There have been many great poets throughout history. Shakespeare, of course, is one of the best and probably the most famous. Many are found of the works of T.S. Eliot and Walt Whitman, while others enjoy the whimsy of Lewis Carroll or Ogden Nash. But not all poets are found in poetry books and poetry magazines. Many of today’s best poets can be found on the radio, singing self-penned lyrics to popular songs that we all know and love.
Two of the greatest contemporary poets are John Lennon and Paul McCartney – the primary songwriters for the Beatles. Lennon and McCartney crafted great works of poetry in songs such as “In My Life,” “A Day in the Life,” “Yesterday,” “Revolution” and many more. Of course, these songs are a little different from the more traditional poetry we are familiar with, but they are poetry nonetheless. The primary difference, obviously, between Lennon and McCartney’s work and the work of Shakespeare is that Shakespeare’s work is not set to music. But it is still fair to label the Beatles’ work as poetry, and it is fair to list Lennon and McCartney among the greatest poets of the last half century. And don’t forget that once upon a time poetry was frequently set to music. When traditional poems like “Beowulf” were recited long ago, they were usually accompanied by a beat or by musical instruments.
If you live in Anchorage and fancy yourself a poet, you have a couple of options if you would like to share your work with the world. First of all, you can try to self-publish your work. If you go online, you can find all sorts of Web sites dedicated to helping you self-publish your poetry. You can also try to find a poetry publisher. However, finding a poetry publisher may be a little be more challenging, considering that poetry is a niche market, and there usually isn’t the demand for new works of poetry like there is for new novels or short stories. If you are really interested in making your poetry available to others, it is probably in your best interest to self-publish your work and then explore different means of making it available to the masses.
