The language of poetry is an art that most of us attempt at some point in our lives. Although its commonplace exposure has been somewhat marginalised in today's often fast-paced lives we all recognise good verse that can empathise with our thoughts or open us up to experience new things in new ways, to better understand and to enjoy the many strands of our lives.

But finding a starting point can be overwhelming, even off-putting, so in this series we offer up our Top 10 classic poets, who brim with talent and verse, on a range of subjects and themes that we can all enjoy.

The American poetess may have lived in the constancy and overbearing shadows of their male colleagues but their verse is the equal of each and every man, whoever they may be. Their words do not surrender to pity or lack of self-esteem, but are glowing tributes to the talents of humanity despite the shadows that often clouded their lives.