Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

My view of the current poetry scene is in one way very hopeful. It is good to see so many outlets for poets in 'little magazines'. So long as editors of these magazines are discriminating, the new, promising, young poet has a platform waiting for him. The long-established weeklies and monthlies, from Encounter and The Sunday Times to The New Statesman and The Listener are also fairly generous in the space they devote to poems; they also pay reasonably well! The disadvantage of the 'little magazines' is that, in general, they cannot afford to pay at all, whether for poems or reviews. For absolute beginners, this is not serious, but for those who are trying to live by their writing of poems, reviews and articles, it is a great drawback.

The B.B.C. is also generous with the time and money it devotes to poetry, though one could wish for even more new poetry and a little less music on Radio 3. Poetry readings flourish all over the country and are sometimes, but not always, paid for. But the very fact that there is a demand for them is a very healthy sign, people are interested in poetry, they care.

There are many small presses which publish excellent original poems and translations but, again, they cannot always afford to pay their contributors, but they do get reviewed which means that the bigger publishing houses keep their eyes open for new poets, take them and sometimes pay them handsome advances.

So far, then, there does seem to be a great demand for and even fascination in new poetry. One should not forget the good work Penguin Books do in their Modern Poets series in which each volume includes three poets, and famous names come out together with unknown ones. The Arts Council also does excellent work by giving Bursaries to poets and so enabling them for a time to devote themselves to writing.

For myself, I think there are two very discouraging aspects of the contemporary literary scene. The first is the cliquishness of poetic taste as it often shows itself in reviews of books; there does not seem to be sufficient open-mindedness. Discrimination is something very different from this and it can be catholic while still maintaining severe judgment.

The other discouraging factor is 'gimmickry'; this can be seen in so-called poems in 'little magazines' as well as in books published by the small presses and famous publishers. People who are potential readers of poetry are not as foolish as the editors who put this sort of writing before them suppose. Its very appearance, especially when it comes from well-established firms, not only puts off the reader of serious poetry, but also debases the currency of poetry itself. In short, it brings poetry into disrepute.

In general, I think that poetry is in a healthy state rather than an unhealthy one. Of the two discouraging factors I have mentioned I would say that 'gimmickry' is the worse. There is always bound to be a certain amount of falling into groups and of cliquishness but as long as poets who do not suit the tastes these groups manifest are not shunned, this does not matter too much. But 'gimmickry' is, perhaps, chiefly dangerous in that it encourages the young writer who is still at school to think that this is poetry.

Finally, I believe we cannot have enough respect for language, form and rhythm, and we should never forget the great and long past of English poetry. I think it possible that we may be slowly moving into a very flourishing, active period, but no one can prophesy precisely what form it will take. Of course, the prices of poetry magazines and books are often absolutely prohibitive. The only thing that can be done about this might possibly be for all publishers to produce paperbacks only; they have the best chance of selling.