Yesterday, or so my f'list tells me, was National Poetry Day. The BBC, in celebration, posted the nation's top ten poets. None, as 
brisingamen observed, were female. Five females made the also-ran list. She challenged her readers to come up with a list of (at least) ten female poets. Here's what I got out of reading all the post and comments responding to her challenge (although I have failed to stick with the UK):
Sappho, Bronte, Angelou,
Smith, Brown, Hacker,
Stein, Plath, Montagu,
Sexton, Bishop, Parker,
Rich, Duffy, Dickinson
Plath, Teasdale, Livesay,
Webb, Wright, Winterson,
Walton, Yolen, Katsuri.
"Female poets? Worthy? Pro?"
"I can't think of any, no."
brisingamen observed, were female. Five females made the also-ran list. She challenged her readers to come up with a list of (at least) ten female poets. Here's what I got out of reading all the post and comments responding to her challenge (although I have failed to stick with the UK):Sappho, Bronte, Angelou,
Smith, Brown, Hacker,
Stein, Plath, Montagu,
Sexton, Bishop, Parker,
Rich, Duffy, Dickinson
Plath, Teasdale, Livesay,
Webb, Wright, Winterson,
Walton, Yolen, Katsuri.
"Female poets? Worthy? Pro?"
"I can't think of any, no."
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Comments
However at least some of the people you list, may not be thought of as poets, especially if one's idea of a poet is someone who starves in a garret and occasionally sends out a few verses of prose as their only written work. For example, Maya Angelou does not spring to my mind as a poet, but as a writer (of prose), despite being both, because I happen to have read 3 of her books and zero of her poetry.
You're right that not everyone I've listed escaped the metaphorical poetic garret, but that's true of some of the men already on the BBC's list too.
I included some poets on this list whose work I don't know, but which were listed in other peoples' comments or posts; largely in the name of scansion, rhyme, and other peoples' authority.
I would, however, add Eavan Boland, Denise Levertov and Muriel Rukeyser.
This may be explained by the fact that almost all the poems on my list would be 50 years or more old but relatively few of the books would fall into that category.
Aemelia Lanyer - first woman to have her work printed in the UK. Her work is phenomenal, and so very controversial - I still can't believe it got published at all. I find Eve's apology so emotive. Made a recording of it a while back...
Edited at 2009-10-09 04:41 pm (UTC)
I do love the rhyme, though, and will send it along to my poet mom.
Edited at 2009-10-09 04:50 pm (UTC)