All my life, I've resisted poetry. The closest I've ever come to really loving it was the first time I watched Dead Poet's Society in high school. I can admire the beauty and imagery captured in some of Shakespeare's sonnets, and in many ways, I think poetry captures emotion much more profoundly than prose; it's just that I've never sought it out as preferred reading material.

So, as April is National Poetry Month, it seemed high time I broadened my horizons. The celebration was started by the Academy of American Poets, the Web site of which can be viewed at www.poets.org. In honor of the occasion, my search on Barnes and Noble's Web site recommended some poetry collections for those wishing to peruse some poems. I picked out a few that looked promising.

Collected Poems by W.H. Auden, edited by Edward Mendleson

A poetry collection released to commemorate Auden's centennial, this book aims to display the best works of one of the 20th century's most distinguished writers. It's certainly massive enough, at 976 pages.

In researching Auden, I learned that he categorized his poetry according to landmarks in his life, such as his move from Britain to the United States.

I was impressed by the range of the poems included in this collection – Auden wrote in every conceivable form, from haiku to sonnet to free verse. He also wrote with a sense of both seriousness and humor, which made turning the pages of this book a pleasing experience.

Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer by Maya Angelou

Angelou is an author I'm familiar with because of her famous "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," a tremendous autobiographical feat.

Her poetry collection is written with the same graceful writing Angelou uses in her prose. Her pervading message is of hope, calmness and joy. According to Barnes and Noble, many of the poems in this collection have become almost iconic to our country, having been read at President Clinton's inauguration and at the lighting of the 2005 National Christmas Tree at the White House.

Blackbird and Wolf by Henri Cole

This is Cole's sixth book, and though I can't say I've read any of the other works, judging by Blackbird and Wolf, I wouldn't pick up any of the others. Cole's imagery is strictly controlled and often too sparse to impart a description. Often, the images are mixed and contradictory. His topics are generally dark, focusing on death and grief of family, animals, religion.