What is a Wilderness Poet? Rather than try to contain the concept in words, below are examples of exceptional Wilderness Poets through the ages. We strive to be Wilderness Poets everyday, and are building an upcoming Poetry forum for you to post your own work!

Motivated by his opposition to the Mexican-American war, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) wrote his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience in which he expressed the idea that you are serving your country poorly if you suppress your conscience in favor of the law. Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of being strongly effected by Thoreau's work.

Han-Shan (translates to "Cold Mountain") (627-665 AD) was a mountain madman Wilderness Poet in an old Chinese line of ragged hermits. His poems were written on stones, bamboo, and cave walls. In every word he breathed was a meaning in line with the subtle principles of things.

Rumi (1207 -1273 AD) might be considered the most famous mystic poet. He used music, dance, and lyric poems to reach inner peace and happiness. His importance is considered to transcend all national and ethnic borders. Today, Rumi's poems can be heard in churches, synagogues, and Zen monasteries, as well as in New York's art scene.

The earliest known writer and Wilderness Poet in the world was a woman. Enheduanna was a Sumerian Moon Priestess who lived 4,300 years ago in ancient Ur. Cuneiform texts with her cosmic poems, personal history, and even her appearance survive! Many of her poems explore sensuality and intimacy as hymns to Inanna, the Goddess of Love.