Yesterday, I saw a post on social media that posed the question in my title. I was interested to see what people had written, expecting to see a lot of one person’s name. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t. I’ll reveal what I expected at the end of my post.

This realization just showed me that a group can be limiting. If everyone thinks one person’s poetry is the best, then it becomes so. It was refreshing for me to get other perspectives on poetry.

The question also made me think about things like peer pressure in poetry – if one person says they like a certain poet, then others might feel they must like that poet too. I feel the same is true for the poems themselves.

Soon, I began thinking about who I might consider my favorite poet. I should state that the query asked for American-born poets only. I did not see the name of the poet I like best. So I added to the answer queue.

First, whose names did I see?

• Emily Dickenson
• Robert Frost
• Edgar Allen Poe
• Langston Hughes
• Shel Silverstein
• Walt Witman
• Slyvia Plath
• Wendell Berry
• Louise Gluck
• ee cummings
• Maya Angelou
• Edna St. Vincent Millay

and the list goes on…

Some people, of course, listed more than one person. They cited reading numerous poets and enjoying them all. Or they cited that they enjoy one for macabre, and one to have their spirits lifted, or another for inspiration and appreciation of life’s gifts.

But that was not the question, was it? Who is your favorite American poet?

This was the question.

I added Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to the list.

And the person’s name, I did not see many listing? Mary Oliver.

Who would you say was your favorite American poet?

One. Name one.

Poetry is subjective. Poetry is personal. The genre should account for our differences in taste. Our preference should not be the result of groupthink or peer pressure. Try thinking independently.

Despite getting off the traditional poetry publication train, as I wrote about earlier this week, I’ve continued to write poetry. Not with the aim of publishing but to say something…I always have a lot floating around in my brain. Sometimes I keep it too close, forgoing the sharing of ideas. But, lately, I’m feeling snarky!

Books and Poems and Posts

I also continue to read the second of the poetry books I bought recently. I’ll report on that when I’m finished. I am enjoying it more than the book on Haibun that I read first (you can see what I said in the post below).

Poetry Friday: Trying An Ovillejo

The Poetry Train Has Stopped. I’m Getting Off.

I’m not knocking anyone’s choice as a favorite poet; I’m just asking that you think for yourself on who that might be.

Here is a very rough draft of my poetic thoughts this week. It speaks to many ideas, and I haven’t quite gotten my point across, so I’ll be working on it.

Poetic Differences

The problem with poetry is
	The ideas are too simple
	They’ve been stated before			
	No one like Mary Oliver will 
	Ever go as far					

More complex ideas exist but
	Need to be explained
	For example, I thought of 
Gerald Pinchot today
But no one else knows his name

And then there’s the extremely abstract
	That no one understands what 
	Is being written about or how			
	It matters to us 
	Honestly, the poem could be about a cow		

The problem with poetry is that 
	Instead of writing each day during the year		
	Throngs write, this month, April
	And expect all to cheer.				

Some are enlightened and inspired to 
	Find new words to express				
	An age old liturgy but will 
	Fail to impress						

The judges don’t like you or your words
	They’ll choose someone else
	Who calls to their fears				
	Or reminds them of old poems
	Written over the years				

They don’t know who they like, 
	It’s just words on a page,				
	Rules for this or that, 
	Die in a rage,						
The renegade wins, 
who is let out of the cage.	

© Draft, Carol Labuzzetta, 2026