10 Musicians Who Are Also Poets

There is a fine line between being a songwriter and a poetry writer, but both deserve to be recognized in terms of creativity. In 2016, Bob Dylan became the first songwriter to be recognized by the Nobel Prize for Literature for his work in music, and not for his poems or his prose. Nonetheless, it’s a talent to have the cunning skills of an imaginative writer and for the musicians presented below, being creative doesn’t always have to be limited inside the walls of music.

 

Florence Welch

The lead singer of Florence + The Machine also released a book entitled Useless Magic, with lyrics and poems combined inside. The book, including Welch’s talents, has been critically acclaimed by critics since.

Tom Waits

Tom Waits has also taken a shot at poetry writing, being a Charles Bukowski fan himself.

Tupac Shakur

Tupac wasn’t an ordinary rapper from the start; he was also recognized for his magnificent talents in poetry writing. He’s even good at ballet, so that should tell you something.

PJ Harvey

Apart from her musical talents, PJ Harvey is also a poetry artist who’s capable of quoting lines. Her poems are published online, so you can go check there.

Joni Mitchell

This comes off as no surprise, but Joni Mitchell has also established herself as a respectable poet, with her collection of phenomenal songs and poems to back her up. She’s also released some drawings she made by herself.

Nick Cave

Nick Cave always makes sure that the whole world knows that he’s a magnificent poet. In 2015, he released a book entitled The Sick Bag Song, which contained a compilation of his written poems and prose.

Lana Del Rey

Before she became a renowned music artist, she honed her skills as a poetry writer first. Violet Bent Backwards Over Grass is the title of her poetry collection.

Art Garfunkel

Anyone who says that Art Garfunkel doesn’t have the same artistic qualities as his old partner Paul Simon, should better take the time and read some of his poems in his compilation book, Still Water. He’s also had some poems published on his website.

Patti Smith

It’s easy to associate Patti Smith as both a musician and a poet. Publishing countless poems, magazine articles, etc., she is also a renowned autobiographer who established herself with her book, Just Kids.

Bob Dylan

As mentioned above, Dylan made a name for himself in the Nobel Prize for Literature with his songwriting talents. But for anyone who made a big fuss about it, Dylan also is a fantastic writer who has published his collection back in 1971.