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Poetry has always been tied to the philosophical. The idea of questioning and re-imagining the world and the concepts that people use to make sense of it are shared by these disciplines. William Blake, T.S. Eliot, and middle-eastern poets Hafiz and Rumi are notable names in this tradition. But the movement is not lost among contemporary poets. Here are some that have philosophical themes prevalent in their work.
John Koethe: This award-winning poet began writing poetry as an undergraduate at Princeton University and received his doctorate from Harvard. His work primarily focuses on the philosophy of language, Wittgenstein, and epistemology. He also publishes poetry and essays on literary theory.
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Robert Hass: Pulitzer winner Hass is the author of “Time and Materials,” easily his most thought-provoking poetry collection that deals with many philosophical concerns and conceits. For an earlier example of his preoccupation with philosophy in poetry, read the poem “Meditation at Lagunitas.”
Mark Strand: The US Poet Laureate is most known for “Blizzard of One,” which got him the Pulitzer Prize. Sadly, Strand passed away in 2014. His work displays deceptively simple diction and are rooted in everyday things that are steep in philosophy and paradoxes. Check out “Keeping Things Whole” and “Coming to This.”
Brendan Wetzel is a dean’s list philosophy student at Rider University. He is President of Phi Sigma Tau, the International Honor Society of Philosophy. More on Brendan’s interests here.
