8 Poets With Female Empowerment Poems for Strong Women

Poems are a beautiful form of self expression. This form of writing can express unique ideas while also creating a powerful form of art. With Women’s History Month right around the corner, there is no better time to highlight these powerful women. They have helped pave the way for the young girls of the future through their writing. Today, we will discuss famous women poets and the inspiring poems that they have created. Female empowerment poems are nurturing to the heart, mind and soul. Every female needs women to relate to and these ladies can assist us in realizing how capable we all are! Kick back, relax, and grab yourself a cup of tea while we learn about our poets.

Maya Angelou has created huge political change through her female empowerment poems.

Maya Angelou did amazing work in her life. She was a writer, poet, and, perhaps above all, a civil rights activist. Maya is arguably the most famous female poet to date. This woman made such an impression in her lifetime that she is now being printed on the U.S. quarter. Such an accomplishment, that a woman of color is being printed on United States currency. What a beautiful way to honor her and her life! Not only did Maya publish poetry powerful enough to create political change, she also wrote autobiographies and books of essays. Maya is responsible for writing the famous, powerful poem:

“Phenomenal Woman.”

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

View the rest of “Phenomenal Woman” here!

She also wrote “Still I Rise”, “Caged Bird”, and quite a few others. While her poetry isn’t necessarily considered to be the most eloquently written, the path she has paved for black women everywhere makes her work hugely important.

Click here to dive into poems written by Maya Angelou!

Rupi Kaur and her female empowerment poems are truly breathtaking.

Rupi Kaur’s success is nothing short of astonishing. This young woman’s poetry has taken off and is now a New York Times best-seller. She began writing as a little girl. When she couldn’t get published, she chose to self-publish her first poetry collection, “Milk and Honey”(2014). Next came “The Sun and Her Flowers” (2017), and “Home Body” (2020). Rupi speaks from her heart on her own stories and personal experiences. She writes beautiful poems. The topics she cover range from love, loss, femininity, trauma, healing, and migration. She is open, honest, magnetic and absolutely inspiring. As it is still early in her career, we are sure to see great things yet to come from this young powerhouse of a poet.

Click here to explore some of Rupi’s poetry.

Click here for Rupi Kaur’s collection of poetry available for purchase.

Audre Lorde wrote poetry to contribute to the feminist movement.

Audre Lorde is another inspirational woman who wrote many poems on women empowerment. She was a strong, outspoken, gay, black woman who did amazing work and spoke out for fair treatment of all human beings. This celebrated poet dedicated her work to addressing a multitude of injustices such as racism, sexism and homophobia. She challenged many of society’s expectations through her writing.

Poetry was a form of communication for Audre. Lorde shared about herself in Black Women Writers: “I used to speak in poetry. I would read poems, and I would memorize them. People would say, well what do you think, Audre. What happened to you yesterday? And I would recite a poem and somewhere in that poem would be a line or a feeling I would be sharing. In other words, I literally communicated through poetry. And when I couldn’t find the poems to express the things I was feeling, that’s what started me writing poetry, and that was when I was twelve or thirteen.”

Click here to read Audre’s female empowerment poems!

Adrienne Rich wrote strong free verse poetry.

Adrienne Rich was a well known, highly influential writer while she was alive. Her earliest work was A Change of World, written in 1951. Later, her poem ‘Diving Into The Wreck’ became, arguably the most well known, of her work. This poem, is a display of a drawn out metaphor, representing the struggle of equal rights for women.

Later in her career, she caused quite the admirable ruckus when she refused to accept a reward from the president. “I could not accept such an award from President Clinton or this White House,” Rich stated in a letter published by the New York Times, “because the very meaning of art as I understand it is incompatible with the cynical politics of this administration.” Let us celebrate any human with the guts to stand up for what they know is right!

Click here for poems by Adrienne Rich!

Emily Dickinson is a classic American poet.

Emily Dickinson is an absolute classic. She was possibly the greatest American poet of all time and certainly one of the oldest poet. The majority of her poetry was written during the Civil War. She was quite reclusive and most of her poetry wasn’t discovered until after she had passed. She died at a young age of an unknown health condition. The memory of this woman’s life lives on eternally through the beauty that is her poetry.

Her poetry was unconventional and broke all sorts of societal norms. Her writing was absolutely genius and ground breaking for the times. One of her most famous quotes reads, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” Some of her most popular poems were “A Bird Came Down The Walk”, “I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed”, and “Wild Nights – Wild Nights!”.

Click here for poems by Emily Dickinson!

Nikita Gill is on fire!

Nikita Gill is a young woman that seems to be cranking out books of poetry like it’s nobody’s business. A few of her well read books are “Fierce Fairytales: Poems and stories to stir your soul”, “Your Soul Is A River”, and “Great Goddesses: Life Lessons From Myths and Monsters.” Motivational and inspirational, Gill’s work is definitely worth the read!

“We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins, carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains. 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames, we are all just stars that have people names.” -Nikita Gill

Check out some of Gill’s poetry and lots of great content on her Instagram!

Marge Piercy has written strong feminist poetry full of passion.

Marge Piercy and her writing has made a huge impression in the world of poetry. Her words are full of commitment to the environmental and feminist movements alike. The Moon Is Always Female (1980) is considered to be a text of importance that highlights feminist ideals. She has been outspoken about the importance of women’s rights and has spread this word through her female empowerment poems.

Piercy shared the following in reference to her style of writing: “Although my major impulse to autobiography has played itself out in poems rather than novels, I have never made a distinction in working up my own experience and other people’s. I imagine I speak for a constituency, living and dead, and that I give utterance to energy, experience, insight, words flowing from many lives. I have always desired that my poems work for others. ‘To Be of Use’ is the title of one of my favorite poems and one of my best-known books.”

Click here to view a collection of poems written by Marge Piercy!

Click here for Marge Piercy’s website.

Edna St Vincent Millay was a highly respected female poet.

Edna was a well read woman who turned into one of the most respected American poets. She had a very supportive, single mother, as a parent who always encouraged her to explore her interests. She was supported with music lessons and other educational opportunities that helped form the successful woman she later became in adulthood. The creative writing she has shared with the world has certainly made quite the impression!

Below is an audio recording of Edna reciting one of her most famous works of poetry: “Love Is Not All“.

Click here to view the poetry of Edna St Vincent Millay!

My hope is that this list of incredible women and the art they have created through the written word, has inspired you in some way. For ideas on how to nurture yourself, besides reading amazing poetry, check out my post on how to spring clean your life for a healthier you!