What's the first poem(s)/poet(s) you ever read?

[kat6496]

My father read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" to me when I was very young; I didn't understand much of it, but I attempted to read Poe's poetry several times after that, and today he is one of my favorites.

This was it for me also. My mom had the complete works on the shelf and I used to steal it and hoard it in my room. I also used to sit for hours and try to decode some of his other poems.

[julianfroment]

I think that the first poem I ever read consciously and appreciated, rather than being forced to read at school, was 'Love's Philosophy', by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poem always moves me, especially the end:

And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

[Nathrad Sheare]

I was introduced to poetry when I was very little. My mom used to sing a song to my sister and my cousins that she learned in choir, a song based on Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee." Then she started reading Shakespeare to us. I fell in love with his words after my first few hearings. Exquisite. Then I saw the movies... Wow... Honestly, I've enjoyed and hated so many poems in my lifetime I can't remember which was the first... But I know that "Annabel Lee" was my first favorite, and Shakespeare my first literary love. Dey da men!!!

[Amna Khalid]

Rupi Kaur poetry.

[Tori_J]

I have read a few of Chinua Achebe"s. I read some of his materials first. It was fascinating.

[Li En Foo]

Like some others here, my first bit of poetry was Edgar Allen Poe's "Raven". I became for familiar with his work after that, and he's one of my favorites till today!

[Brett Linette]

Rupi Kaur poetry.

A lot of her poetry is fairly decent. I don't know why it's so criticized.

[Brett Linette]

My father read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" to me when I was very young; I didn't understand much of it, but I attempted to read Poe's poetry several times after that, and today he is one of my favorites.

I love that poem. I have a t-shirt designed after it.

[Charlize Venter]

My father loves to recite traditional poetry to me, he has always been fond of the classic Afrikaans poets, his mother was a poet and a writer, so he himself was imbued with these poems as a child.
The first one that comes to mind is a piece by Louis Leipoldt, DIe Berggans. Unfortunately its effect is lost into English translation. It reads:
Die berggans het n veer laat val
Van die hoogste krans op Woeperdal
My hart staan tuit al meer en meer
Ek bring vir jou die berggansveer
Mit dese wil ek vir jou sê
Hoe diep my liefde vir jou lê

It speaks to the moment where he realizes his love for another. As he sees a goose drop a feather from the highest peeks of Woeperdal (a beautiful, lush, and mountainous region in South Africa) he realizes this. His pulls taught all the more as the realization settles on him, he will send his love this goose feather fallen from the highest peek of this incredible landscape. Along it the message that 'Herewith, I want to tell you\ how deeply my love for you lies'. The lack of punctuation is beautifully placed, no full stops shows the continuation of that love.

[spotibuzz]

Your love for poetry and reading began in 6th grade when you discovered Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," along with James Whitcomb Riley's "When the Frost is on the Punkin" in a literature textbook. These poems opened up a new world for you, and since then, you've cherished reading and poetry.

[Okewunmi Pelumi]

The first poem I read was Under the Cloud by Yomi

[Okewunmi Pelumi]

Not quite long, I read another interesting and mind captivating poem by Poet Timi titled: The Night

[Josué Kamba Tshilobo]

the first poet I read was Jean de la Fontaine

[Samuel Falle]

The first poem I red and understood it from last year to now was shitolian, it actually a great poem.

[Ika Apo]

It was Akaki Tsereteli and he got me interested in poetry.