List of female poets

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This is a list of female poets organised by the time period in which they were born. This listing is subordered alphabetically by name.

Before Common era

Anyte of Tegea (fl. early 3rd century BC), Greek poet
Cleobulina (fl. c. 550 BC), Greek poet
Consort Ban (Ban Jieyu, Lady Pan, c. 48–c. 6 BC), Chinese scholar and poet
Corinna (fl. 6th century BC), Ancient Greek poet
Cornificia (c. 85–c. 40 BC), Roman poet and writer of epigrams.
Elephantis (fl. late 1st century BC), Greek erotic poet
Enheduanna (2285–2250 BC), Akkadian princess, priestess and Sumerian-language poet, regarded as possibly the world's earliest known author
Erinna (fl. c. 600 BC), Greek poet, a contemporary and friend of Sappho
Moero or Myro (3rd century BC), Greek poet
Nossis (fl. c. 300 BC), Greek epigrammist and poet
Praxilla (5th century BC), Greek poet
Sappho (fl. 6th century BC), Ancient Greek poet; one of the nine lyric poets
Sulpicia I (fl. 1st century BC)
Telesilla (fl. 510 BC), Greek poet
Zhuo Wenjun (Wen Jun, 2nd century BC), Chinese poet

0 – 500 CE

Cai Wenji (born 177), Chinese poet and composer
Princess Iwa (4th or 5th century), Japanese poet
Faltonia Betitia Proba (c. 306/15–c. 353/66), Roman poet in Latin
Sulpicia II (fl. 1st century AD)
Xie Daoyun (pre-340–post-399), Chinese poet
Zuo Fen (c. 255–300), Chinese poet

500 - 999 CE

Akazome Emon (956–1041), Japanese poet and historian
Hrotsvith von Gandersheim (c. 935–c. 1002), German dramatist and poet writing in Latin
Huarui Furen (fl. mid–10th century), Chinese poet
Lady Ise (c. 875–c. 938), Japanese poet
Izumi Shikibu (born c. 976), Japanese poet
Jindeok of Silla (fl. 647–654), Korean poet and queen
Empress Jitō (645–702), Japanese poet and empress
Kishi Joō (929–985), Japanese poet
Lady Kasa (early 8th century), Japanese poet
Kassia (810–pre-865), Byzantine poet and composer writing in Greek
al-Khansa (575–645), Arabic poet
Nakatsukasa (912–991), Japanese poet
Nukata no Ōkimi (630–690), Japanese poet of the Asuka period
Princess Ōku (661–702), Japanese poet
Ono no Komachi (c. 825–c. 900), Japanese waka poet, one of the Rokkasen—the Six best Waka poets of the early Heian period
Ōtomo no Sakanoe no Iratsume (c. 700–750), Japanese poet
Rabia Balkhi (10th century), Persian poet
Radegund (c. 520–586), Frankish princess and poet writing in Latin
Shangguan Wan'er (c. 664–710), Chinese poet and prose writer
Murasaki Shikibu (973–1025), Japanese novelist and poet
Shirome (10th century), Japanese poet
Sei Shōnagon (c. 966–c. 1017), Japanese author and poet
Princess Tajima (died 708), Japanese poet
Xu Hui (627–650), Chinese poet
Xue Tao (768–831), Chinese poet
Empress Yamato (fl. later 7th century), Japanese poet
Yu Xuanji (844–869 or 871), Chinese poet

1000 - 1399 CE

Ava (c. 1060–1127), first named female writer in any genre in the German language
Marie de France (fl. 12th century), medieval poet who was probably born in France and lived in England
Ise no Taiu or Taifu (early 11th century), Japanese poet
Lalleshwari (aka Lalla, Lal Ded or Lal Arifa) (1320–1392), Mystic and poet; creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun, the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language
Li Qingzhao (1084–c. 1151), Chinese writer and poet of the Song Dynasty
Akka Mahadevi (12th century), Indian poet writing in Old Kannada
Mahsati Ganjavi (c. 1089–post-1159), Persian poet
Eudokia Makrembolitissa (c. 1021–1096), Byzantine poet and empress writing in Greek
Christine de Pizan (1363—c. 1430), Venetian-born late medieval author
Tibors de Sarenom (c. 1130–post-1198), French poet writing in Occitan
Shikishi Naishinnō (died 1201), Japanese poet
Wallada bint al-Mustakfi (1001–1080), Andalusian poet writing in Arabic
Zhu Shuzhen (c. 1135–1180), Chinese poet

15th century

Vittoria Colonna (1490–1547), Italian poet and marchioness
Monahinja Jefimija (1350– after 1405), Serbian poet and nun
Catherine d'Amboise (1475–1550), French writer and poet
Guji, Princess of Joseon (died 1489), Korean writer, poet and dance
Mihri Hatun (died 1506), female Ottoman poet
Huang E (aka Huang Xiumei) (1498–1569), Chinese poet of the Ming dynasty
Gwerful Mechain (fl. 1460–1500), Welsh poet
Mirabai (aka Meera, Meera Bai) (c. 1498–c. 1547), Hindu mystical poet
Lucrezia Tornabuoni (1425–1482), Italian poet
Uhwudong (died 1480), Korean writer, poet and dancer
Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, considered to be a founder of the Discalced Carmelites along with John of the Cross.

16th century

Rachel Akerman (1522–1544), Austrian Jewish poet writing in German
Anne Askew (1520/21–1546), English poet and Protestant martyr
Isabella Andreini (1562–1604), Italian playwright, poet and actress
Madeleine de l’Aubespine (1546–1596), French poet
Gabrielle de Coignard (1550–1586), French poet
Veronica Franco (1546–1591), Italian poet and courtesan
Pernette Du Guillet (c. 1520–1545), French poet
Louise Labé (1524–1566), French poet
Aemilia Lanyer (1569–1645), one of the first Englishwomen to publish a volume of original poems and to seek patronage
Anne Ley (c. 1599-1641), English writer, teacher, and polemicist
Heo Nanseolheon (1563–1589), Korean female poet of the mid-Joseon dynasty
Anne de Marquets (c. 1533–1588), French poet
Gaspara Stampa (1523–1554) Italian poet
Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke (1561–1621), one of the first English women to achieve a major reputation for her literary works, poetry, poetic translations and literary patronage
Lady Mary Wroth (1587–1651/3), prolific author of the Jacobean era

17th century

Mary Barber (1685–1755), Irish poet, member of Swift's circle
Aphra Behn (1640–1689), dramatist of the English Restoration and was one of the first English professional female writers
Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612–1672), New England's first published poet
Sophia Elisabet Brenner (1659–1730), Swedish writer, poet, feminist and salon hostess
Jane Cavendish (1620/21–1669), English poet and playwright
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623–1673), English aristocrat, prolific writer, and scientist
Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force (1654–1724), French novelist and poet
Susannah Centlivre (1667–1723), English playwright and poet
Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656–1710), English poet, essayist and writer
Mary Collier (c. 1688–1762), English poet
Dorothe Engelbretsdotter (1634–1716), Norway's first recognized female author
Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661–1720), English poet
Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg (1633–1694), Austrian poet
Eliza Haywood (1693–1756), English novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and translator
Sor Juana (Juana Inés de la Cruz) (1651–1695), self-taught scholar and poet of the Baroque school, and nun of New Spain
Anne Killigrew (1660–1685), English poet
Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck (1663–1740), Swedish noble, known as a dilettante artist (painter), amateur actor, and poet
Anne Ley (c. 1599-1641), English writer, teacher, and polemicist
Antoinette du Ligier de la Garde Deshoulières (1638–1694), French poet
Katherine Philips (1631–1664), English poet
Vendela Skytte (1608–1629), Swedish noblewoman, salonist and writer, poet and Lady of Letters
Anne Wharton (1659–1685), English poet
Isabella Whitney (fl. 16th century), earliest identified woman to have published secular poetry in the English language
Jane Wiseman (c. 1682–1717), English poet and playwright
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762), English aristocrat and writer

1710s

Martha Wadsworth Brewster (1710–c. 1757), American poet and writer; first American-born woman to publish under her own name
Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806), English poet, writer and Bluestocking
Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht (1718–1763), Swedish poet, feminist and salon hostess

1720s

Anna Louisa Karsch (1722–1791), German poet and letter writer
Mary Leapor (1722–1746), English poet
Charlotte Lennox (1720–1804), English novelist, poet, and dramatist
Charlotta Löfgren (1720–1784), Swedish poet
Petronella Johanna de Timmerman (1723–1786), Dutch poet and scientist

1730s

Erika Liebman (1738–1803), Swedish poet and academic
Hedvig Löfwenskiöld (1736–1789), Swedish poet
Hedvig Sirenia (1734–1795), Swedish poet

1740s

Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743–1825), English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor and children's author
Susanna Blamire (1747–1794), English poet
Hannah More (1745–1833), English religious writer and philanthropist
Isabel Pagan (c. 1740—1821), Scottish poet
Anna Seward (1747–1809), English poet
Charlotte Turner Smith (1749–1806), English Romantic poet and novelist

1750s

Ann Eliza Bleecker (1752–1783), American poet and correspondent
Magdalene Sophie Buchholm (1758–1825), Norwegian poet
Anna Maria Lenngren (1754–1817), Swedish writer, poet, feminist, translator and salonist
Elisa von der Recke (Elisabeth Recke, 1754–1833), German writer and poet from Courland
Mary Robinson (1757–1800), English poet, novelist,
Jane West (1758–1852), English novelist, poet, playwright, and tract-writer
Phillis Wheatley (1753–1784), first African-American poet

1760s

Joanna Baillie (1762–1851), Scottish poet and dramatist
Christina Charlotta Cederström (1760–1832), Swedish dilettante artist, salon hostess, and baroness
Susanna Rowson (1762–1824), British-American novelist, poet and playwright.
Ulrika Widström (1764–1841), Swedish poet and translator
Helen Maria Williams (1762–1827), English novelist and poet
Maria Petronella Woesthoven (1760–1830), Dutch poet

1770s

Anna Bunina (1774–1829), Russian poet
Margaretta Faugères (1771–1801) American poet
Hồ Xuân Hương (1772–1822), Vietnamese poet born at the end of the Lê Dynasty
Barbara Hofland (1770–1844), English children's writer and poet
Sophie Mereau (1770–1806), German novelist and poet
Elizabeth Thomas (1770/71–1855), English novelist and poet
Dorothy Wordsworth (1771–1855), English poet and diarist

1780s

Helmina von Chézy (1783–1856), German poet, playwright and librettist
Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786–1859), French poet
Anna Ehrenström (1786–1857), Swedish poet
Karoline von Günderrode (1780–1806), German poet
Julia Nyberg (1784–1854), Swedish poet and songwriter
Anna Maria Porter (1780–1832), English poet and novelist
Ann Taylor (1782–1866), English poet and critic
Jane Taylor (1783–1824), English poet and novelist

1790s

Nana Asma’u (1793–1864), Fulani poet and pioneer of women's education in the Sokoto Caliphate
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797–1848), German poet
Emily Eden (1797–1869), English novelist and poet
Felicia Hemans (1793–1835), English poet
Luise Hensel (1798–1876), German religious writer and poet
Mary Howitt (1799–1888), English poet and children's writer
Mathilda d'Orozco (aka Mathilda Montgomery-Cederhjelm) (1796–1863), Swedish (originally Spanish-Italian) noble and salonist, composer, poet, writer, singer, amateur actress and harpsichordist
Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791–1875), Japanese poet and calligrapher

and actress

Agnes Strickland (1796–1874), English history writer and poet
Wu Zao (1799–1862), Chinese poet

1800s

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), English poet, one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era
Elizabeth Margaret Chandler (1807–1834), American poet and writer; first woman writer in America to make the abolition of slavery her principal theme
Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880), American poet, novelist and journalist
Caroline Clive (1801–1872), English poet and novelist
Lucretia Maria Davidson (1808–1825), American poet
Marjorie (Marjory) Fleming (1803–1811), Scottish child diarist and poet
Frances Dana Barker Gage (1808–1884), American writer, poet, reformer, feminist and abolitionist
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L., 1802–1838), English poet and novelist
Susanna Moodie (1803–1885), Canadian diarist, novelist, children's novelist and poet
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (1800–1842), American Indian writer of poetry and fiction

1810s

Agnieszka Baranowska (1819–1890), Polish playwright and poet
Anne Lynch Botta (1815–1891), American poet, writer, teacher and socialite
Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855), English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters
Emily Brontë (1818–1848), English novelist and poet, best remembered for her solitary novel, Wuthering Heights
Frances Browne (1816–1887), Irish poet and novelist
Eliza Cook (1818–1889), English poet
George Eliot (born Marian Evans, 1819–1880), English novelist and poet
Elizabeth F. Ellet (1818–1877), American writer, historian and poet
Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda (1814–1873), Cuban novelist, playwright and poet
Ellen Sturgis Hooper (1812–1848), American poet, member of the Transcendental Club
Julia Ward Howe (1819–1910), American abolitionist, social activist, and poet, most famous as the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Charlotta Öberg (aka Lotta Öberg) (1818–1856), Swedish poet
Narcyza Żmichowska (1818–1876), Polish novelist and poet

1820s

Anne Brontë (1820–1849), British novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family
Alice Cary (1820–1871), American poet, sister of Phoebe Cary
Frances Harper (1825–1911), American poet and novelist
Jean Ingelow (1820–1897), English poet and novelist
Annie Keary (1825–1879), English novelist and poet
Lucy Larcom (1824–1893), millgirl, frequent contributor to the Lowell Offering, published four books of poetry in her lifetime

1830s

Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), American novelist, playwright and poet
Amanda Jones (1835–1914), American poet, inventor, spiritualist
Ellen Palmer Allerton (1835–1893), American poet
Addie L. Ballou (1837–1916), American poet and suffragist
Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), Spanish and galician romanticist writer and poet
Emily Dickinson (1830–1886), American poet
Amélie Gex (1835–1883), French poet and writer in French and Franco-Provençal
Charlotte Forten Grimké (1837–1914), African American abolitionist, poet, and educator
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford (1835–1921), American mystery novelist, poet, and short story writer
Celia Thaxter (1835–1894), American writer of poetry and stories

1840s

Ina Coolbrith (born Josephine Anna Smith) (1841–1928), first poet laureate of California, first public librarian in California
Maria Konopnicka (1842–1910), Polish novelist, poet, translator and essayist
Emily Lawless (1845–1913), Irish novelist and poet
Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), best known for her poem The New Colossus (inscribed on the Statue of Liberty)

1850s

Katharine Lee Bates (1859–1929), American songwriter
Florence Earle Coates (1850–1927), American poet
Alice Rollit Coe (1858–1940), Canadian-American author
Helen Gray Cone (1859–1934), poet and professor of English literature
Isabella Valancy Crawford (1850–1887), Canadian poet
Constance Naden (1858–1889), English poet and philosopher
Charlotte Niese (1854–1935), German writer and poet
Salomé Ureña de Henríquez (1850–1897), Dominican Republic poet and pioneer of women's education
Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850–1919), American author and poet

1860s

Marion Angus (1865–1946), Scottish poet writing in Scots and in standard English
Olivia Ward Bush (1869–1944), American author, poet and journalist
Mary Elizabeth Coleridge (1861–1907), British novelist, poet, essayist and critic
Marguerite Coppin (1867–1931) woman Poet Laureate of Belgium
Mary Eliza Fullerton (1868–1946), Australian feminist poet, short story writer, journalist and novelist
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935), American sociologist, author, poet and lecturer for social reform
Mary Gilmore (1865–1962), Australian socialist poet and journalist
Alice Harriman (1861–1925), American poet, author and publisher
Josephine D. Heard (1861–c. 1921), American teacher, poet
Ricarda Huch (1864–1947), German historian, novelist and poet
Pauline Johnson (1861–1913), Canadian poet
Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945), German poet and playwright
Mirra Lokhvitskaya (1869–1905), Russian poet
Charlotte Mew (1869–1928), English poet
Ethel Rolt-Wheeler (1869–1958), English poet, author and journalist
May Sinclair (1862–1946), English novelist, poet, and short story writer
Violet Tweedale (1862–1936), Scottish writer and poet

1870s

Eleanor Hallowell Abbott (1872–1958), American poet, novelist and short story writer
Lucie Delarue-Mardrus (1874–1945), French poet, novelist and journalist
Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875–1935), American poet, journalist and political activist
Georgia Douglas Johnson (1877–1966), American poet
Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971), German novelist, poet and essayist
Amy Lowell (1874–1925), American poet of the imagist school; posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926
Agnes Miegel (1879–1964), German journalist, writer and poet
L. M. Montgomery (1874–1942), poet and author of Anne of Green Gables
Sarojini Naidu (aka The Nightingale of India) (1879–1949), child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet
Qiu Jin (1875–1907), Chinese revolutionary, feminist and writer.
Dorothy Richardson (1873–1957), English novelist, poet, essayist and short story writer
Lola Ridge (1873–1941), anarchist poet and an influential editor of avant-garde, feminist, and Marxist publications
Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958), American novelist, playwright, and poet
Leonora Speyer (1872–1956), American poet and violinist
Ilse von Stach (1879–1941), German playwright, novelist and poet
Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France
Lesya Ukrainka (1871–1913), Ukrainian poet
Renée Vivien (1877–1909), French poet
Akiko Yosano (1878–1942), Japanese poet

1880s

Delmira Agustini (1886–1914), Uruguayan poet
Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966), Russian and Soviet modernist poet
Ethel Anderson (1883–1958), Australian poet, essayist, novelist and painter
Helen Cruickshank (1886–1975), Scottish poet writing in Braid Scots and English
Cherubina de Gabriak (aka Elisaveta Ivanovna Dmitrieva) (1887–1928), Russian poet
H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) (1886–1961), American poet, novelist and memoirist; known for her Imagist poetry
Enid Derham (1882–1941), Australian poet
Jesse Redmon Fauset (1882–1961), American poet, essayist and novelist
Else Feldmann (1884–1942), Austrian playwright, poet and novelist
Ethel Romig Fuller (1883–1965), American poet and Oregon's third Poet Laureate
Angelina Weld Grimké (1880–1958), Mixed American journalist, teacher, playwright and poet
Emmy Hennings (1885–1948), German poet and performer
Mina Loy (1882–1966), artist, poet, playwright, novelist, Futurist, actress, Christian Scientist, designer of lamps, and bohemian
Ruth Manning-Sanders (1886–1988), British poet and author best known for her series of children's books
Anna Margolin (1887–1952), Russian-American Yiddish-language poet
Gabriela Mistral (Lucila Godoy Alcayaga) (1889–1957), Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist; first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
Marianne Moore (1887–1972), American Modernist poet and writer
Nettie Palmer (1885–1964), Australian poet, essayist and literary critic
Sylvia Pankhurst (1882–1960), English suffragist, poet; wrote Writ on Cold Slate, poems about her prison experience, in 1922
Sophia Parnok (1885–1933), Russian Silver Age poet
Paula von Preradović (1887–1951), Austrian story writer and poet
Blanaid Salkeld (1880–1959), Irish poet, dramatist, actor and salon hostess
Edith Sitwell (1887–1964), British poet and critic, eldest of the three literary Sitwells
Anne Spencer (1882–1975), American poet
Sara Teasdale (1884–1933), American lyrical poet
Regina Ullmann (1884–1961), Swiss poet writing in German
Dorothy Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington (1889–1956), English poet
Anna Wickham (born Edith Alice Mary Harper) (1884–1947), British poet with strong Australian connections
Elinor Wylie (1885–1928), American poet and novelist

1890s

Léonie Adams (1899–1988), American poet, seventh United States Poet Laureate
Elisaveta Bagryana (1893–1991), Bulgarian poet; one of the mothers of Bulgarian literature
Djuna Barnes (1892–1982), American modernist lesbian writer
Louise Bogan (1897–1970), American poet; fourth US Poet Laureate
Bryher (aka Annie Winifred Ellerman) (1894–1983), English novelist, poet, memoirist, and magazine editor
May Wedderburn Cannan (1893–1973), British poet
Amy Key Clarke (1892–1980), English mystical poet, author and teacher
Babette Deutsch (1895–1982), American poet, critic, translator, and novelist
Florbela Espanca (1894–1930), Portuguese poet
Claire Goll (1890–1977), German-born poet and novelist writing in German and French
Helen von Kolnitz Hyer (1896–1983), American poet, writer; South Carolina Poet Laureate 1974–1983
Gertrud Kolmar (1894–1943), German poet
Elisabeth Langgässer (1899–1950), German poet and novelist
Claudia Lars (1899–1974), Salvadoran poet
Muna Lee (1895–1965), American poet and translator
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950), American lyrical poet, playwright and feminist
Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999), Scottish novelist and poet
Mary Devenport O'Neill (1898–1957), Irish poet and dramatist
Dorothy Parker (1893–1967), American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist
Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska (1891–1945), Polish poet
Ruth Pitter (1897–1992), British poet; first woman to receive the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1955
Elsa Rautee (1897–1987), Finnish poet
Nelly Sachs (1891–1970), Jewish German poet and playwright
Vita Sackville-West (1892–1962), writer, poet and gardener
Nan Shepherd (1893–1981), Scottish novelist and poet
Maria Shkapskaya (1891–1952), Soviet poet and journalist
Edith Södergran (1892–1923), Swedish-speaking Finnish poet; one of the first Swedish language Modernist poets
Alfonsina Storni (1892–1938), Latin American poet of the Modernist period
Yelizaveta Tarakhovskaya (1891–1968), Soviet Russian poet, playwright, translator, and author of children's books
Marina Tsvetaeva (1892–1941), Russian and Soviet poet
Joan Ure (1918–1978), Scottish poet and playwright
Charlotte Wilder (1898–1980), American poet

1900s

Rose Ausländer (1901–1988), Bucovina-born poet writing in German and English
Anna Barkova (1901–1976), Soviet poet, journalist, playwright, essayist, memoirist, and writer of fiction
Mary Barnard (1909–2001), American poet, biographer and Greek-to-English translator
Gwendolyn B. Bennett (1902–1981), African American writer
Karin Boye (1900–1941), Swedish poet and novelist
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (1904–1948), Indian poet famous for her emotionally charged Hindi songs
Ashapoorna Devi (1909–1995), Bengali novelist and poet
Hilde Domin (1909–2006), German poet
Parvin E'tesami (1907–1941), Persian poet of Iran
Madeline Gleason (1903–1979), American poet and dramatist
Ada Verdun Howell (1902–1981), Australian author and poet
Josephine Jacobsen (1908–2003), American poet, short story writer, and critic; 21st US Poet Laureate
Helene Johnson (1906–1995), American poet
Marie Luise Kaschnitz (1901–1974), German novelist and poet
Lin Huiyin (1904–1955), Chinese architect and writer
Dorothy Livesay (1909–1996), Canadian poet
Dulce María Loynaz (1902–1997), Cuban poet and novelist
Phyllis McGinley (1905–1978), American author of children’s books and poetry
Cecília Meireles (1901–1964), Brazilian writer and educator
Ruth Moore (1903–1989), American novelist, poet and short story writer
Adalgisa Nery (1905–1980), Brazilian poet, novelist, journalist and politician
Lorine Niedecker (1903–1970), American poet; only woman associated with the Objectivist poets
Silvina Ocampo (1903–1994), Argentine poet and short story writer
Mary Oppen (1908–1990), American activist, artist, photographer, poet and writer
Josefina Pla (1903–1999), Spanish poet, playwright, art critic, painter and journalist
Kathleen Raine (1908–2003), British poet, critic, and scholar
Laura Riding (1901–1991), American poet, critic, novelist, essayist and short story writer
Oda Schaefer (1900–1988), German poet and journalist
Stevie Smith (1902–1971), English poet and novelist
Olena Teliha (1906–1942), Ukrainian poet
Katri Vala (1901–1944), Finnish poet
Mahadevi Varma (1906–1987), Hindi poet, was a freedom fighter, woman's activist and educationist from India
Louise Leveque de Vilmorin (1902–1969), French novelist, poet, and journalist
Viola S. Wendt (1907–1986), American poet and educator
Marya Zaturenska (1902–1982), American poet; won 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

1910s

Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919–2004), Portuguese poet and writer
Dorothy Auchterlonie (1915–1991), English-born Australian academic, literary critic and poet
Margaret Avison (1918–2007), Canadian poet, editor and speaker
Louise Bennett (1919–2006), Jamaican poet, folklorist and educator
Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979), American poet and short-story writer
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000), African-American poet; 30th US Poet Laureate
Christine Busta (1915–1987), Austrian poet
Joy Davidman (born Helen Joy Davidman) (1915–1960), writer and poet, wife of C. S. Lewis
Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000), Booker Prize-winning English novelist, poet, essayist and biographer
Grace Beacham Freeman (1916–2002), American poet, columnist, short story writer; South Carolina Poet Laureate 1985–86
Anne Hébert (1916–2000), Canadian author and poet
Christine Lavant (1915–1973), Austrian poet and novelist
Josephine Miles (1911–1985), American poet and literary critic
Amrita Pritam (1919–2005), considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist
Muriel Rukeyser (1913–1980), American poet and political activist
May Sarton (1912–1995), Belgian American poet, novelist, and memoirist
Ruth Stone (1915–2011), American poet, author, and teacher
May Swenson (1913–1989), American poet and playwright
Magda Szabó (1917–2007), Hungarian novelist, poet, playwright
Margaret Walker (1915–1998), American poet and novelist
Judith Wright (1915–2000), Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights
Audrey Wurdemann (1911–1960), American poet; won 1935 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Unica Zürn (1916–1970), German poet and painter

1920s

Claribel Alegría (born 1924), Nicaraguan poet, essayist, novelist, and journalist
Maya Angelou (1928–2014), American author and poet
Thea Astley (1925–2004), Australian novelist and short story writer; also some poetry
Erika Burkart (1922–2010), Swiss poet and writer in German
Juanita Casey(1925–2012), poet, novelist, horse trainer and breeder
Rosario Castellanos (1925–1974), Mexican poet and author
Amy Clampitt (1920–1994), American poet and author
Blaga Dimitrova (1922–2003), Bulgarian poet and former Vice President of Bulgaria
Rosemary Dobson (born 1920), Australian poet, illustrator, editor and anthologist
Mari Evans (born 1923), African American poet
U. A. Fanthorpe (1929–2009), English poet
FrancEyE (1922–2007), American poet, born Frances Dean Smith
Olga Gonçalves (1929–2004), Portuguese poet and novelist
Barbara Guest (1920–2006), American poet, author
Gwen Harwood (1920–1995), Australian poet and librettist
Dorothy Hewett (1923–2002), Australian feminist poet, novelist, librettist and playwright
Constance Hunting (1925–2006), American poet and publisher
Elizabeth Jennings (1926–2001), English poet
Carolyn Kizer (born 1925), Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet; noted for her feminist poetry
Maxine Kumin (born 1925), American poet and author; 26th US Poet Laureate
Ursula K. Le Guin (born 1929), American poet and author
Denise Levertov (1923–1997), British-born American poet
Eeva-Liisa Manner (1921–1995), Finnish poet, playwright and translator
Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924–1942), Romanian-born German poet
Máire Mhac an tSaoi (born 1922), Irish language scholar, poet, writer and academic
Lisel Mueller (born 1924), German-born American poet
Inge Müller (1925–1966), German poet
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (aka Kath Walker) (1920–1993), Australian poet, political activist, artist and educator
Grace Paley (1922–2007), American-Jewish short story writer, poet, and political activist
Vesna Parun (1922–2010), Croatian poet
Marie Ponsot (born 1921), American poet, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator
Adrienne Rich (1929–2012), American poet, essayist and feminist
Anne Sexton (1928–1974), American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse
Bessie Skea (1923–1996), Scottish poet from Orkney
Julie Suk (born 1924), American poet
Efua Sutherland (1924—1996), Ghanaian playwright, children's author, poet and dramatist
Wislawa Szymborska (1923–2012), Polish poet, essayist and translator; won 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature
Mona Van Duyn (1921–2004), American poet; 36th US Poet Laureate
Phyllis Webb (born 1927), Canadian poet and radio broadcaster
Hannah Weiner (1928–1997), American poet; often grouped with the Language poets
Mitsuye Yamada (born 1923), Japanese American activist, feminist, essayist, poet, story writer, editor, and professor
Chia-ying Yeh (born 1924), Chinese-Canadian poet

1930s

Fleur Adcock (born 1934), poet and an editor of English and Northern Irish ancestry; lived much of her life in England
Bella Akhmadulina (1937–2010), Soviet and Russian poet, short story writer, and translator
Anne-Marie Albiach (born 1937), French poet and translator
Margaret Atwood (born 1939), Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist and environmental activist
A. S. Byatt (born 1936), English novelist and poet
Neriman Cahit (born 1937), Turkish Cypriot poet, author and prominent women's rights advocate
Diana Chang (born 1934), Chinese American novelist and poet
Hélène Cixous (born 1937), Algerian-born French poet, playwright and philosopher
Gillian Clarke (born 1937), Welsh poet, playwright, editor, broadcaster, lecturer and translator
Lucille Clifton (1936–2010), American writer and educator
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn (born 1930), Crow Creek Lakota Sioux editor, essayist, poet, novelist, and academic
Jayne Cortez (born 1936), American poet and performance artist
Kamala Das (1934–2009), Indian English poet and littérateur
Diane Di Prima (born 1934), American poet
Muzi Epifani (1935-1984), Italian novelist and poet
Ruth Fainlight (born 1931), US-born British poet, short story writer, translator and librettist
Forough Farrokhzad (1935–1967), Iranian poet and film director
Ellen Gilchrist (born 1935), American novelist, short story writer, and poet
Hilda Hilst (1930–2004), Brazilian poet, playwright and novelist
Susan Howe (born 1937), American poet, scholar, essayist and critic; closely associated with the Language poets
Rita Joe (born 1932), Canadian poet
Ingrid Jonker (1933–1965), South African poet
June Jordan (1936–2002), American poet, essayist, journalist, novelist, librettist and autobiography writer
Jenny Joseph (born 1932), English poet
Antigone Kefala (born 1935), Australian poet and prose-writer of Greek-Romanian heritage
Vénus Khoury-Ghata (born 1937), Lebanese-French writer; former Miss Beirut
Sarah Kirsch (born 1935), German poet and translator
Lina Kostenko (born 1930), Ukrainian poet
Joanne Kyger (born 1934), American poet; tied to the poets of Black Mountain, the San Francisco Renaissance, and the Beat generation
Alda Lara (1930–1962), Angolan poet
Ana María Llona Málaga (born 1936), Peruvian poet
Audre Lorde (1934–1992), Caribbean-American writer, poet and activist
Alda Merini (1931–2009), Italian writer and poet
Barbara Moraff (born 1939), American poet of the Beat generation
Helga M. Novak (born 1935), German poet and political writer
Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), American author
Mary Oliver (born 1935), American poet
Alicia Ostriker (born 1937), American poet and scholar who writes Jewish feminist poetry
Marge Piercy (born 1936), American poet, novelist, and social activist
Alejandra Pizarnik (1936–1972), Argentine poet
Sylvia Plath (1932–1963), American poet, novelist and short story writer
Halina Poświatowska (1935–1967), Polish poet
Dahlia Ravikovitch (1936–2005), Israeli poet, translator, and peace activist
Mirkka Rekola (born 1931), Finnish poet
Sonia Sanchez (born 1934), African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement
Pat Schneider (born 1934), American writer, poet and editor
Nina Serrano (born 1934), American poet, writer, storyteller, and independent media producer
Bennie Lee Sinclair (1939–2000), American poet, novelist, short story writer; South Carolina Poet Laureate, 1986–2000
Jean Valentine (born 1934), American poet; New York State Poet Laureate
Diane Wakoski (born 1937), American poet; associated with the deep image poets
Rosmarie Waldrop (born 1935), American poet, translator and publisher
Dede Wilson (born 1937), American poet
Nellie Wong (born 1934), Chinese-American feminist poet
Olga Xirinacs Díaz (born 1936), writer and piano teacher
Fay Zwicky (born 1933), Australian poet, short-story writer, critic and academic

1940s

Kathy Acker (1947–1997), American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer
Ama Ata Aidoo (born 1940), Ghanaian poet, novelist, playwright and short-story writer
Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1942–2004), American author, poet and activist
Rae Armantrout (born 1947), American writer, Language poet and professor
Pam Ayres (born 1947), English poet, songwriter and radio/TV presenter
Mary Jo Bang (born 1946), American poet
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge (born 1947), Chinese American poet associated with Language poetry, the New York School (art), phenomenology, and visual art
Linda Bierds (born 1945), American poet and professor
Eavan Boland (born 1944), Irish poet
Cathy Smith Bowers (born 1949), American poet; North Carolina Poet Laureate 2010–2012
Nicole Brossard (born 1943), French Canadian formalist poet and novelist
Olga Broumas (born 1949), Greek poet, living in the United States
Andrea Hollander Budy (born 1947), American poet
Kathryn Stripling Byer (born 1944), American poet and teacher; North Carolina Poet Laureate 2005–2009
Caroline Caddy (born 1944), Australian poet
Kelly Cherry (born 1940), American poet and author
Chrystos (born 1946), Menominee rights activist and poet
Norma Cole (born 1945), American poet, visual artist, and translator
Wanda Coleman (1946-2013), American poet
Anne Compton (born 1947), Canadian poet, critic, and anthologist
Wendy Cope (born 1945), English poet
Elsa Cross (born 1946), Mexican poet and essayist
Regina Derieva (born 1949), Russian poet and writer
Annie Dillard (born 1945), American nonfiction writer, poet, essayist and novelist
Berlie Doherty (born 1943), English novelist, poet, playwright, screenwriter and children's writer
Rachel Blau DuPlessis (born 1941), American poet and essayist, known as a feminist critic and scholar
Lynn Emanuel (born 1949), American poet
Clarissa Pinkola Estés (born 1945), American poet
Diane Fahey (born 1945), Australian poet
Renée Ferrer de Arréllaga (born 1944), Paraguayan poet and novelist
Tess Gallagher (born 1943), American poet, essayist, author and playwright
Nikki Giovanni (born 1943), African American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator
Diane Glancy (born 1941), American poet, novelist and playwright
Louise Glück (born 1943), American poet; 42nd US Poet Laureate
Lorna Goodison (born 1947), Jamaican poet
Hedwig Gorski (born 1949), American performance poet and an avant-garde artist
Judy Grahn (born 1940), American feminist, lesbian poet
Debora Greger (born 1949), American poet and visual artist
Linda Gregg (born 1942), American poet
Marilyn Hacker (born 1942), American poet, translator and critic
Jessica Hagedorn (born 1949), Filipino American poet, playwright and novelist
Lyn Hejinian (born 1941), American poet, essayist, translator and publisher
Guðrið Helmsdal (born 1941), Faroese poet
Linda Hogan (born 1947), American poet, novelist and short story writer
Libby Houston (born 1941), English poet, botanist, and rock climber
Fanny Howe (born 1940), American poet, novelist, and short story writer
Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir (born 1942), Icelandic poet
Erica Jong (born 1942), American author and teacher
Karin Kiwus (born 1942), German poet
Eloise Klein Healy (born 1943), American poet, first Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, professor at Antioch University
Tanith Lee (born 1947), British novelist, poet, and screenwriter
Liz Lochhead (born 1947), Scottish poet and dramatist
Gwendolyn MacEwen (1941–1987), Canadian poet and novelist
Mary Mackey (born 1945), American novelist, poet and academic
Jennifer Maiden (born 1949), Australian poet
Daphne Marlatt (born 1942), Canadian poet
Susan McCaslin (1947), Canadian poet
Susan Mitchell (born 1944), American poet, essayist and translator
Grace Mera Molisa (1947–2002), ni-Vanuatu politician, poet and campaigner for women's equality
Robin Morgan (born 1941), American poet, author, political theorist and activist, journalist, lecturer, and former child actor
Carol Muske-Dukes (born 1945), American poet, novelist, essayist, critic, and professor; California Poet Laureate
Alice Notley (born 1945), American poet
Sharon Olds (born 1942), American poet
Ruth Padel (born 1946), British poet, a non-fiction author known for her poetry criticism and nature writing
Katha Pollitt (born 1949), American feminist poet, essayist and critic
Jennifer Rankin (1941–1979), Australian poet and playwright
Denise Riley (born 1948), English poet and philosopher
Kay Ryan (born 1945), American poet and educator; 16th US Poet Laureate
Olive Senior (born 1941), Jamaican poet, novelist, short story and non-fiction writer
Leslie Marmon Silko (born 1948), American novelist, poet, and short story writer
Patti Smith (born 1946), American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist
Stephanie Strickland (born 1942), American poet whose work includes electronic literature
Jane Urquhart (born 1949), Canadian novelist and poet
Janine Pommy Vega (1942–2010), American poet associated with the Beat generation
Ellen Bryant Voigt (born 1943), American poet and essayist
Anne Waldman (born 1945), American poet
Alice Walker (born 1944), American author, poet, and activist
Connie Willis (born 1945), Indian poet and short story writer
Merle Woo (born 1941), Asian American teacher, poet and activist
C. D. Wright (born 1949), American poet
Halima Xudoyberdiyeva (born 1947), Uzbek poet; People's Poet of Uzbekistan

1950s

Kim Addonizio (born 1954), American poet, novelist
Julia Álvarez (born 1950), Dominican-American poet, novelist and essayist
Maria Arbatova (born 1957), Russian novelist, playwright and poet
Dawn-Michelle Baude (born 1959), American poet, journalist and educator
Valerie Bloom (born 1956), Jamaican poet and novelist
Giannina Braschi (born 1953), Puerto Rican poet, writer
Jean "Binta" Breeze (born 1956), Jamaican dub poet, and storyteller.
Ana Castillo (born 1953), Mexican-American novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist
Marilyn Chin (born 1955), American poet and writer
Sandra Cisneros (born 1954), American writer
Tina Darragh (born 1950), American Language poet
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (born 1956). Indian-American poet, novelist and short story writer
Rita Dove (born 1952), American poet and author; 37th US Poet Laureate
Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955), Scottish poet and playwright; first female and first Scottish Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
Marilyn Dumont (born 1955), First Nations Canadian poet
Claudia Emerson (born 1957), American poet; won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Louise Erdrich (born 1954), American novelist, poet and children's writer
Annie Finch (born 1956), American poet, translator and critic
Alice Fulton (born 1952), American author, poet
Amy Gerstler (born 1956), American poet
Jorie Graham (born 1950), American poet
Joy Harjo (born 1951), American poet
Carla Harryman (born 1952), American poet, essayist, and playwright; associated with the Language poets
Katherine Hastings (born 1950), American poet
Allison Hedge Coke (born 1958), American/Canadian poet
Julie Kane (born 1952), American poet, scholar and editor; Louisiana Poet Laureate 2011–2013
Barbara Kingsolver (born 1955), American novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist
Sue Lenier (born 1957), English poet and playwright
Aurora Levins Morales (born 1954), U.S. Puerto Rican essayist, poet and fiction writer
Suzanne Lummis (born 1951), American poet, founder of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival, publisher
Chris Mansell (born 1953), Australian poet and publisher
Lee Maracle (born 1950), Canadian poet, novelist and storyteller
Grazyna Miller (1957–2009), Polish poet, translator
Leslie Adrienne Miller (born 1956), American poet
Cherrie Moraga (born 1952) Chicana poet, playwright and essayist
Thylias Moss (born 1954), American poet, children's novelist and playwright
Lale Müldür (born 1956), Turkish poet and writer
Harryette Mullen (born 1953), American poet, short story writer, and literary scholar
Herta Müller (born 1953), Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist; Nobel Prize winner
Rosario Murillo (born 1951), Nicaraguan poet
Susan Musgrave (born 1951), Canadian poet and children's writer
Grace Nichols (born 1950), Guyanese poet
Maggie O'Sullivan (born 1951), British poet, performer and visual artist associated with the British Poetry Revival
Kathleen Peirce (born 1956), American poet
Dorothy Porter (1954–2008), Australian poet
Jutta Richter (born 1955), German author of children's and youth literature
Anne Rouse (born 1954), American-British poet
Gig Ryan (born 1956), Australian poet
Jo Shapcott (born 1953), English poet, editor and lecturer
Cathy Song (born 1955), American poet
Susan Stewart (born 1952), American poet, university professor and literary critic
Angela Topping (born 1954), British poet, literary critic and author
Agata Tuszynska (born 1957), Polish writer, poet and journalist
Chase Twichell (born 1950), American poet, professor, and publisher
Ania Walwicz (born 1951), Australian poet and prose writer, and visual artist
Meralda Warren (born 1959), artist, poet, and author from Pitcairn Island
Marjory Heath Wentworth (born 1958), American poet; South Carolina Poet Laureate
Sheri-D Wilson (born 1958), Canadian poet, producer, and lecturer

1960s

Kelli Russell Agodon (born 1969), American poet
Jordie Albiston (born 1961), Australian poet and academic
Elizabeth Alexander (born 1962), American poet, essayist, playwright and academic
Elvia Ardalani (born 1963), Mexican poet, writer, and storyteller
M. T. C. Cronin (born 1963), Australian poet, lawyer and academic
Phillippa Yaa de Villiers (born 1966), South African poet, dramatist and performance artist
Sia Figiel (born 1967), Samoan novelist, poet, and painter
Kate Gale (born 1965), American poet, founder and publisher of Red Hen Press
Karina Galvez (born 1964), Ecuadorian poet
Lavinia Greenlaw (born 1962), English poet and novelist
Beth Gylys (born 1964), American poet, professor
Jennifer Michael Hecht (born 1965), American poet, historian, philosopher and author
Frieda Hughes (born 1960), English poet and painter
Lisa Jarnot (born 1967), American poet
Wendy McGrath (born 1960), Canadian poet, novelist
Taslima Nasrin (born 1962), Bengali doctor, novelist and poet and essayist
Alice Oswald (born 1966), English poet
Marine Petrossian (born 1960), Armenian poet, essayist and columnist
Claudia Rankine (born 1963), American poet and playwright
Lisa Robertson (born 1961), Canadian poet
Mamta Sagar (born 1966), Kannada poet and playwright living in Bangalore
Samina Raja (born 1961), Pakistani poet, writer, editor, translator, educationist and broadcaster
Fiona Sampson (born 1968), British poet and editor
Dipti Saravanamuttu (born 1960), Sri Lankan-Australian poet and academic
Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet (born 1968), American poet
Maud Sulter (1960–2008), Black British fine artist and poet
Natasha Trethewey (born 1966), American poet; Mississippi Poet Laureate, won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Elizabeth Willis (born 1961), American poet, literary critic and professor

1970s

Shannon Bramer (born 1973), Canadian poet.
Colette Bryce (born 1970), poet from Northern Ireland
Dani Couture (born 1978), Canadian poet and novelist
Eliza Griswold (born 1973), American journalist and poet
Sheema Kalbasi (born 1972), Iranian poet, producer, critic, blogger and human rights advocate
Sissal Kampmann (born 1974), Faroese poet
Suzy Kassem (born 1975), Egyptian-American film director, writer and poet
Evelyn Lau (born 1971), Canadian poet and novelist
Aimee Nezhukumatathil (born 1974), Asian American poet
Angela Rawlings (born 1978), Canadian poet, editor, and interdisciplinary artist
Angela Readman (born 1973), English poet
Nandini Sahu (born 1973), Indian poet who writes in English
Tracy K. Smith (born 1972), African American poet and educator
Jennifer Wong (born 1978), Chinese poet
Nurduran Duman (born 1974), Turkish poet, writer, essayist, translator

1980s

Süreyya Aylin Antmen (born 1981), Turkish writer, poet, and essayist

List of female poets

Before Common era

0 – 500 CE

500 - 999 CE

1000 - 1399 CE

15th century

16th century

17th century

1710s

1720s

1730s

1740s

1750s

1760s

1770s

1780s

1790s

1800s

1810s

1820s

1830s

1840s

1850s

1860s

1870s

1880s

1890s

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

See also