The following collection of Hero essays about poets was curated by MY HERO Story Editor, Becky Miller. Becky reads and edits approximately 5,000 stories a year, written by students, teachers and life-long learners from the USA, Nepal, Russia, Japan, Senegal, Brazil and more.
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
wrote nearly 2,000 poems in her lifetime.
Leopold Sedar Senghor
By: Seck from DAKAR
A. Navoi
By: Eshonkulova Gulrux
A. Navoi
wrote poetry over 500 years ago that has withstood the test of time.
Alexander Pushkin
By: Jerrilyn Jacobs
Alexander Pushkin
was a Russian poet and writer who is beloved around the world.
"And, as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name."
~ William Shakespeare
Emma Lazarus
By: Olivia from San Antonio
Edgar Allan Poe
By: Rhea from Annapolis
Edgar Allan Poe
was a renowned poet who overcame many hardships including depression.
Langston Hughes
By: Jeff Trussell
Langston Hughes
was nicknamed the Poet Laureate of Harlem.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar
was an African-American poet of the nineteenth century.
W.E.B. Dubois
By: Jennifer Beck
W.E.B. Dubois
was a leading 19th century writer and scholar.
William Shakespeare
By: Amanda from Fredericksburg
William Shakespeare
wrote plays & poetry that continue to have a lasting effect on readers all over the world.
Henry David Thoreau
By: Nathan S. from Orange
Henry David Thoreau
was
a naturalist, social philosopher and writer.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
By: Tina from Montvale
Edna St. Vincent Millay
was a popular and critically acclaimed poet.
Anna Akhmatova
is considered one of Russia's best poets.
Robert Lee Frost
By: Georgia
Robert Lee Frost
was named 'the national bard.'
Frances Ellen Watkins
By: Geeta Malik
Frances Ellen Watkins
was a prolific author and poet who devoted her life to speaking out against slavery.
Henry Rago
By: Christina Rago
Henry Rago
was a Poet and Professor whose poetry stands the test of time.
Saul Williams
By: Geeta Malik
Saul Williams
is a Spoken Word Poet and Slam Champ.
Chairil Anwar
By: Vincentius <br>from Surabaya, Indonesia
Chairil Anwar
was a beloved Indonesian poet.
Marina Tsvetaeva
By: Valeriya from Newmarket
Marina Tsvetaeva
was a Russian poet and writer who candidly wrote about love and revolution.
Taras Shevchenko
By: Polina from Kremenchuk, Ukraine
Doreen Van Lee
Doreen Van Lee
writes about her Chicago childhood.
Ada Aharoni
By: MY HERO Staff
Ada Aharoni
works for peace between Israelis and Palestinians with poetry.
Christine de Pisan
By: Andrea Hopkins
Christine de Pisan
was a 15th century French poet.
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
wrote poems, stories and nonfiction about Americans and American life.
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren
was the first Poet Laureate of the United States.
Strangelove Reads Brown Penny by W. B. Yeats at The MY HERO Project's 2015 Jazz and Poetry Salon
Producer: The MY HERO PROJECT
Strangelove Reads Brown Penny by W. B. Yeats at The MY HERO Project's 2015 Jazz and Poetry Saloby
Christina Rossetti
By: Amber from Richmond
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
By: Becky from Spokane
Sor Juana is a famous Mexican writer, poet, nun, and influential women's right leader from the late 17th century
Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi
By: Atiyeh from Tehran
Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi
is a renowned Iranian poet.
Li Bai
By: Sukey from Flushing
Li Bai
is often
referred to as
the 'God of Poets'
in China.
Homer
By: Rory from Fredericksburg
Homer
is the author of the Illiad and the Odyssey and the greatest ancient Greek epic poet.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
By: Elizabeth from Texas
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Mahmoud Darwish
By: Wuroud from Jerusalem
Mahmoud Darwish
was a beloved Palestinian poet.
Dante Alighieri
By: Camilla from Cairo
Dante Alighieri
contributed to Italian culture by his use of the Tuscan language instead of Latin.
DuBose Heyward
By: AMERICAN NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY<h5><br>edited by John Garraty, <br>copyright 199...
DuBose Heyward
Wrote most of the lyrics to the famous musical, 'Porgy and Bess.'
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
wrote: Life will carry on, always with the same vigor.
Isaac Rosenberg
By: Susannah Abbey
Isaac Rosenberg
was a poet of the Great War.
France Preseren
By: Andrej from Maribor
France Preseren
is the Slovene national poet and inspired Slovene literature.
Mariama Khan
By: Seck from Dakar, Senegal
Mariama Khan
writes poetry to champion the cause of the voiceless.
John McCrae
By: David from San Diego
John McCrae
was a Canadian soldier, doctor, author, artist, and renowed WWI poet.
Naguib Mahfouz
By: Israa from Alexandria
Robert Munsch
By: Maddie
Robert Munsch
is a favorite Canadian writer and poet.
Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
was a poet, playwright, lyricist and good friend.
"A poem...begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It is a reaching-out toward expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words."
- Lucille Clifton
Ogden Nash
By: Zachary from Edwards AFB
Ogden Nash
is a favorite American poet of light verse.
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
By: Daniel from Sulphur
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
is an acclaimed children's author and poet.
Poets.org - a resource from the Academy of American Poets