this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2024
1 points (100.0% liked)

literature.cafe chat

391 readers
1 users here now

Local off topic chat for literature.cafe, any and all are welcome. For discussions of books and beyond! Please follow instance rules. Although focused for literature.cafe users, any and all are welcome!

To find more communities on this instance, go to: [email protected]

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I'm French native speaker. I believe I can speak fluent English but I know want to discover English poetry. Where should I start ?

top 10 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

English the language or English the nationality?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Edgar Allen Poe's poetry is taught at both grade school and university level in America. The prose is very approachable for everyone and it's considered foundational to understanding his contributions to several literary genres.

Plus, it will give you something to talk about with cute Goths.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I second the suggestion of Frost as good beginning. Robert Browning and John Keats are also approachable British poets.

For Americans, depending on your taste in literature, you might enjoy Emily Dickinson or Edgar Allan Poe.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

You’re welcome.

It realized during the night that it’s obvious I teach a literature course. None of my suggestions are light and happy poets.

So let me add Maya Angelou to the list. If you want to read children’s poetry, try Dr Seuss and the Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Just like French (Parisian, Acadian, Quebecois, Creole, etc.), English has a lot of variants (British, Canadian, American, AVE, Australian, etc.).

I would stick with poets that would be taught in high schools from the region whose English you learned. If you feel like you are still understanding the points they are trying to make, then I would branch out to other "Englishes".

I am personally not a huge fan, but Robert Frost is probably a decent place to start.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

a decent place to start

Thank you. That is exactly what I'm looking for. I have time to find later a poet I would like.

What is AVE English by the way?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago