Questia released its top 10 list of best female poets in honor of Women’s History Month. 

Looking to brush up on your poetry knowledge?

Can you name the top 10 best female poets?

In honor of Women’s History Month, Questia, the premier online research tool for students, has released a list of its library’s best female poets.

Questia is making the following reference works on the best female poets available for free this month!

Visit Questia’s topic page on female poets and women writers for additional research. 

Best Female Poets: Emily Dickinson – Emily Norcross Dickinson was born in Amherst,Massachusetts on December 11, 1830. Raised with her brother Austin and younger sister Lavinia, she was known for being an introverted intellectual even at a young age. [Bianchi, Martha Dickinson, and Emily Dickinson. The Life and Letters of Emily Dickinson. New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1971.Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets: Alice Walker – Alice Walker is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, in addition to a poet, activist and animal lover. She has written over 16 books, including novels, short stories, poems and essay collections covering sometimes provocative topics like female sexuality, abuse and fear of dying. [Whitaker, Charles. “Alice Walker: ‘Color Purple’ Author Confronts Her Critics and Talks about Her Provocative New Book.” Ebony May 1992: 86+. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Sylvia Plath – The brilliant and troubled Sylvia Plath was born inMassachusetts in 1932. Her autobiographical novel The Bell Jar is still popular today, and her Collected Poems won a Pulitzer Prize in 1982, nearly 20 years after her death. She took her own life in 1963 at the age of 31 after separating from former husband—poet Ted Hughes. [Bloom, Harold, ed. American Women Fiction Writers, 1900-1960. Vol. 3. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1998. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Maya Angelou – Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou is known for her contributions to poetry, literature and the performing arts. She overcame a difficult upbringing which she later documented in five autobiographical books, including the famous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. [Drew, Bernard A. 100 More Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies. Greenwood Village, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2002. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Anne Bradstreet – Born in 1612, Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan wife, mother and poet. Unlike many Puritan girls who learned to read but not necessarily write, Bradstreet learned at age 10. She was extremely intelligent and covered a wide range of topics in her poetry, including the execution of Charles I. [“Nation’s First Poet, a Light Verse Laureate.” The WashingtonTimes 1 May 2005: B06.Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Anne Sexton – Born in 1928, Anne Sexton began her writing career at the age of 27 at the advice of her psychiatrist. Sexton, obsessed with the notion of suicide, was told to write about her mental illness to help others and took the assignment so seriously that she won a Pulitzer Prize four years later. [Kendall, Charity. “Anne Sexton-Making More of One’s Own Life through the Creation of Metaphor.” Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 26.1-2 (2005): 87+. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Christina Rossetti – Christina Rossetti was born in London in 1830, and as one of four children, was incredibly shy throughout her life. This may explain why, despite the wide use and familiarity of her poems, especially “Goblin Market” and “A Birthday,” she is not as well-known as some of her famous counterparts. [Timko, Michael. “Christina Georgina Rossetti.” World and I Feb. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Gertrude Stein – Though Gertrude Stein, a writer, poet and collector, was born in Pennsylvania in 1874, she spent the majority of her time in France. Her influence on American Literature is tremendous, and Stein is often associated with various aspects of modernist culture. [Alfrey, Shawn. The Sublime of Intense Sociability: Emily Dickinson, H.D., and Gertrude Stein.Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 2000. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Rita Dove – In addition to poetry, Rita Dove is an author of numerous essays, works of drama and fiction. Born in Akron, Ohio in 1952, she is thought to be one of the most prominent poets among today’s African American writers. The Pulitzer Prize winner focuses on a broad range of subject matter. [Sharp, Michael D., ed. Popular Contemporary Writers. Vol. 4. New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference, 2006. Questia. Web.]

Best Female Poets:  Gwendolyn Brooks – Gwendolyn was born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917 and is known for her mastery of technique. Her poetry focuses on the African-American community, particularly young black women coming of age. [Shuman, R. Baird, ed. Great American Writers: Twentieth Century. Vol. 2. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2002. Questia. Web.]

These facts on the best female poets were all found using Questia.

Questia saves students valuable time on research papers and projects. With Questia, students can accurately cite sources in seven different styles and organize their notes, research and sources all in one place.

Librarians have specially selected Questia’s 77,000 academic books and 4 million journal articles—many of which are peer-reviewed. Since Questia is accessible 24/7, students can research any time of day from anywhere, with the confidence that they’re using credible content from trustworthy sources.

Thank you to Questia for providing this information celebrating the best female poets during Women’s History month.

---

 Pat Wyman is the founder of HowToLearn.com and a best selling author. 

She teaches at California State University, East Bay and is known as America’s Most Trusted Learning Expert. She helps children and adults solve learning problems with her Amazing Grades Study Skills System and is an expert in learning styles. 

Take the free quiz and find out your preferred learning styles.