These rankings are based on the mass appeal of their poetry, impact on society and craft, popular culture influence and quality of work.
Different types of poetry include haiku, ballads, sonnets, elegies, odes, limericks, couplets and more. The poets on this list have written all these and more. They range from storytellers of ancient times, like Rumi, to activists pushing for change in the civil rights era, like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. These rankings are based on the mass appeal of their poetry, impact on society and craft, popular culture influence and quality of work.