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Poetry/Contemporary

From Gerald R. Lucas

Poetry after World War II is often referred to as the "post-war" or "contemporary" period.

General Characteristics

Some general characteristics of contemporary poetry include:

  • Interest in the individual: Like modernist poetry, post-war English poetry places a strong emphasis on the individual, their experiences, and their emotions.
  • Rejection of traditional forms: Post-war poets often rejected traditional forms of poetry and experimented with new forms, including free verse, prose poetry, and visual poetry.
  • Political and social commentary: Post-war poetry frequently engages with political and social issues of the time, such as the Cold War, civil rights, and feminism.
  • Confessional poetry: Some post-war poets, such as Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell, wrote confessional poetry that explores their own personal struggles, often with mental illness or family issues.
  • Use of irony and humor: Post-war poetry often employs irony and humor to critique the social and political status quo.
  • Interest in language and sound: Post-war poets often experiment with language, using sound, rhythm, and wordplay to create new effects and meanings.
  • Eclectic influences: Post-war poets draw from a wide range of literary and cultural influences, including modernism, surrealism, jazz, and popular culture.

These characteristics are not exhaustive, and there is considerable variety and diversity within post-war poetry. However, they provide a sense of some of the key features of the period.

Maya Angelou

Margaret Atwood

Gwendolyn Brooks

Charles Bukowski

Constantine Cavafy

Lucille Clifton

Allen Ginsburg

Audre Lord

Philip Larkin

Robert Lowell

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Adrienne Rich

Carl Sandberg

Patricia Smith

Mark Strand

Derek Walcott