by Victoria Bromley
Despite having run a literary magazine for three years, it has only been since the beginning of 2024 where I have made more of a conscious effort to incorporate poetry into my reading habits. Outside of analysing poetry at school, dabbling in poetry before realising that prose is my preferred form to write, and reading poetry submissions for Swim Press, I haven’t given poetry the attention it deserves.
Perhaps from an academic standpoint I was never introduced to poetry which I really engaged with. In literature I love wit, a sharp voice and lyricism, and naturally poetry lends itself to these qualities very well. But it was only by instinctively reading lots of poetry that I’ve discovered my niche.
The Orange by Wendy Cope
This is the first poetry collection I bought and the humour of Cope’s writing persuaded me that poetry can be a form of entertainment as well as intellectual thought. If you’re starting off with reading poetry then buying a collection of a well known poet’s ‘best work’ may be the way to go. If you fall in love with their style and voice, then you can discover more of their lesser known work.
The Orange is a collection of poems which explores the joy within the mundanity of life. It’s full of verve and wit, and the poems are short and sharp, so they are quick to enjoy and reread.
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Having loved Vuong’s debut novel On Earth we’re Briefly Gorgeous, it felt integral that I explore his poetry as his tender and poetic voice was one of the reasons I adored his writing. He is able to create images and metaphors which cut to the bone.
Hey [knocks on my skull], can you get me out of here?
– Beautiful short loser
Time is a Mother navigates Vuong’s personal and sentimental journey of grief after the passing of his mother. The poems explore identity, sexuality, masculinity and the self, all themes which I seek out in novels. I didn’t expect his poetry to be so comedic; the wit cuts through the sombreness to create the perfect balance.
Girlhood by Julia Copus
Motherhood, female rage and revenge. This collection was bold and unflinching.
I enjoyed how experimental these poems were, and in essence poetry should play with language and structure to invent new ways of thinking. The Great Unburned is a poem where it’s written out on one page then reversed down the side of the other page. This seamless reverse chronology showed me how fun poetry can be.
At the centre of Girlhood is the reimagined interactions between a psychologist and patient, examining the mental and emotional motivations behind her unhinged actions which led to the attempted murder of an actress. This wasn’t what I initially thought the collection would be about, and I wasn’t well acquainted with the source material of the real life events which inspired these poems, but that didn’t prevent me from looking deeper into the poems and finding parts of myself within the lines.
So here we are. It is hardly the glittering city you journeyed to in girlhood dreams
– Consulting Room
Stranger, Baby & Unexhausted Time by Emily Berry
I have now read two poetry collections by Emily Berry and she has fast become my favourite poet. The contemporary and conversational voice within her poems lends itself well to the discussion of social and personal issues of identity and the self. Each poem is easily accessible and ponders larger, philosophical questions about time, space and death, all through the perceptive and emotionally charged perspective of a woman who wants answers to these torments.
I too was an old piano…
– (Late summer), Unexhausted Time
I wanted to say, Don’t feel so much!
But then I wanted to play a tune…
I am yet to pick up her debut collection, Dear Boy, and have found myself going through her published work in reverse order, but nevertheless her voice is unwavering and addictive.
she must be mad by Charly Cox
Finally, as a women led journal uplifting women+ voices, it feels paramount for us to showcase poetry which discussed the female experience, and while many of the poetry collections on this list speak to women, she must be mad is an ode to young women’s bodies, minds and desires.
As society imposes their views on how women should look, behave and think, this collection is a delicate and passionate love letter to every girl who has felt vulnerable under the male gaze. This collection examines girlhood in a razor sharp and relatable way that teenage me would have obsessed over, yet twenty three year old me is also deeply affected by the sentiment that we are all enough, as we are, in our own bodies.
If you want to get into poetry or just read more poetry, then Swim Press issue 06 DESIRE is available to pre-order until Sunday 5th May.
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