This mix of the best modern and classic English poetry books caters to all poetry lovers, amateur and devoted poetry lovers. For Indian poetry lovers, the best poetry books in English are those that balance immortal classics with modern, relatable voices. These 20 poetry books in English combine the best classic poetry books and the best modern poetry books so you can enjoy the poetry books that suits your taste.
Why Are These The Top Poetry Books?
Poetry readers in India today often want three things at once: a famous poetry books list that covers the great masters, contemporary poets writing in English (including Indian voices), and poetry books for beginners that are not intimidating. This curated list keeps all three in mind and is designed to help you find poetry books you must read, whether you are just starting or returning to verse after many years.
1–10: Best Classic Poetry Books (evergreen must-reads)
These titles anchor almost every “best poetry books of all time” list and are ideal starting points.
1. Rabindranath Tagore – Gitanjali
Indian spiritual and lyrical poetry in English translation, it contains short meditative poems that remain loved by Indian readers.
2. Selected Poems of John Keats
Romantic odes and sonnets on beauty, love, and mortality; it is an essential volume on any famous poetry books list.
3. Walt Whitman – Leaves of Grass (Selected Poems)
Free verse celebrating the body, democracy, and everyday life; regularly ranked among the best poetry books of all time.
4. Emily Dickinson – Selected / Complete Poems
Compact, enigmatic poems on death, faith, and nature that reward slow, repeated reading.
5. William Shakespeare – Sonnets
Timeless explorations of love, jealousy, time, and art; a pillar of classic English poetry.
6. The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats (or a good selected)
Mystical, political, and personal poems that bridge Irish myth and modern history.
7. T. S. Eliot – Selected Poems (including “The Waste Land”)
Modernist classics that shaped 20th century poetry; best approached in a selected edition for new readers.
8. Sylvia Plath – Ariel
Intense, emotionally charged poems that have become central to modern English poetry syllabi and reading lists worldwide.
9. Philip Larkin – Collected / Selected Poems
Wry, clear poems on work, marriage, and midlife; especially resonant for readers in the 30–60 age group.
10. Seamus Heaney – Death of a Naturalist
Imagery rich poems set in rural childhood and memory; often recommended as a classic entry point into serious poetry books in English.
11–20: Best Modern Poetry Books (contemporary and India-focused)
These are the best modern poetry books and contemporary collections, including Indian poets writing in English, that speak directly to today’s realities.
11. Arundhathi Subramaniam – When God Is a Traveller
Award winning collection blending myth, spirituality, and urban life; an ideal bridge between devotional tradition and modern sensibility.
12. Jeet Thayil – English: The Penguin Book of Indian Poets
A major anthology of Anglophone Indian poetry featuring many contemporary poets; a must if you want a broad view of Indian poetry in English today.
13. Contemporary Indian Poetry in English (ed. interview/poet collection)
A volume that gathers leading Indian English poets like Keki N. Daruwalla, Eunice de Souza, and others, giving both poems and reflections on the current scene.
14. The HarperCollins Book of English Poetry (ed. Sudeep Sen)
An anthology of post-Independence Indian English poetry, mixing established and emerging voices.
Poetry Books You Must Read
15. A Poem a Day (ed. Gulzar)
Gulzar’s curated selections from multiple Indian languages translated into English/Hindustani; perfect for readers who want a gentle, daily introduction to diverse Indian verse.
16. Mary Oliver – Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
Beloved modern classic filled with nature, spirituality, and quiet reflection; often suggested as one of the best poetry books for beginners.
17. Ilya Kaminsky – Deaf Republic
A narrative collection set in a fictional occupied town; lyrical, moving, and frequently cited among the best modern poetry books of the 21st century.
18. Jericho Brown – The Tradition
Pulitzer Prize–winning book with musical, accessible language that tackles love, violence, and identity, often appearing in recent “top poetry books” lists.
19. Maya Angelou – And Still I Rise
Uplifting, direct poems of resilience and dignity; ideal for readers looking for poetry books you must read for motivation and strength.
20. Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times (ed. Neil Astley)
A hugely popular anthology of late 20th and 21st century English language poetry, compiled to draw in hesitant or new poetry readers.