August 21 was National Poet’s Day. There’s classic favorites like poets Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Mary Oliver or Edgar Allan Poe. In the list below, a list of works from 21st-century poets that are sure to be classics of the future, exploring current events and unwavering themes in humanity.


Poetry:

PILGRIM BELL by Kaveh Akbar (Graywolf Press, $16)

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LIGHT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE: A THOUSAND WORDS ON RACE AND HOPE by Kwame Alexander (Mariner Books, $14.99)

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OBIT by Victoria Chang (Copper Canyon Press, $17)

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GUILLOTINE: POEMS by Eduardo C. Corral (Graywolf Press, $16)

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THE HILL WE CLIMB: AN INAUGURAL POEM FOR THE COUNTRY by Amanda Gorman (Viking Books, $15.99)

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100 POEMS TO BREAK YOUR HEART by Edward Hirsch (Mariner Books, $28)

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BLACK GIRL, CALL HOME by Jasmine Mans (Berkley, $15)

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HOMIE: POEMS by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press, $16)

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GOLDENROD: POEMS by Maggie Smith (Atria/One Signal Publishers, $20)

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NIGHT SKY WITH EXIT WOUNDS by Ocean Vuong (Copper Canyon Press, $16)

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