Today, we’re presenting our 15 favorite A-Listers and their favorite love poetry. Without further ado, let’s kick it off:
- Diane Sawyer: Novels aren’t really for me, however, I love short and sharp literature that goes straight to the heart. It feels like poetry is the compressed experience of one or a couple of emotions.
- Bono: I always feel like words will fail me, so as a lucky charm I take a book written by Seamus Heaney along, and leave all my worries behind.
- Steven Spielberg: “For the Artist at the Start of Day” written by John O’Donohue grants me the chance to remember my passion and where it all starts.
- Wynton Marsalis: I would describe poetry as divine, specific, profane, playful, serious, all-encompassing and great for getting a girl’s number.
- Rosanne Cash: I am intrigued, unsettled and deeply moved by “An Arundel Tomb” by Philip Larkin. I have read it dozens of times, and every time it fills me with these kinds of emotions.
- General David H. Petraeus: “If” written by Rudyard Kipling always seems to take the qualities needed in a leader while in a difficult mission. In fact, those powerfully captured qualities can serve well anyone on any kind of task.
- Jessye Norman: The first time I heard poetry, it was recited by my mother. Her favorites were the works of Langston Hughes and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
- Sting: Ted Hughes’ “The Thought-Fox” is a poem that deals with the creative process itself. Sitting alone at his desk at night is the writer.
- Ashton Kutcher: I love the poem “What Are You Doing,” it was written by my father, Larry M. Kutcher. It shows the way that pain turns into peace.
- Dan Rather: My favorite poems come from the Bible. Not many people see this as poetry, but I really feel like it is.
- Isaac Mizrahi: I love the sonnets of Shakespeare. I have a special volume that I got when I was in my teens, every so often I pick it up and I always learn something new.
- Matt Dillon: I heard William Butler Yeasts’ “The Stolen Child” from a man asking for change. He had a very long list of poems he could recite only from his memory. I was astonished by the words said from this madman.
- Rita Wilson: “Ithaka” written by Constantin Cavafy, I feel that it’s all about the journey of life. We encounter “monsters” and we’re reminded that all of them will just pass, and all out thoughts are in our control.
- Terrell Owens: Poems allow us to express what we can’t say with our own words. Someone having a hard time to express how they feel about a certain situation or problem will be a lot more comfortable putting all those emotions into a poem.
- James Franco: My favorite two poems are, “October” by Louise Gluck, and “Cement Truck” by Tony Hoagland. I’m attracted to all genres and media that seek new ways of expression.
