1995 in poetry

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

 * February 16 – It is announced that 300 poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge have been discovered.
 * February 17 – Sotheby's announce discovery of four Walt Whitman notebooks.
 * March 1 – The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea (Wales) is opened by Jimmy Carter.
 * May 26 – Cannes Film Festival première of movie Dead Man, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, about a man named William Blake on a trek through the American West who is taken as the resurrected Romantic poet by a character named Nobody.

Works published
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

Australia

 * Jennifer Harrison: Mosaics & Mirrors: Composite poems (Black Pepper)
 * Chris Mansell, Day Easy Sunlight Fine in Hot Collation (Penguin, Melbourne) ISBN 978-0-14-024540-0
 * Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Selected Poems 1956-1994, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Australia

Canada

 * Margaret Atwood, Morning in the Burned House, McClelland & Stewart
 * Anne Carson, Plainwater: Essays and Poetry, Knopf
 * Roy Miki, Random Access File, Canada
 * John Reibetanz, Morning Watch
 * Joe Rosenblatt, A Tentacled Mother. (in the original plus new sonnets) Exile.
 * Joe Rosenblatt,The Rosenblatt Reader. (selected poems and prose, 1962–1995) Exile.
 * Raymond Souster, No Sad Songs Wanted Here. Ottawa: Oberon Press.

India, in English

 * Meena Alexander, River and Bridge ( Poetry in English ), Toronto: TSAR Press and New Delhi: Rupa, by an Indian writing living in and published in the United States and India
 * Sujata Bhatt, The Stinking Rose ( Poetry in English ), Carcanet Press and New Delhi: Penguin
 * Keki Daruwalla, A Summer of Tigers ( Poetry in English ), New Delhi: Indus
 * A. K. Ramanujan, The Collected Poems of A.K. Ramanujan ( Poetry in English ), Delhi: Oxford University Press; posthumously published
 * Sudeep Sen, Dali’s Twisted Hands ( Poetry in English), New York City: White Swan Books; Leeds: Peepal Tree, ISBN 0-948833-84-X
 * Tejdeep, Caught in a Stampede ( Poetry in English ), New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Private Limited
 * K. Satchidanandan, Summer Rain: Three Decades of Poetry, edited by R. D. Yuyutsu; New Delhi: Nirala Publishers

Ireland

 * Patrick Crotty (editor), editor, Modern Irish Poetry: An Anthology, Belfast, The Blackstaff Press Ltd., ISBN 0-85640-561-2
 * Gerald Dawe, Heart of Hearts, Oldcastle: The Gallery Press, ISBN 978-1-85235-154-0
 * John Montague, Collected Poems, including "Small Secrets", Oldcastle: The Gallery Press
 * Maurice Riordan, A Word from the Loki, including "Milk", "A Word from the Loki" and "Time Out"", Faber and Faber, Irish poet published in the United Kingdom

New Zealand

 * Fleur Adcock (New Zealand poet who moved to England in 1963) and Jacqueline Simms, editors, The Oxford Book of Creatures, verse and prose anthology, Oxford: Oxford University Press
 * Jenny Bornholdt, How We Met, New Zealand
 * Janet Charman, end of the dry, Auckland: Auckland University Press
 * Robin Hyde, The Victory Hymn, 1935-1995, with an essay by Michele Leggott; Auckland: Holloway Press, New Zealand
 * Mark Williams and Michele Leggott, editors, Opening the Book : New Essays on New Zealand Writing Auckland: Auckland University Press, criticism

United Kingdom

 * Fleur Adcock (New Zealand poet who moved to England in 1963) and Jacqueline Simms, editors, The Oxford Book of Creatures, verse and prose anthology, Oxford: Oxford University Press
 * James Berry, Hot Earth, Cold Earth
 * Alison Brackenbury, 1829, Carcanet Press, ISBN 978-1-85754-122-9
 * Gerry Cambridge, The Shell House, Scottish Cultural Press, ISBN 1-898218-34-X
 * Flora Garry, Collected poems
 * Tony Harrison, The Shadow of Hiroshima
 * Ted Hughes, New Selected Poems 1957–1994
 * Jan Kochanowski: Laments, a cycle of Polish Renaissance elegies, translated by Seamus Heaney and Stanisław Barańczak, Faber & Faber
 * Michael Longley, The Ghost Orchid
 * Derek Mahon, The Hudson Letter. Gallery Press
 * Sean O'Brien, Ghost Train (Oxford University Press)
 * Peter Reading, Collected Poems 1970–1984
 * Maurice Riordan, A Word from the Loki Faber and Faber, Irish poet published in the United Kingdom
 * Carol Rumens, Best China Sky
 * Labi Siffre, Blood on the Page
 * R.S. Thomas, No Truce with the Furies
 * Charles Tomlinson, Jubilation

Anthologies in the United Kingdom

 * Simon Armitage, Tony Harrison and Sean O'Brien, Penguin Modern Poets 5 (Penguin)
 * Eavan Boland, Carol Ann Duffy and Vicki Feaver, Penguin Modern Poets 2, Penguin
 * Roderick Watson, editor, The Poetry of Scotland: Gaelic, Scots and English, 1380–1980, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (anthology)
 * Stella Chipasula and Frank Chipasula, editors, The Heinemann book of African women's poetry, London: Heinemann (anthology)

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United Kingdom

 * Robert F. Garratt, editor, Critical essays on Seamus Heaney, ISBN 0-7838-0004-5

United States

 * Meena Alexander, River and Bridge, Toronto: TSAR Press and New Delhi: Rupa, by an Indian writing living in and published in the United States and India
 * Meena Alexander, River and Bridge, Toronto: TSAR Press and New Delhi: Rupa, by an Indian writing living in and published in the United States and India
 * Ralph Angel, Nether World
 * John Ashbery, Can You Hear, Bird?
 * Matthew Rohrer, ‘’A Hummock in the Malookas’’
 * Joseph Brodsky: On Grief and Reason: Essays, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux Russian-American
 * Henri Cole, The Look of Things
 * Nicholas Coles & Peter Oresick, For a Living (University of Illinois Press)
 * Alice Fulton, Sensual Math
 * Michael S. Harper, Honorable Amendments
 * Fanny Howe, O'Clock
 * Walter K. Lew, editor, Premonitions: The Kaya Anthology of New Asian North American poetry, New York: Kaya Productions
 * James Merrill, A Scattering of Salts (his last book)
 * Carl Rakosi, Poems, 1923-1941
 * Mary Oliver, Blue Pastures
 * Michael Palmer, At Passages
 * Molly Peacock, Original Love
 * Carl Phillips, Cortége
 * Giorgos Seferis, Complete Poems (in English), translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States

 * Helen Vendler, The Breaking of Style: Hopkins, Heaney, Graham, Harvard University Press
 * John Hollander, The Gazer's Spirit: Poems Speaking to Silent Works of Art, criticism

The Best American Poetry 1995
Richard Howard is the guest editor for The Best American Poetry 1995 (David Lehman, series editor). Howard changes the rules of inclusion for this year: "[P]oets whose work has appeared three or more times in this series are here and now ineligible, as are all seven former editors of the series." A total of 75 poems are included.

Poems from these 75 poets were in this year's anthology:


 * Margaret Atwood
 * Sally Ball
 * Catherine Bowman
 * Stephanie Brown
 * Lewis Buzbee
 * Cathleen Calbert
 * Rafael Campo
 * William Carpenter
 * Nicholas Christopher
 * Jane Cooper
 * James Cummins
 * Olena Kalytiak Davis
 * Lynn Emanuel
 * Elaine Equi
 * Irving Feldman


 * Donald Finkel
 * Aaron Fogel
 * Richard Frost
 * Allen Ginsberg
 * Peter Gizzi
 * Jody Gladding
 * Elton Glaser
 * Albert Goldbarth
 * Beckian Fritz Goldberg
 * Laurence Goldstein
 * Barbara Guest
 * Marilyn Hacker
 * Judith Hall
 * Anthony Hecht
 * Edward Hirsch


 * Janet Holmes
 * Andrew Hudgins
 * T. R. Hummer
 * Brigit Pegeen Kelly
 * Karl Kirchwey
 * Carolyn Kizer
 * Wayne Koestenbaum
 * John Koethe
 * Yusef Komunyakaa
 * Maxine Kumin
 * Lisa Lewis
 * Rachel Loden
 * James Longenbach
 * Robert Hill Long
 * Gail Mazur


 * J. D. McClatchy
 * Heather McHugh
 * Susan Musgrave
 * Charles North
 * Geoffrey O'Brien
 * Jacqueline Osherow
 * Molly Peacock
 * Carl Phillips
 * Marie Ponsot
 * Bin Ramke
 * Katrina Roberts
 * Michael J. Rosen
 * Kay Ryan
 * Mary Jo Salter
 * Tony Sanders


 * Stephen Sandy
 * Grace Schulman
 * Robyn Selman
 * Alan Shapiro
 * Reginald Shepherd
 * Angela Sorby
 * Laurel Trivelpiece
 * Paul Violi
 * Arthur Vogelsang
 * David Wagoner
 * Charles H. Webb
 * Ed Webster
 * David Wojahn
 * Jay Wright
 * Stephen Yenser

Other in English

 * Aharon Shabtai, Ha-lev ("The Heart"), Hebrew
 * The Labourers of Herakles

Works published in other languages
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

Denmark

 * Katrine Marie Guldager, Styrt, publisher: Gyldendal
 * Klaus Høeck:
 * 1001 Digt, publisher: Gyldendal
 * Hommage, publisher: Basilisk

French language

 * Andree Chedid, Par dela les mots (Lebanese resident of France, writing in French)
 * Michel Deguy, A ce qui n'en finite pas; France
 * Denise Desautels, Cimetières: La rage muette, autour de photographies de Monique Bertrand, Montréal: Éditions Dazibao; Canada
 * Claude Esteban, Quelqu'un commence à parler dans une chambre, Flammarion; France

India
Listed in alphabetical order by first name:
 * Amarjit Chandan, Jarhan, Aesthetic Publications, Ludhiana; Punjabi-language
 * Basudev Sunani,  Aneka Kichhi Ghatibaara Achhi, Nuapada: Eeshan-Ankit Prakashani; Oraya-language
 * Chandrakanta Murasingh, Holong Kok Sao Bolong Bisingo, Agartala: Shyamlal Debbarma, Kokborok Sahitya Sanskriti Samsad; India, Kokborok-language
 * Debarati Mitra, Kavitasamagra, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers; Bengali-language
 * Dilip Chitre, Ekoon Kavita – 2, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan; Marathi-language
 * Kedarnath Singh, Uttar Kabir aur Anya Kavitayen, Delhi: Rajkamal Prakashan; Hindi
 * Namdeo Dhasal, Ya Sattet Jeev Ramat Nahi; Marathi-language
 * Nirupama Dutt, Ik Nadi Sanwali Jahi ("A Stream Somewhat Dark"); Panchkula: Aadhar Prakashan; Punjabi-language
 * Nirendranath Chakravarti, Shotyo Shelukash, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers; Bengali-language
 * Saroop Dhruv, Salagti Havao, Ahmedabad: Samvedan Sanskritic Manch, Ahmedabad; Gujarati-language
 * Udayan Vajpeyi; Hindi-language:
 * Kuchh Vakya, New Delhi: Vani Prakashan
 * Pagal Ganitagya Ki Kavitayen, New Delhi: Vani Prakashan

Spain

 * Matilde Camus, Vuelo de la mente ("Mind flight")

Other languages

 * Stanisław Barańczak, Slon, traba i ojczyzna ("The Elephant, the Trunk, and the Polish Question"), light verse; Kraków: Znak; Poland
 * Mario Benedetti, El olvido está lleno de memoria ("Oblivion Is Full of Memory"), published in Spain, Uruguay
 * Christoph Buchwald, general editor, and Joachim Sartorius, guest editor, Jahrbuch der Lyrik 1995/96 ("Poetry Yearbook 1995/96"), publisher: Beck; anthology; Germany
 * Chen Kehua, Qiankantou shi ("Head-hunting Poems") Chinese (Taiwan)
 * Limaza tarakt al-hissan wahidan (Why did you leave the horse alone?), 1995. English translation 2006 by Jeffrey Sacks (ISBN 0976395010)

Awards and honors

 * Nobel prize: Seamus Heaney

Australia

 * C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry: Bruce Beaver - Anima and Other Poems
 * Dinny O'Hearn Poetry Prize: Selected poems 1956-1994 by Chris Wallace-Crabbe
 * Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Peter Boyle, Coming Home From the World
 * Mary Gilmore Prize: Jordie Albiston - Nervous Arcs

Canada

 * Gerald Lampert Award: Keith Maillard, Dementia Americana
 * Archibald Lampman Award: John Barton, Designs from the Interior
 * 1995 Governor General's Awards: Anne Szumigalski, Voice (English); Émile Martel, Pour orchestre et poète seul (French)
 * Pat Lowther Award: Beth Goobie, Scars of Light
 * Prix Alain-Grandbois: Rachel Leclerc, Rabatteurs d'étoiles
 * Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize: Linda Rogers, Hard Candy
 * Prix Émile-Nelligan: Marlène Belley, Les jours sont trop longs pour se mentir

India

 * Sahitya Akademi Award : Kunwar Narayan for Koi Doosra Nahin
 * Poetry Society India National Poetry Competition : Tabish Khair for Birds of North Europe & Gopi Kottoor for The Coffin Maker

New Zealand

 * Montana Book Award for Poetry: Michael Jackson, Pieces of Music
 * New Zealand Book Award for Poetry: Michele Leggott, Dia

United Kingdom

 * Cholmondeley Award: U. A. Fanthorpe, Christopher Reid, C. H. Sisson, Kit Wright
 * Eric Gregory Award: Colette Bryce, Sophie Hannah, Tobias Hill, Mark Wormald
 * Forward Poetry Prize Best Collection: Sean O'Brien, Ghost Train (Oxford University Press)
 * Forward Poetry Prize Best First Collection: Jane Duran, Breathe Now, Breathe (Enitharmon Press)
 * T. S. Eliot Prize (United Kingdom and Ireland): Mark Doty, My Alexandria
 * Whitbread Award for poetry: Bernard O'Donoghue, Gunpowder
 * National Poetry Competition : James Harpur for The Frame of Furnace Light

United States

 * Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Sandy Solomon, Pears, Lake, Sun
 * Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry: Maxine Kumin
 * AML Award for poetry to Marden J. Clark for "Snows"
 * Bernard F. Connors Prize for Poetry: Vijay Seshadri, "Lifeline"
 * Bollingen Prize: Kenneth Koch
 * National Book Award for poetry: Stanley Kunitz, Passing Through: The Later Poems
 * Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress: Robert Hass appointed
 * Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Philip Levine, The Simple Truth
 * Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize: A.R. Ammons
 * Wallace Stevens Award: James Tate
 * Whiting Awards: Lucy Grealy, James L. McMichael, Mary Ruefle
 * Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets: Denise Levertov

Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * January 28 – George Woodcock, 82 (born 1912), Canadian poet, biographer, academic and prominent anarchist
 * February 6 – James Merrill, 68 (born 1926), American poet, of a heart attack
 * April 14 – Brian Coffey, 89 (born 1905), Irish poet and publisher
 * April 22 – Jane Kenyon, 47 (born 1947), American poet, of leukemia
 * May 11 – David Avidan, 61 (born 1934), Israeli Hebrew-language poet
 * July 7 – Helene Johnson, 89 (born 1906), African American poet, after osteoporosis
 * July 16:
 * May Sarton, 83 (born 1912), American poet, novelist and memoirist, of breast cancer
 * Stephen Spender, 86, (born 1909), English poet and essayist, of a heart ailment
 * September 3 – Earle Birney, 91 (born 1904), Canadian poet
 * September 13 – Maheswar Neog, 80 (born 1915), Indian, Assamese-language scholar and poet
 * September 18 – Donald Davie, 73 (born 1922), English poet, of cancer
 * September 26 – Lynette Roberts, 86 (born 1909), Welsh poet
 * October 22 – Kingsley Amis, 73 (born 1922), English novelist and poet, after a fall
 * November 5 – Essex Hemphill, 38 (born 1957), African American poet and gay activist, from complications relating to AIDS
 * December 30 – Heiner Müller, 66 (born 1929), German dramatist and poet