During the later 1960's, and particularly towards the end of the Cold War (1980's and later) many US poets became distrustful of what they understood as the liberal and antinomian tendencies of 'freeform'.
There was a considerable show of interest in traditional metres and forms from the likes of Anthony Hecht and Richard Wilbur, culminating in the production of the 1996 anthology Rebel Angels: 25 Poets of the New Formalism.
New Formalist poets have revived interest in forms such as the Sonnet, the villanelle, and the sestina. The most visible of the New Formalist movement is Dana Gioia; though Timothy Steele and Brad Leithauser are probably more respected as poets.
So the sonnet is a popular form with some American poets; it is mainly espoused by New Formalists and their admirers.
But 'American Poetry' is so broad a field that there are many US poets who have no interest in sonnetform at all who work alongside poets who think anything not in strict metre isn't really a poem.
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.