Help us find and improve next week's Connection Finder profiles: Poets

+21 votes
732 views

We're feeling pastoral with spring fully sprung, so we're looking at poets in the Connection Finder next week.

Here are some of the folks we're considering:

Who else should we feature? We have room for 12 individuals. We can't feature everyone who is nominated, but if we don't feature a profile you work on, we may use it sometime in the future. And, of course, all contributions help improve our shared tree.

Our choice of features will depend partly on the notable person's CC7, i.e. their connection count within seven degrees. The more connections they have, the more likely it is for all WikiTree members to find a close and interesting connection to them. So, if you nominate someone, please help grow their CC7.

Suggestions are more likely to be considered if you provide a link to the person on WikiTree, some information about who they were or why you're nominating them, and if their profile is in good condition with a connection, image, and well-written and well-sourced biography.

We'll make a final decision on which ones to feature early next week.

Please reply here with what you're working on so that we don't duplicate our efforts. Thank you!

Take note that this is not the place to discuss why you think we shouldn't feature someone if those reasons are due to politics, actions, or opinions of those being suggested. Mentioning things like their not being connected, their biography still needing work, erroneous information, etc. are all suitable for discussion here and an opportunity to correct those situations.

Help us choose themes for 2024 Connection Finder themes here. 

in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (745k points)
reshown by Chris Whitten

26 Answers

+10 votes

Brewster Higley wrote the poem "My Western Home" that later became the original lyrics for the folk song "Home on the Range."

by Russell Butler G2G6 Pilot (146k points)
Thanks, Russell.
+15 votes

I nominate American Poet, Robert Lee Frost. We are singing "Choose Something Like a Star" this week in church choir, which is part of Robert Frost's Frostiana poetry. He has a nice biography with pictures. CC7 = 2,697

He also read poetry at the inauguration of President John. F. Kennedy. And one of our members is his great grandson.

by Shonda Feather G2G6 Pilot (420k points)
edited by Shonda Feather
Thanks, Shonda.
+14 votes

In descending order of CC7:

  1. Ina Coolbrith (1841–1928) USA, first California poet laureate; CC7 32,398, biography, images
  2. Anne Barnard (1750–1825) Scotland, travel writer, artist and author of the ballad Auld Robin Gray; CC7 14,668, biography, images
  3. Caroline "Danske" Dandridge (1854–1914) Denmark/USA, poet, historian, and garden writer; CC7 6,286, good biography, images
  4. Edith Jessie Archibald (1854–1936) Canada, suffragette and poet; CC7 4,714, biography, images
  5. Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald (1864–1922) Canada, writer of poetry, children's literature, and short stories; CC7 3,564, short biography, image
  6. Carolina Nairne (1766–1845) Scotland, writer of ballads, songs and poems; CC7 1,866, short biography, image (not primary)
  7. 照姫 保科 / Matsudaira Teru (1833–1884) Japan, waka poet; CC7 1,313, needs biography and image, now has minimal biography and an image
  8. Ruth Park (1917–2010) New Zealand/Australia, novelist who also wrote poetry; CC7 1,139, biography, images, not featured since 2022
  9. Judith Wright (1915–2000) Australia, poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights; CC7 612, biography, image
  10. Lola Rodríguez de Tió (1843–1924) Puerto Rico, poet, abolitionist of and supporter of women's rights; CC7 389, biography, image
  11. Dorothy Hewett (1923–2002) Australia, playwright, poet and author; CC7 315, biography, image
  12. 志よう 鳳 / Yosano Akiko (1878–1942) Japan, poet, feminist, pacifist and social reformer; CC7 242, needs biography has short biography and image
  13. E. Pauline Johnson (1861–1913) Canada, poet, writer and entertainer; CC7 205, biography, images
  14. Isabella Valancy Crawford (1850–1887) Ireland/Canada, poet and writer; CC7 153, biography, images
  15. Maya Angelou (1928–2014) USA, poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist; CC7 102, good biography, images, not featured since 2021
  16. Nikki Giovanni Jr (1940s–) USA, poet, activist and educator; CC7 71, short biography, image
  17. Hallie Quinn Brown (1850–1949) USA, spoken word artist; CC7 67, good biography, images
  18. Gloria Anzaldúa (1942–2004) USA, poet and scholar of Chicana cultural theory, feminist theory and queer theory; CC7 46, biography, image.

Edits: see 7 and 12. 

by Jim Richardson G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)
edited by Jim Richardson
Thanks, Jim.
+15 votes

How about essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson? He has a nice profile page and a CC7 north of 24,000. A prominent abolitionist and leader of the Transcendentalist movement, even the great Walt Whitman declared him a "master.”

by Brian Quesnell G2G6 Mach 7 (71.1k points)
edited by Brian Quesnell
Thanks, Brian.
+12 votes
There are a large amount of Australian poets, but I would probably put forward:

Henry Lawson (Lawson-2051) - Well-known Australian poet and nationalist - Very well sourced bio with images and CC7 of 3298; Australian Project is running this profile

Mary Gilmore (Cameron-4503) - Famous Australian poet featured on the 10-dollar note - Good bio with images and CC7 of 2020

Banjo Patterson (Paterson-1121) - One of the greatest Australian writers, also featured of the 10-dollar note - Good bio with images and CC7 of 3689
by Anonymous Wimble G2G6 Mach 2 (25.6k points)

To add to the Australians already put forward by Anonymous and Jim, I feel compelled to add Dorothea Mackellar whose iconic "My Country" is recognised by generations.  CC7 is 1058.

love Banjo  patterson Waltzing Matilda one of my favorite Aussie.  songs. Love the movie”Man from Snowy River”
I certainly agree! I love 'My Country' and 'Waltzing Matilda'! Our Australian poets are excellent.
Thank you, Anonymous and Melanie.
+11 votes
I echo Robert Frost, but would also suggest Edgar Allen Poe (Poe-521) and my father's favorite Robert Service (Service-288).
by Roger Stong G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
please add E L Poe my 3rd grade teacher loved him so much we had a reading almost one or twice a week My favorite is “Annabell Lee “or .”the raven. ‍”⬛
Thank you, Roger.
+12 votes

Adding some variety I suggest the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (Pessoa-2).

by Anonymous Anonymous G2G6 Mach 1 (18.1k points)
Thanks, Anonymous.
+13 votes

A French Poet:Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)  (67 connections)

An early English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (abt. 1343 - abt. 1400) (5084 connections)

A war poet Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (1893 - 1918)  (215 connections)

A dialect poet (Dorset) William Barnes (1801 - 1886)  ( 983 connections)

EDIT

Traditionally said to have been born  on 23 April 1564  ( 460 years today)   William Shakespeare 

by Helen Ford G2G6 Pilot (476k points)
edited by Helen Ford
Thank you, Helen.
+8 votes

I propose one of Canada's best known poets, Al Purdy (1918-2000). He was a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario (and, incidentally, my wife's 2C1R). He's connected with a photo and a good bio (if I say so myself: I created his profile). He's not an official Notable so I don't know what his CC7 is; but, since he's connected to me, it shouldn't be too shabby.

by Richard Hill G2G6 Mach 9 (97.6k points)
He has a Wikipedia page, so was only lacking the sticker - which he now has.  His CC7 should show up soonish.
Thank you!
CC7 is showing as 1300.
Thanks, Richard.
+12 votes
even though I am an Australian, I'd like to nominate Canadian poet John McCrae, who wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" He has a CC7 of 505 and a good biography.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mccrae-87
by Sue Wyatt G2G6 Mach 2 (20.8k points)
Thanks, Sue.
+7 votes
Percy Bysshe Shelley has a CC7 of 3,338.

Edward Estlin Cummings has a CC7 of 1,314.

Edgar Allan Poe only has a CC7 of 866.

John Donne has a CC7 of 3,772.

Sarah Trevor Teasdale has a CC7 of 1,718.

James Mercer Hughes (Langston Hughes) has a CC7 of 1,138.
by Lyn Young G2G6 (6.7k points)
Thanks, Lyn. If you're able to find links to these on WikiTree, sharing them here makes it more likely they'll be used.
+7 votes
How about Robert William Service  “The Bard of the Yukon”

Service-288
by Linda Bell G2G6 Mach 4 (40.9k points)
That makes 2 nominations for Robert Service!
Thanks, Linda.
+11 votes

The Appalachia Project suggests the following.

[[Stuart-8971|Jesse Hilton Stuart (1907-1984)]], Poet laureate of Kentucky and CC7 of 10,369.

[[Still-1584|James Alexander Still (1906-2001)]], award winning Appalachian poet and folklorist.

[[McNeil-2441|Grace Louise (McNeil) Williams (1911-1993)]], West Virginia’s Poet Laureate, daughter of author and historian G D McNeill.

[[Myers-23507|Karl Dewey Myers (1899-1951)]], first Poet Laureate of West Virginia who overcame great physical adversity to become a published poet.

[[West-23076|Donald Lee West (1906-1992)]], one of the foremost Southern regional poets of the 20th century and co-founder of the Highlander Folk School.

[[Webb-27510|James Watson Webb (1945-2018)]], quirky, sharp witted poet and essayist published in nearly every literary journal in the Appalachian region.

by Donna Lancaster G2G6 Mach 8 (88.4k points)
edited by Sandy Patak
Thanks, Donna.
+11 votes

Some Irish Poets : William Butler Yeats,1923 Nobel Prize winner for Literature https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Yeats-69 CC7- 227 (Part of Ireland Project)

Alice Letitia Milligan https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Milligan-4079 CC7 - 740

Anna Bella Johnston MacManus (Pseud from 1901 Ethna Carbery) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Johnston-18686 CC7 : 4

 

Photo of Alice Milligan and Anna Johnston Macmanus (Aka Ethna Carbery)

Katherine Tynan Hinkson https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tynan-205 CC7 - 132

Samuel Barclay Beckett, 1969 Nobel Prize winner for Literature https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beckett-1462 CC7- 40

by Patrick Holland G2G6 Mach 5 (56.9k points)
edited by Patrick Holland
Thanks, Patrick.
+8 votes

I nominate William Wordsworth (Wordsworth-20, 5,305 connections) who wrote “The Daffodils”:  I wandered lonely as a cloud                               That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

by Pam Holzman G2G5 (5.2k points)
edited by Pam Holzman
Thanks, Pam.
+19 votes

He was just name-dropped by Taylor Swift on her new album, the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Not only does he have 474 connections, the biography is well done.

by Nikki Orvis G2G6 Mach 2 (25.1k points)

Another Welsh poet is Hedd Wyn who died on the first day at the Battle of  Passchendaele.

I love that his biography is written in Welsh and English. Unfortunately, he's not connected to the tree yet.
Thanks, Nikki and Hilary.
+10 votes

Canada Project nominates:

Charles G.D. Roberts CC7 - 3,522

François-Xavier Garneau CC7 - 21,383

Bliss Carman CC7 - 9,533

Dorothy Livesay CC7 - 891

by Dave Rutherford G2G6 Pilot (129k points)
Thanks, Dave.
+7 votes

How about  Dorothy Wordsworth not as famous as her brother but a poet in her own right currently with almost 2, 495 connections.

by Gwyneth Taylor G2G6 Mach 2 (22.7k points)
Thanks, Gwyneth.
+8 votes

South African poet [[Marais-163|Eugène Nielen Marais (1871-1936)]] - He is among the greatest of the Afrikaner poets

by Susanna Hendrina Elisa de Bruyn G2G6 Mach 5 (59.8k points)
Thanks, Susanna.
+7 votes

Karin Boye wrote one of my favourite poems, this is an English translation of the Swedish poem "Visst gör det ont när knoppar brister".

by Kerstin Ståhlbrand G2G6 Mach 1 (13.7k points)
Thanks, Kerstin.

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