The 14 Best Poetry Books you should have on your bookshelf

Best Poetry Books | WOW

Milk and Honey

There’s no single poetry book that has got as much warranted praise from millennials than Milk and Honey. Chances are you’ve already read it, heard about it or been recommended it personally by a friend, so if you don’t already have yourself a copy consider this a sign to click through and purchase pronto! If there’s just one book that should be required reading through or after a hard period in your life, this is it.

Love Her Wild

Another author I’m sure you have heard of but perhaps don’t have a copy on your shelf is Atticus and his book of work: Love Her Wild. This book is filled with adventurous moments and memoirs and is the perfect companion for girls who love love but love adventure more. If I could pick just one book in this list to hold on to forever, this would be it.

The Chaos of Longing

There are poems for breakups and then there are K.Y. Robinson poems for breakups. From love to heartbreak and every emotion in between, The Chaos of Longing ticks all the boxes. This poetry book is one of the most highly rated modern-day poetry books of our time. And for good reason! It would make a great contribution to your bookshelf.

I wrote this for you

If there’s just one poetry book you cannot live without, “I wrote this for you” is it. This is everything we are, you are, I am. But mostly, it is everything the human existence is. It is every complicated human emotion or tribulation put into words. You won’t be able to put it down.

Dirty Pretty Things

Through the themes of love, loss, relationships and sex, Michael Faudet explores short story narratives in his work Dirty Pretty Things. He is also the boyfriend of Lang Leav, who has written great poetry books herself and is also recommended on this list.

The Sun and Her Flowers

If you loved Milk and Honey then there’s no denying yourself a copy of Rupi Kaur’s second collection of work in The Sun and her Flowers. This book is another must-have for any modern-day aspiring poet or lover of poetry and if you ask me, it is every bit as perfect as her first.

Yesterday I was the moon

For a more cultural exploration into matters of the heart, try Yesterday I was the moon. This poetry book is powerful and has a great deal of depth. It is better suited to those searching for meaning.

The Dark Between Stars

This is the second published book from Atticus. As a crazed fan of his work, I have now resigned myself to buying every new release. Every work is just as magical as the last, yet somehow taps into new meaning. Love her Wild is my personal favourite.

Pillow Thoughts

Pillow Thoughts is the perfect collection for those experiencing heart ache or loss, especially for the first time. These pieces are more direct and to the point, but we love them for exactly that reason.

Bloom

Aussie author Beau Taplin first made waves on Instagram before his published body of work finally arrived to soothe our souls in the form of Bloom. This collection of poetry and prose is one of my favourites thanks to the versatility of subjects that get you thinking and help you realise how small a place you occupy in the world.

The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this one

Described as a feminist celebration of womanhood, this collection of work has strong independence from other poetry books in this list and will resonate well with individuals looking for strength over-indulgent suffering.

Useless Magic

Written by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, Useless Magic is a collection of lyrics that never made it to the songs and a large volume of poetry by the talented singer-songwriter herself.

Sea of Strangers

With multiple bestsellers to her name, Lang Leav came out with Sea of Strangers and yet again provided another must-have poetry book for your collection. This book explores more of the self beyond love and loss and is a more empowering take on the popular subjects.

Sad Girls

Although a novel, this book by the same author (above) is an interesting new direction for the author and as such, we had to include Sad Girls in the roundup. This coming of age story is one of our favourites in the genre, with a collision of life’s ups and downs collected in a novel you won’t be able to put down.

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Brooke Saward
Brooke Saward

Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.

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Warner Brown
3 years ago

Great work