The poet Williams Carlos Williams once said “It is difficult to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably everyday for lack of what is found there.” His words point to the power of poetry as a source of sustenance for human beings. Here are five must-know iconic poets whose works are certain to enhance your life:

Robert Frost – If you think you know this poet because of some exposure to him in school, think again: diving into Frost’s body of work will reveal a very different poet from the one so often presented in cursory classroom exercises. His poems, ranging from funny to plaintive to dark, will excite your ear and energize your heart and mind.

Elizabeth Bishop – This is a poet whose impeccable eye for detail will astound you in poem after poem. She holds a vivid lens to the world and records it precisely as it is, continually testing the bounds between perception and truth. 

Richard Wilbur – One of the greatest living poets, Wilbur writes poems that will captivate you with their sounds while they challenge you with their content. His poems beg to be read aloud and memorized.

Sylvia Plath – Though the biographical details of her life sometimes overshadow Plath’s poetry, her work remains some of the most electrically charged and influential poetry of the 20th century. The poems burn on the page, flashing with a skillfully controlled energy force.

Philip Larkin – Considered one of the best English poets of the twentieth century, Larkin is poet whose works will dazzle you with their wry intelligence and sonic power. His poems, known for their often less-than-sunny world-view, never present one version of reality but instead acknowledge the complexity of experience.