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Poems of the American West

The use of the term American West, usually refers to the history and cultural expressions of the western United States of America. Today, when talking about the American West individuals are usually referring to periods in the late 19th century. This was a time of great industrialization, new laws, new powers and a new establishment of life, as migration and integration became frequent. Poems from the American West, traditionally relate to periods of personal hardship and struggle, and these topics are a central focus.

Poems of the American West (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
- This 25- page book has the most famous and most popular poems from the American West, celebrating the vast and varied subjects treated by poets of this time. Inside tales of traditional farm and ranch life, the poverty, and the struggles at that time. Poems also include intricate details of the Pacific coastlines, the long and winding highways and the intriguing world of cowpunchers and gunslingers. If you want an all around, in- depth look at poetry from the American West, this is a good starting point. You can find it at most book shops around the country and online, priced at around $10.
Robert Frost's Poems
- Robert Frost is a famous poet, born in the San Francisco in 1874. His writings were mainly centred around rural life on the farm where he lived as a young adult. He wrote his first poem, "'My Butterfly: An Elegy," 1894 and centered around life and death of his mother and father, who died at a young age. From there he continued to write poetry centered around the American West, most notably, "Once By the Pacific," a close insight into life living by the Pacific coastlines in the West.
Charles Bukowski's Poems
- Born as Henry Charles Bukowski, in 1920, he is one of the most influential poets of the American West. Plagued by addiction and depression, Bukowski wrote about the ordinary lives of poor and unappreciated Americans. Much of his work centers around alcohol and drug addiction, failed relationships and the drudgery of having to go to work. He also resented capitalism and much of his work centered around this. His most notable poems "At Terror Street and Agony Way," "Vegas" and "Love Is a Dog from Hell," all based around love, life and loss.
Thom Gunn's Poems
- Thom Gunn was also a famous poet from the American West. Born in 1929, he wrote mainly about, homosexuality, sex, drugs and alcohol abuse. He lived what he called a"'bohemian" lifestyle in San Francisco, where he wrote about the struggles of being a homosexual male in the American West in the 1950s-1970s. Two of his most famous poems are "The Man With Night Sweats" and "San Francisco Streets." The first is about the struggles of homosexuality and acceptance, and the second is about living in San Francisco in the 1960s.

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