives herself one. She shares her poetry on Instagram and her website connecting and drawing inspiration from other creators.