List of Indian poets
This list of Indian poets consists of poets of Indian ethnic, cultural or religious ancestry either born in India or emigrated to India from other regions of the world.
Assamese
- Amulya Barua, first published posthumously in 1964
- Atul Chandra Hazarika, poet, dramatist, children's story writer and translator
- Parvati Prasad Baruva, lyricist, poet and filmmaker
- Bhabananda Deka, writer, poet, critic, columnist, playwright
- Ganesh Gogoi
- Hem Barua, poet and politician
- Lakshminath Bezbarua, a doyen of Assamese literature
- Chandra Kumar Agarwala, Romantic poet
- Hemchandra Goswami, Romantic poet
- Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Romantic poet
- Hiren Bhattacharya, writer, poet, critic, columnist and editor
- Homen Borgohain, writer, poet, critic, columnist and editor
- Indira Goswami, Jnanapith Award winner, poet, editor and academician
- Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker
- Bishnu Prasad Rabha
- Nabakanta Barua, also known as Ekhud Kokaideu, novelist and poet
- Nilmani Phookan
- Harekrishna Deka, poet, fiction writer, and critic
- Mahim Bora, poet, fiction writer
- Santana Tanty, poet
Bengali
Bengali language names in parentheses- Abul Bashar, poet and writer
- Annadashankar Roy
- Bharatchandra Ray, Raygunakar, Shakta court poet and song writer in Krishnanagar
- Binoy Majumdar, Indian poet
- Bishnu Dey, poet, prose writer, movie critic
- Buddhadeb Basu, poet, novelist, short-story writer and essayist
- Kumudini Basu, poet, journalist, social reformer, freedom fighter and women's rights activist
- Chandidas, refers to medieval poet
- Dwijendralal Ray, poet, playwright, and musician, known primarily for patriotic plays and songs, as well as Hindu devotional lyrics
- Girindramohini Dasi, 19th century poet
- Govindadasa, Medieval Vaishanavite poet
- Humayun Kabir, poet, educationalist, politician, writer, philosopher
- Iswarchandra Gupta, poet and writer
- Jatindramohan Bagchi
- Jatindranath Sengupta, poet and writer
- Jibanananda Das
- Joy Goswami, Indian poet
- Kazi Nazrul Islam, poet, musician, revolutionary, and philosopher
- Krittibas Ojha, medieval poet
- Malay Roy Choudhury, founder of the Hungry generation movement
- Mallika Sengupta, poet and writer
- Mandakranta Sen, feminist poet, youngest winner of Ananda Puraskar and Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee award
- Michael Madhusudan Dutta, born Madhusudan Dutt, poet and dramatist
- Nabaneeta Dev Sen, writer and poet
- Nabinchandra Sen, poet and writer
- Premendra Mitra, poet, novelist, short-story writer, including thrillers and science fiction
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, known for Prabhat Samgiita
- Purnendu Patri, poet, novelist, artist and film maker
- Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet who won the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature
- Ramprasad Sen, Shakta court poet
- Shankha Ghosh, poet and critic
- Shivadasa Sen
- Samir Roychoudhury, post-modern poet, short story writer, critic and editor
- Subhash Mukhopadhyay
- Subhro Bandopadhyay, poet
- Subodh Sarkar, poet
- Sudhindranath Dutta
- Sukanta Bhattacharya, poet
- Sukumar Ray, humorous poet, short-story writer and playwright
- Sunil Gangopadhyay, Indian poet, novelist
- Syed Kawsar Jamal, Indian poet and essayist
- Tarapada Roy, poet, essayist and short-story writer, short stories, and essays, humourist
Indian poets writing in English
In alphabetical order by first name:- Aditya Tiwari
- A. J. Thomas, poet, editor
- A. K. Ramanujan, poet and scholar of Indian literature who wrote in both English and Kannada
- Abhay K, poet, diplomat, writer, author and artist
- Agha Shahid Ali, Kashmiri-American poet writing in English
- Amit Chaudhuri, author and poet writing in English
- Amitabh Mitra poet, artist and emergency medicine physician
- Amol Redij, English poet and writer
- Arun Kolatkar, poet writings in English and Marathi
- Arundhathi Subramaniam, poet and writer and web editor writing in English
- Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, poet, anthologist, literary critic and translator writing in English
- Bibhu Padhi, poet, translator and critic writing in English
- C. P. Surendran, poet, novelist and editor writing in English
- D. C. Chambial, poet, editor and critic
- Eunice De Souza, poet, literary critic and novelist writing in English
- Feroze Varun Gandhi, poet, politician and columnist
- Fredoon Kabraji, poet, writer, journalist, and artist writing in English
- G. S. Sharat Chandra, author and poet writing in English
- Gieve Patel, poet, playwright, painter and a practising general physician
- Gopi Kottoor, internationally acclaimed poet, playwright and translator
- Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, Indian poet
- Jagannath Prasad Das, also known as J P Das, award-winning poet in English and Oriya
- Jayant Kashyap, poet
- Jayanta Mahapatra, internationally acclaimed poet, winner of Padma Shri and first ever Sahitya Akademi Award for English poetry
- Jeet Thayil, poet, novelist, editor, winner of Sahitya Akademi Award and first Indian to win DSC Prize
- Kamala Das also known as "Kamala Suraiya", writer and poet in English and Malayalam
- Keki Daruwalla, winner of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award winner for English poetry
- K. V. Dominic, poet, short story writer, critic and editor
- Makarand Paranjape, poet writing in English
- Mani Rao, poet writing in English
- Meena Alexander, poet, scholar and writer in English, Distinguished Professor of English at Hunter College
- Meena Kandasamy, writer, poet, translator and activist
- Michael Madhusudan Dutt, poet and dramatist
- Nissim Ezekiel, poet, playwright and art critic and editor writing in English
- Nalini Priyadarshni, poet, writer, and critic in English
- Nandini Sahu, feminist poet, writer, and critic writing in English
- Neelam Saxena Chandra, poet, author, novelist writing in English and Hindi
- P. Lal, poet, translator, professor and publisher; founder and publisher of Writers Workshop in Calcutta, India
- P C K Prem, poet, critic and author writing in Hindi and English
- Pritish Nandy, poet, journalist, politician, television personality and film producer writing in English
- R. Parthasarathy, poet, translator, critic, and editor writing in English
- Rochelle Potkar, fiction writer and poet
- Raman Mundair, poet, writer, artist and playwright writing in English
- Yuyutsu Sharma, poet, editor and translator, writes in English
- Ranjit Hoskote, poet, art critic, cultural theorist and independent curator writing in English
- Rashmi Parekh, poet of free verse poetry
- Robin S Ngangom, poet writing in English
- Rukmini Bhaya Nair, poet and theorist, writing in English
- Salik Shah, poet, author, editor and publisher in English
- Samartha Vashishtha, poet, editor
- Sarojini Naidu, eminent poet, freedom fighter and administrator writing in English
- Shahzad A. Rizvi, author, scholar and poet writing in English and Urdu
- Shiv Kumar, poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer
- Shreekumar Varma, newspaper columnist, poet, novelist writing in English
- Smita Agarwal, poet, critic, educator, and singer
- Som Ranchan, poet and novelist writing in English
- Sri Aurobindo, poet, philosopher, and yogi writing in English and French
- Sudeep Sen, poet and editor writing in English
- Tabish Khair, poet, novelist and essayist
- Tapan Kumar Pradhan, activist, poet, writer; winner of Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award for poetry
- Tishani Doshi, internationally acclaimed poet; first ever Indian to win Forward Poetry Prize
- T.K. Doraiswamy, poet, novelist, translator and professor of English
- T. Vasudeva Reddy, poet, novelist, critic and professor of English
- Toru Dutt, poet, wrote in English and French
- Urvashi Bahuguna, poet and essayist
- Vihang A. Naik, poet and educator writing in English and Gujarati.
- Vikram Seth, award winning novelist and poet writing in English.
Gujarati
In alphabetical order by last name:- Akho, poet, Vedantist and radical
- Adil Mansuri, Gujarati poet from Gujarat, India
- Niranjan Bhagat, Gujarati poet
- Anil Chavda, Gujarati language poet, writer and columnist from Gujarat
- Ashok Chavda, Gujarati language poet, writer and critic from Gujarat
- Pir Sadardin, fourteenth-century Ismaili Da'i; regarded as the founder of the Khoja Ismaili sect; also called Satpanth
- Dalpatram, father of Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi
- Dayaram, Gujarati poet of medieval Gujarati literature
- Dileep Jhaveri, poet, translator and editor from Mumbai
- Mahadev Desai, writer in English, Gujarati and Bengali
- Suresh Joshi, novelist, short-story writer, critic, poet and writer
- Umashankar Joshi – see listing under "Umashankar", below
- Kalapi, poet and the royal of Lathi state in Gujarat
- Kavi Kant, writer and poet in Gujarati
- Nanalal Dalpatram Kavi
- Jhaverchand Meghani, novelist, poet, short-story writer, folklorist in Gujarati
- Narsinh Mehta, alternate spelling Narasingh Mehta
- Chinu Modi, Gujarati poet from Gujarat, India
- Manhar Modi, Gujarati poet from Gujarat, India
- K. M. Munshi, novelist, playwright, writer, politician and lawyer
- Narmad, Gujarati poet, playwright, essayist and reformer during British India
- Vihang A. Naik, writes poetry in Gujarati and English
- Ravji Patel, modernist poet and novelist in Gujarati
- Rajendra Shah, Gujarati poet and Jnanpith Award winner
- Rajendra Shukla, Gujarati poet
- Sundaram, poet, short-story writer, travel writer, biographer and critic
- Govardhanram Tripathi, novelist and poet
- Umashankar Joshi, novelist, poet, playwright, writer and academic; surname: Umashankar, Jnanpith Award winner
- Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Gujarati language poet and playwright
Urdu and Hindi
- Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, composer, poet, and produced books on astrology
- Amir Khusrow, musician, scholar and poet
- Ashok Chakradhar, author and poet
- Banarsidas, poet, businessman
- Bihari, poet, author
- Bhikhari Das, poet
- Bharatendu Harishchandra, novelist, poet, playwright
- Bhawani Prasad Mishra, poet and author
- Dharmveer Bharti, poet, author, playwright and social thinker
- Dushyant Kumar
- Gulzar, poet, lyricist, film director
- Geet Chaturvedi, poet, short story author and journalist
- Gopal Singh Nepali, poet of Hindi literature and lyricist of Bollywood
- Gopaldas Neeraj, poet and author
- Gulab Khandelwal, poetry including some in Urdu and English
- Harivansh Rai Bachchan, poet of Chhayavaad literary movement
- Hemant Shesh, writer, poet and civil servant
- Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu, bhakti Braj Bhasha poet-sant and religious leader
- Jagdish Gupt, Chhayavaad literary movement poet
- Jaishankar Prasad, novelist, playwright, poet
- Javed Akhtar, poet, lyricist and scriptwriter
- Jumai Khan Azad, poet
- Jwalamukhi, poet, novelist, writer and political activist
- Jyotsna Milan, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor
- Kabir, mystic poet and saint of India
- Kavi Bhushan, poet and scholar
- Kaka Hathrasi, satirist and humorist poet
- Kedarnath Agarwal, Hindi language poet and littérateur
- Kedarnath Singh, poet, critic and essayist
- Keshavdas, best known for his Rasik Priya, a pioneering work of the riti kaal
- Kripalu Maharaj, spiritual master and poet
- Krishan Kumar Sharma "Rasik", Hindi, Punjabi, English and Urdu poet and writer
- Kumar Vishwas, poet and professor
- Kunwar Narayan, poet
- Kanwal Ziai
- Mahadevi Varma, poet, woman's activist and educationist
- Maithili Sharan Gupt, poet, politician, dramatist, translator
- Makhanlal Chaturvedi, Indian poet, writer, essayist, playwright and journalist
- Meera, mystic singer and composer of Bhajans
- Mohan Rana, poet
- Murari Lal Sharma Neeras, poet and educator
- Naresh Mehta, poet and playwright
- Nagarjun, poet, writer, essayist, novelist
- Nawal Kishore Dhawal, writer, poet, proofreader, editor, critic, journalist and author
- Neelam Saxena Chandra, poet, writer, novelist
- Padma Sachdev, poet, novelist
- Parichay Das, writer and editor and contemporary Bhojpuri poetry
- Pawan Karan, poet, writer, editor, and journalist
- Prasoon Joshi, poet, lyricist
- Rambhadracharya, Hindu religious leader, educator, Sanskrit scholar, polyglot, poet, author, textual commentator, philosopher, composer, singer, playwright and Katha artist
- Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, poet, essayist and academic
- Ramesh Chandra Jha, poet, novelist and freedom fighter
- Rustam Singh, poet, philosopher, translator and editor
- Ravindra Prabhat, author and poet
- Quaiser Khalid, author and poet
- Sachchidananda Vatsyayan, poet, writer, novelist, journalist, traveller
- Sahir Ludhianvi, lyricist, poet from Punjab
- Samartha Vashishtha, poet, editor
- Shivmangal Singh Suman, poet and academician
- Shail Chaturvedi, poet, humorist, lyricist, actor
- Soumitra Mohan, poet, editor, photographer
- Sri Lal Sukla, author, writer
- Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, poet
- Sudama Panday 'Dhoomil', poet
- Sūdan, poet, writer
- Sumitranandan Pant, Chhayavaad poetry, verse plays and essays
- Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', poet, novelist, essayist and story-writer
- Suryakumar Pandey, poet, writer
- Surdas, composer and devotional poet
- Tara Singh, poet
- Teji Grover, Hindi poet, fiction writer, translator and painter
- Tulsidas, poet-saint, reformer and philosopher
- Tribhuvan, poet, writer, and journalist
- Uday Prakash, scholar, poet, journalist, translator and short story writer
- Valmiki, poet-saint, author of the epic Ramayana
- Virendra Kumar Baranwal, Indian poet and writer
- Vrind, poet
- Raghav Jangid, Hindi Poet, Writer & story Writer
Kannada
- A. K. Ramanujan, poet and scholar of Indian literature who wrote in Kannada and English
- Kuvempu
- D. R. Bendre
- Gopalakrishna Adiga
- V. K. Gokak
- K. S. Narasimhaswamy
- U. R. Ananthamurthy
- Adikavi Pampa
- Ranna
- Janna
- Harihara
- Vaidehi
- D. V. Gundappa
- Purandara Dasa
- Kanaka Dasa
- M. Govinda Pai
- Dinakara Desai
- Gangadevi
- Gourish Kaikini
- Kumara Vyasa
- Akka Mahadevi
- Nagavarma I
- Nagavarma II
- T. N. Srikantaiah
- B. M. Srikantaiah
- G. S. Shivarudrappa
- Allama Prabhu
- Shishunala Sharif
- Sarvajna
- K. S. Nissar Ahmed
- Masti Venkatesha Iyengar
- Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar
- Raghavendra Swami
- Devanur Mahadeva
- Sri Ponna
- Kayyar Kinhanna Rai
- Raghavanka
- Rudrabhatta
- Palkuriki Somanatha
- Kesiraja
Kashmiri
- Allama Muhammad Iqbal
- Abdul Ahad Azad
- Agha Shahid Ali
- Amin Kamil
- Arnimal
- Ghulam Ahmad Mahjur
- Habba Khatun
- Lalleshwari, also known as "Lalla" or "Lal Ded"
- Mahmud Gami
- Maqbool Shah Kralawari
- Nund Reshi
- Rasul Mir
- Rehman Rahi, poet, translator and critic
- Rupa Bhavani
- Zinda Kaul 'Masterji'
- Hakeem Manzoor
- Ghulam Nabi Firaq
Konkani
- Balakrishna Bhagwant Borkar, also known as "Baki-baab"
- R. V. Pandit, vast poetic production in Konkani, and some in Portuguese
- Uday Bhembre
- Ramesh Veluskar, prominent and award-winning Konkani poet
Maithili
- Vidyapati, also known as Vidyapati Thakur and called Maithil Kavi Kokil "the poet cuckoo of Maithili", Maithili poet and Sanskrit writer
- Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, 23 September 1908 – 24 April 1974,poet, essayist, freedom fighter, patriot and academic
- Acharya Ramlochan Saran, littérateur, grammarian, publisher and poet
- Jayamant Mishra, Sanskrit scholar and Maithili poet
Malayalam
- Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, called the "Father of the Malayalam language"
- Johann Ernst Hanxleden, also known as "Arnos Paathiri", German Jesuit priest
- Poonthanam Namboothiri, devotional poet
- Kunchan Nambiar
- Unnayi Warrier
- Irayimman Thampi, court poet and musician
- Moyinkutty Vaidyar
- Kumaran Asan
- Kerala Varma Valiya Koyithampuran, also known as Kerala Varma, poet and translator
- Vallathol Narayana Menon
- Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer
- K. V. Simon
- K.C. Kesava Pillai
- A. R. Raja Raja Varma, poet, grammarian, scholar, critic and writer
- Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, poet and translator
- Edappalli Raghavan Pillai
- P. Kunhiraman Nair
- Sanjayan
- G. Sankara Kurup, aka "Sankara Kurup"
- Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, aka "Vailoppilli Sreedhara Menon"
- Edasseri Govindan Nair )
- N.V. Krishna Warrier, poet and scholar
- Thirunalloor Karunakaran, poet and scholar
- P. Bhaskaran, poet and film songwriter
- Vayalar Ramavarma, also spelled Vayalar Rama Varma
- O.N.V. Kurup
- Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri
- Kunjunni
- Balamani Amma
- Sugathakumari
- M. Govindan
- K. Ayyappa Panicker, also spelled Ayyappa Paniker, Indian
- Attoor Ravi Varma
- Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan, popularly known as Kadammanitta
- Satchidanandan, critic, poet
- S. Rajasekharan, poet and literary critic
- D. Vinayachandran
- A. Ayyappan
- Balachandran Chullikkad, poet and actor
- Joy Vazhayil, poet and thinker
- Nellikkal Muraleedharan, poet, writer and critic
- Venu V Desom
- P. P. Ramachandran
- T. P. Rajeevan, poet, novelist and literary critic.
- V. M. Girija, poet
- Veerankutty
- Syam Sudhakar, poet and literary critic
Manipuri
- Nongthombam Biren Singh, politician, poet and former journalist
- Ashangbam Minaketan Singh, founder of modern Meitei literature, author of Manipuri epic "Basanta sheireng", winner of Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi and Soviet Land Nehru Prize
- Robin S Ngangom, poet who writes in English and Meiteilon
- Angom Gopi, classical Manipuri poet, translator of Bhagavad Gita and Bible into Meitei language
- Rajkumar Shitaljit Singh, poet, writer and teacher, winner of President's Medal and Sahitya Ratna award
- Elangbam Nilakanta Singh, author of "Tirtha Yatra" and "Manipuri Sheirang"; winner of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award
Marathi
- Samarth Ramdas, wrote Manache Shlok; known as the Guru of Shivaji Maharaj
- Sant Dnyaneshwar, also known as "Sant Jñāneshwar" and "Jñanadeva", saint, poet, philosopher and yogi
- Eknath or Eknāth, poet and scholar
- Tukaram
- Keshav Pandit, also known as Keshav Pandit or Keshav Bhat Pandit, religious official under Chhatrapati Shivaji, poet and Sanskrit scholar
- Raghunath Pandit
- Suresh Bhat 1932–2003), known as Ghazal Samrat for his exposition of that form
- Namdeo Dhasal, poet, writer, journalist, editor and Dalit activist
- Manohar Oak, poet and novelist
- Arun Kolatkar, poet who wrote both in Marathi and English; also a graphic designer
- Bahinabai Chaudhari, illiterate poet whose son wrote down her poems for her
- Tryambak Bapuji Thombre "Balkavi"
- Vilas Sarang, writer, critic, translator and poet
- Kusumagraj, pen name of Vishnu Vāman Shirwādkar, poet, writer and humanist
- P. S. Rege, poet, playwright, fiction writer and academic
- Shanta Shelke, poet, journalist, professor, composer, story writer, translator, writer of children's literature
- Hemant Divate, poet, editor of Abhidhanantar magazine, translator
- Hridaynath Mangeshkar, eminent poet and composer of songs mainly in Marathi and Hindi
- Manya Joshi, Marathi poet
- Mangesh Narayanrao Kale, poet, editor, critic and translator
- Saleel Wagh, poet, translator, critic
- G. D. Madgulkar, popularly known in his home state of Maharashtra by his initials, Ga Di Ma, poet, lyricist, writer and actor; older brother of writer Venkatesh Madgulkar
- Poet Borkar, Balakrishna Bhagwant Borkar, also known as "Baki-baab", wrote mostly in Marathi but with numerous works in Konkani
- Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, revolutionary freedom fighter, ideologue and thinker who composed mainly poems and songs of nationalist and revolutionary sentiments
- Varjesh Solanki, award-winning Marathi poet
- Vasant Abaji Dahake, poet, novelist, playwright, artist, and critic
- Bhau Panchbhai, poet and dalit activist
- Mangesh Padgaonkar, Marathi poet and recipient Maharashtra Bhushan Award
- Indira Sant
Nepali
See also: List of Nepali-language poets- Agam Singh Giri
- Hari Bhakta Katuwal
- Kamala Sankrityayan
- Parijat
- Rajendra Bhandari
- Salik Shah
- Tulsiram Sharma 'Kashyap'
- Yuyutsu Sharma
Odia
- Jayadeva, author of the famous Gita Govinda in Sanskrit and some poems in Odia
- Sarala Das, author of the Odia Mahabharata in verse
- Jagannatha Dasa, author of the Odia Bhagabata and one of the panchasakha
- Achyutananda Dasa, author of Sunya Sanghita and multiple other texts, one of the panchasakha
- Salabega, Muslim author of many bhajans and devotee of Jagannath
- Upendra Bhanja, poet and member of the royal family of a princely state
- Abhimanyu Samantasinghara, author of Bigadha Chintamani
- Bhima Bhoi, author of Stuti Chintamani, blind Mahima saint poet of Odisha
- Brajanath Badajena, awarded Kabi Bhushana, author of classics like "Samara Taranga" and "Chatura Binoda"
- Brajanath Ratha, poet, writer, social activist, winner of Tagore Award
- Fakir Mohan Senapati, short-story writer, novelist, poet, writer, government official and social activist
- Gangadhar Meher, known as Svabhava Kavi and Prakriti Kavi, author of "Tapaswini" epic
- Gopabandhu Das, called Utkala Mani, social worker, political activist, writer, novelist and poet
- Jayanta Mahapatra, winner of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award
- Krushna Chandra Kar
- Manasi Pradhan
- Manmohan Acharya
- Nanda Kishore Bal, known as Palli Kavi, penned popular lyrics for children called "Nana Baya Geeta"
- Nirmala Devi
- Radhanath Ray, known as Kabibar, author of epics like "Chilika", "Chandrabhaga", "Mahajatra" and "Kedara Gouri"
- Sitakanta Mohapatra, winner of Padma Bhusan, Padma Vibhusan, Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith Award and Tagore Award
- Ramakrushna Nanda, eminent writer of children's literature, author of the morning prayer song "Ahe Dayamaya Vishwa Vihari" sung in all Odia schools
- Pratibha Satpathy, poet, editor and winner of Sahitya Akademi Award
- Ramakant Rath, author of epic "Shri Radha", winner of Padma Bhusan, Saraswati Samman and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
- Tapan Kumar Pradhan, author of Kalahandi and winner of Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award
- Sachidananda Routray, winner of Jnanapith Award, author of "Baji Rout", "Pratima Nayak", "Pallishri" and "Chhota Mora Gaan"
- Rabi Singh, freedom fighter and Marxist writer of revolutionary poems
- Upendra Bhanja, known as Kavi Samrat, author of epics like "Vaideheesha Vilasa", "Prema Sudhanidhi", "Lavanyavati" etc
Punjabi
- Bhagat Sadhana
- Baba Farid
- Bhagat Sain
- Guru Nanak
- Bhai Mardana
- Guru Angad
- Shah Hussain
- Guru Amar Das
- Baba Sunder
- Guru Ram Das
- Balvand Rai
- Satta Doom
- Guru Arjun Dev
- Bhatt Balh
- Bhatt Bhalh
- Bhatt Bhika
- Bhatt Gayand
- Bhatt Harbans
- Bhatt Jalap
- Bhatt Kirat
- Bhatt Kalshar
- Bhatt Mathura
- Bhatt Nalh
- Bhatt Salh
- Bhagat Surdas
- Sultan Bahu
- Damodar Das Arora
- Saleh Muhammad Safoori
- Guru Tegh Bahadur
- Bulleh Shah
- Waris Shah
- Khwaja Ghulam Farid
- Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
- Qadaryar
- Peelu
- Hashim
- Shardha Ram Phillauri
- Shareef Kunjahi
- Mir Tanha Yousafi
- Anwar Masood
- Afzal Ahsan Randhawa
- Aatish
- Shaista Nuzhat –
- Bhai Veer Singh
- Jaswant Singh Rahi
- Dhani Ram Chatrik
- Faiz Ahmad Faiz
- Amrita Pritam
- Darshan Singh Awara
- Dr. Harbhajan Singh
- Shiv Kumar Batalvi
- Sharif Kunjahi
- Paash
- Surjit Paatar
- Ajmer Rode
- Ustad Daman
- Balwant Gargi
- Sukhdarshan Dhaliwal
- Sukhbir
- Munir Niazi
- Satinder Sartaj
- Javaid Rahi
Rajasthani
- Dursa Arha, 'First Nationalist Poet Of India' 16th-century warrior and Rajasthani poet
- Suryamal Misran, 19th century Rajkavi of Bundi State
- Mahatma Isardas, Rajasthani saint-poet
- Narharidas Barhath, Rajasthani saint-poet
- Brahmanand Swami, saint of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and as one of Swaminarayan's Paramahamsa
- Chand Bardai, Court poet of Prithvi Raj Chauhan
- Kaviraj Bankidas Asiya, 18th-century Raj-Kavi of Jodhpur State
- Kanhaiyalal Sethia, Rajasthani and Hindi poet
- Sanwar Daiya
- Sawai Singh Dhamora
- Kriparam Khidiya, author of "Rajiya ra Sortha"
- Fateh Karan Charan, Rajasthani poet & leader of the Bijolia Movement
- Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat, Indian author and politician
- Shakti Dan Kaviya, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient- poet, writer, and scholar of Rajasthani, Dingal, Brajbhasha, & Hindi
- Narayan Singh Bhati, founder of Rajasthani Research Institute
- Vijaydan Detha, Padma Shri & Sahitya Akademi Award recipient noted Rajasthani poet & writer
- Arjun Deo Charan, Rajasthani poet, critic, playwright, theatre director and translator
- Chandra Prakash Deval, Rajasthani poet and translator, convener of Rajasthani Advisory Council of Sahitya Akademi.
- Bhanwar Singh Samaur, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient, writer, poet, historian, and social worker
- Kaviraja Shyamaldas, Rajkavi of Udaipur State
- Swarupadas, Dadu Panthi poet
- Thakur Akshay Singh Ratnu, Rajasthani, Brajbhasha and Hindi poet
- Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath, Indian revolutionary leader & poet
Sanskrit
Ancient poets- Valmiki, author of Ramayana
- Vedavyasa, author of Mahabharata Ashtadasapurana
- Kālidāsa, Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist writer of Kumara Sambhavam, Meghadootam, abhignana shakuntalam
- Adi Sankara, author of a lot of poems; Bhaja Govindam, Soundarya Lahari, Eulogy on Brahma sutrams, Bhagavathgita Bhashyam and Lalitha Sahasranama
- Bharavi, author of Kiratarjuniya
- Magha
- Bhatti, author of Bhattikāvya, known as Rāvatavadha
- Jayadeva, author of Gita Govinda
- Narayana Panditacharya, author of Sumadhvavijaya, Sangraha Ramayana
- Vedanta Desika, Sri Vaishnava writer, poet, devotee, philosopher and teacher
- Kavikalanidhi Devarshi Shrikrishna Bhatt, court poet of Jai Singh II
- Krishnadevaraya, king of the Vijayanagara Empire and poet
- Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Vaishnava bhakti poet-saint
- Vadiraja Tirtha, Dvaita saint, poet, devotee and philosopher
- Jagadguru Rāmabhadrācārya
- Ram Karan Sharma, of New Delhi
- Srinivas Rath, Sahitya Akademi Award winner and founder of Kalidasa Akademi
- Vanikavi Manomohan Acharya, Cuttack
- Pandhareenathachar Galagali
- Rama Kant Shukla, winner of Padma Shri, Kalidasa Samman, Sahitya Akademi Award
- Shridhar Bhaskar Warnekar, winner of Kalidasa Samman and Sahitya Akademi Award
Sindhi
Tamil
Sangam poets- Agastya
- Avvaiyar, a poet who lived during the Sangam period
- Kadiyalur Uruttirangannanar
- Kapilar
Post-Sangam poets
- Thiruvalluvar, poet who wrote the Thirukkural, an ethical work
- Ilango Adigal, wrote the epic Cilappathikaaram
- Nakkeerar
- Sīthalai Sāttanār
- Tirutakkatevar
- Avvaiyar, an 8th-century Tamil poet
- Manikkavacakar
- 63 Nayanars, namely Appar, Sambanthar, Sundarar etc.
- 12 Alvars, namely Poigaialvar, Boothathaalvaar etc.
- Sekkizhar, poet and scholar
- Kambar
- Ottakoothar
- Arunagirinathar
- Pattinathar
- Siva Prakasar
- Avvaiyar, a 12th-century Tamil poet
- Anandabharati Aiyangar
- Henry Alfred Krishnapillai
- Subramanya Bharathi called Mahakavi Bharati poet, writer, independence advocate and reformer
- Subramanya Siva, poet and independence advocate
- Bharathidasan, also spelled Bharatidasan, poet, playwright, screenwriter, short-story writer and essayist
- Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai
- Sheikh Thambi Pavalar
- Ramalinga Swamigal
- Perunchithiranar, poet and philosopher
- Kannadasan, poet and song lyrics writer
- Vaali, poet and song lyrics writer
- Annamalai Reddiyar, Tamil poet
- Vairamuthu, poet and song lyrics writer
- Pudhumaipithan
- T. K. Doraiswamy
- Prof. Karmegha Konar
- P. Vijay, poet who writes song lyrics for films
- Mu. Metha, poet and songwriter
- L. S. Kandasamy
- V. Akilesapillai, Sri Lankan scholar, poet and writer
- Perumal Rasu, poet, writer, painter and spiritual master
- Manushyaputhiran
Telugu
;Medieval poets- Nannaya Bhattaraka, also known as the First Poet "Aadi Kavi", the first poet of the Kavi Trayam, or "Trinity of Poets", that translated Mahabharatamu into Telugu over the course of a few centuries
- Tikkana also called "Tikkana Somayaji", poet and member of Kavi Trayam
- Errana also known as "Yellapregada" or "Errapregada".
- Gona Budda Reddy – 13th-century poet
- Annamacharya, mystic saint composer of the 15th century, widely regarded as the Telugu pada kavita pitaamaha ; husband of Tallapaka Tirumalamma
- Sri Krishnadevaraya, Vijayanagar Emperor, Telugu language patron, Telugu language poet
- Allasani Peddana, 15th century poet and known as foremost of Asthadiggajas
- Nandi Thimmana, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Madayyagari Mallana, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Dhurjati, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Pingali Surana, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Ramarajabhushanudu, a member of Ashtadiggajas
- Tenali Ramakrishna, poet, scholar, thinker and a special advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya, nicknamed Vikatakavi
- Molla, also known as "Mollamamba", both popular names of Atukuri Molla, poet who wrote Telugu Ramayan; a woman
- Potana, born Bammera Pothana, poet best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit; the book is popularly known as Pothana Bhagavatham
- Tallapaka Tirumalamma, also known as "Timmakka" and "Thimmakka", poet who wrote Subhadra Kalyanam; wife of singer-poet Annamacharya and was popularly known as Timmakka
- Vemana, poet
- Bhadrachala Ramadasu, 17th-century Indian devotee of Lord Rama and a composer of Carnatic music.
- Kandukuri Veeresalingam, social reformer, poet, scholar, founded the journal Vivekavardhani, introduced the essay, biography, autobiography and the novel into Telugu literature
- Gurajada Apparao, poet, writer and playwright who wrote the first Telugu play, Kanyasulkam; also an influential social reformer sometimes called Mahakavi
- Gurram Jashuva, a dalit poet and writer and producer of All India Radio, awarded "Padma Bhushan" by the Govt of India, known for poetry on social evils
- Sri Sri, Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, marxist poet notable for his work Maha Prasthanam
- Jwalamukhi, pen name of Veeravalli Raghavacharyulu, poet, novelist, writer and political activist
- Viswanatha Satyanarayana, popularly known as the Kavi Samraat
- Balijepalli Lakshmikantham, poet and dramatist
- Chellapilla Venkata Sastry, poet and scholar
- Devulapalli Krishna Sastry, poet and writer of radio plays, known as "Andhra Shelly"
- Devarakonda Balagangadhara Tilak
- Divakarla Tirupati Sastry
- Rayaprolu Subba Rao
- C. R. Reddy
- C. Narayana Reddy, poet, academic and songwriter
- Aarudhra, pen name of Bhagavatula Siva Sankara Sastry, author, poet, essayist, writer of stories, playwright, translator, composer of film songs
- [Mohammad Mohammad Ismail (poet)|Ismail (poet)|Ismail], popular name of Mohammad Ismail
- Suravaram Pratap Reddy, writer and historian from Telangana
- Kethu Viswanatha Reddy, poet from Rayalaseema
- Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, also known as Yuga Kavi
- Papineni Sivasankar, poet and critic from Andhra Pradesh
- Sirivennela Sitaramasastri, popular poet and lyricist
- Ramesh Karthik Nayak, poet who writes in Telugu, Banjara and English from Telangana
- Janardhana Maharshi, poet who has written poems in Telugu and published books.
Urdu
In alphabetical order by last name:- Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi, poet, writer, orator and prominent Indian freedom fighter from Muzaffarpur, Bihar
- Javed Akhtar Eminent lyricist and script writer for movies.
- Mir Babar Ali Anis
- Kaifi Azmi
- Bashir Badr, eminent Ghazal writer, winner of Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards
- Mirza Ghalib, world famous Ghazal writer from Mughal Era
- Hakeem Manzoor writer, poet and administrator.
- Raza Naqvi Wahi, poet from Patna, Bihar
- Shahnaz Fatmi, poet, writer from Patna, Bihar
- Rafiq Husain
- Rahat Indori, famous Bollywood lyricist
- Masud Husain Khan
- Syed Mahmood "Talib" Khundmiri
- Syed Hasnain Raza Naqvi
- Irfan Nasirabadi
- Nazish Pratapgarhi
- Shahzad A. Rizvi, author, scholar and poet
- Iftikhar Imam Siddiqui
- Kanwal Ziai
- Mir Taqi Mir
- Quaiser Khalid, author and poet