Top 100 Famous Poets of the World

Author:: Kumar Paral

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Top 100 Great Poets

Poetry is one of the earliest form of literature in the world. It originated in the form of folk songs – lullabies, work songs, war songs, spiritual songs, songs for children, songs of celebration, songs of dance, and songs of enjoyment- which were transmitted orally. It is believed that the first systematized and organized work of verse is “Rik Veda” in Sanskrit, one of the earliest Indo European languages, which was written around 1st century BC . It was composed much earlier. The earliest works of literature were collective communal creations and of communal ownership. The authorship was not mentioned in such works. The subsequent generation made changes in them and handed over to the next generation.

The custom of identifying the author with a literary work was begun only after the printing of books had been started and it was transformed into a means of earning income by selling them. Though many of the greatest poets of the pre - printing era had not won the fame and money in their lifetime, but they wrote for the sake expressing their untamed creative energy and talents.

Great works of literature, though they are written in different languages, they share many common elements which make them classics. The sad fact is that only a few of them have been translated and available in other languages.So they cannot be enjoyed by all. The translation of great literary works including poetry in the international link languages is very much necessary for sharing the gems of world literature. That has to be done by international cultural organizations and universities of the world. Poetry has the power to unite the people of all the nations as ancestors and share holders of a common culture and civilization.

The Top 100 Poets of the World is my favorite list of poets. It was prepared based on many of similar studies and my personal research. This is not a ranked list. Critical opinions and comments are welcome.