An article evaluates the most significant American poetry collections from the last 25 years, highlighting their evolution and cultural relevance in the 21st century.

A diverse group of over 450 contributors, including poets, writers, and editors, recommended nearly 400 collections, leading to the selection of 25 consequential works.

These selected collections reflect pressing themes such as war, race, gender, politics, and climate change, showcasing poets' engagement with contemporary issues.

The article emphasizes the transformative power of poetry in addressing personal and collective histories, urging readers to engage deeply with these works.

Many poems in these collections blend genres and media, incorporating elements of memoir, prose, and visual art, thereby breaking traditional boundaries of poetry.

Notable collections include 'To 2040' by Jorie Graham, which contemplates environmental decline; 'Don’t Call Us Dead' by Danez Smith, addressing life and death within the Black queer experience; and 'The Shadow of Sirius' by W. S. Merwin, reflecting on memory and nature.

Other significant works include 'The Tradition' by Jericho Brown, which innovatively combines poetic forms to comment on societal violence, and 'Faithful and Virtuous Night' by Louise Glück, reflecting on aging and memory.

Additionally, 'One With Others' by C. D. Wright serves as a documentary of civil rights struggles, while 'Postcolonial Love Poem' by Natalie Diaz critiques historical injustices against Indigenous peoples.

Innovative formats are also present, such as 'Nox' by Anne Carson, which presents profound grief, and 'Life on Mars' by Tracy K. Smith, exploring familial loss against a futuristic backdrop.

Collections like 'Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude' by Ross Gay celebrate simple joys, while 'Bright Dead Things' by Ada Limón confronts mortality with emotional depth.