Most Influential Poets of All Time

Poetry is one of the rare genres of writing that seems to strike a nerve in almost everyone. It's fun to make, and it's also fun to read. That being said, there are millions of poets out in the world right now and very few of them actually make it to fame.

Of the poets who do, they often end up being some of the most influential authors of their eras. Moreover, there's been a plethora of extremely influential poets that shaped the literature of their time—all the while making history for their prose.

Ever wonder who made a big impact on poetry? On the world? The following published authors are often considered to be the most influential poets of all time. Chances are that you'll find some of your favorites here, and see some new names as well.

Homer

Homer is, and will always be, one of the greatest poets to ever live. His epic poems are a staple of Ancient Greek literature and still manage to grip audiences to this day.

Everyone still knows Homer, and his tales involving the explorer Odysseus. Some of his most famous works, such as The Odyssey and The Iliad, are regularly taught to school children by teachers who want to show what culture was like in Ancient Greece.

His works are also of historical importance, as they were the only real evidence of the Trojan War for many years. (The ruins of the city of Troy were only recently discovered; up until then, people assumed that Homer had made up the city of Troy and the war.)

To this day, people regularly draw from the story of the Trojan War in modern film. Homer, after all these years, is still relevant.

It would be a crime to say that Homer isn't one of the most influential poets to ever live, all things considered. Without him, the memory of Troy would never have survived.

Ovid

Ovid, much like Homer, is a Classical Age poet who regularly ranks among the most influential poets of all time. His letters and poems are considered to be some of the most beautiful ever written, with many of them giving historians a chance to get a real glimpse into what life was like in exile to a "barbarian region."

Interestingly enough, Ovid also happens to be one of the first relationship writers as well. The Roman poet was known for giving advice on how to get over a breakup, as well as write exceptionally romantic poetry. Ever since the reign of Augustus, Ovid's poetry has helped people overcome heartbreak and inspired them to tell others how much they love their partners.

Between the historical and cultural significance, it would be foolish not to include him on a list of the most influential poets of all time.

William Shakespeare

The works of the Bard are a must on any poetry list. Along with being one of the most influential playwrights in British history, he also happens to be one of the most influential poets of all time.

Iambic pentameter aside, Shakespeare's ability to create beautiful romance sonnets made a huge impact on future poets of all ages. They are still regularly studied by scholars, and his form of poetry is now known as the Shakespearean sonnet.

Geoffrey Chaucer

Often considered to be one of the best poets of the Middle English period, Geoffrey Chaucer remains one of the most influential British poets in history thanks to his massive compendium of work known as The Canterbury Tales.

This set of poems still gives historians a chance to see what life was like for a slew of different people in the Middle Ages. More impressively, Chaucer's eloquent style still manages to impress and captivate literature fans today.

Though his magnum opus is still his most well-known work, many of Chaucer's other works inspired poets of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. His work's style is echoed by dozens of other brilliant writers for centuries after, making him one of the most influential poets in the literary world as well.

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac and his fellow beatnik cohorts helped shape the subversive counterculture movements in both America and the UK. Kerouac is known both for his novels and his "spontaneous prose" that often flew in the face of then-acceptable poetry.

Had it not been for Kerouac's genius, the Beat Generation would never have existed. This means that they wouldn't have had an influence on 1960s hippie culture or mod culture. In other words, had Kerouac not written his words on paper, there would have been no youth culture as we know it today.

The art of spoken word poetry might never have splintered off into rap, and we would have lost a huge genre of music. That being said, Kerouac's work also is credited with giving the youth a voice and encouraging others to question the status quo.

In recent years, Kerouac is one of the only modern poets that mainstream readers recognize by name. Needless to say, he definitely earned a spot as one of the most influential poets of all time.

Emily Dickinson

In the 19th century, American poet Emily Dickinson was known as an eccentric spinster who rarely greeted guests or left her bedroom. However, to a select few, she was known as a brilliant poet—and that's perhaps why she only had found fame in poetry after her death.

Because of the striking and sparse way that Dickinson's poems brought themes like death and life to the forefront, many people believe she is one of the most influential poets in American history.

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman was one of the first poets to really make child-friendly poetry—but he didn't stop there. He also happened to be one of the most brilliant writers of the transcendentalist and humanist movements. His poetry also shattered the regular expectations of what poems were supposed to be like, making his work famous and groundbreaking in its own right.

Whitman was a heavy believer that a poet and society must have a symbiotic relationship with one another. Partially due to this idea, and also due to the way he embraced nature and humanity as a whole, his poems still are able to strike a nerve today, making him one of the most influential poets ever.