Black Rook in Rainy Weather by Sylvia Plath
‘Black Rook in Rainy Weather’ by Sylvia Plath uses a black rook as a metaphor. It elevates the simple things in life to a higher, more important level.
Julieta Abella
The Divine Image by William Blake
‘The Divine Image’ is a poem from Songs of Innocence. It was published in 1789 and portrays traditional Christian virtues.
The Human Abstract by William Blake
‘The Human Abstract’ was first published in 1794 in Songs of Experience. The poem criticizes traditional Christian values and human reason.
A Lecture upon the Shadow by John Donne
‘A Lecture upon the Shadow’ by John Donne depicts a deteriorating relationship. It at first appeared to be blossoming but has since fallen apart.
Sonnet 1 by Sir Philip Sidney
‘Sonnet 1’ is featured in Astrophil and Stella, a sonnet sequence. Astrophil and Stella narrates the story of Astrophil and his hopeless passion for Stella.
Batter my Heart (Holy Sonnet 14) by John Donne
‘Batter my Heart,’ also known as ‘Holy Sonnet 14,’ is one of Donne’s best religious poems. It is directed at God and asks him to take hold of the speaker.
Sonnet 3 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest’ is a procreation sonnet within the fair youth sequence, a series of poems that are addressed to an unknown young man.
Sonnet 31 by Sir Philip Sidney
‘Sonnet 31’ is featured in Astrophil and Stella, a sonnet sequence that has 108 sonnets and 11 songs. It narrates the story of Astrophil and his hopeless passion for Stella.
Sonnet 11 by Lady Mary Wroth
‘Sonnet 11’ is part of Pamphilia to Amphilanthus, a sonnet sequence in Countess of Montgomery’s Urania. It describes the feelings and expressions of a girl after her love has been unfaithful to her.
A Welsh Landscape by R. S. Thomas
‘A Welsh Landscape’ portrays R. S Thomas’ views about Wales and Welsh culture. Moreover, the poem depicts the people of Wales, based on this landscape portrait. R. S. Thomas focuses on negative aspects and develops a pessimistic look at Welshness.
Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed From a Skull by Lord Byron
‘Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed From a Skull’ was written in 1808 and expresses Byron’s disdainful thoughts surrounding death.
Ecce Puer by James Joyce
‘Ecce Puer’ was published in 1932 and it is featured in Collected Poems. Joyce wrote this poem in order to mourn the recent death of his father, John Stanislaus Joyce.
Sonnet 106 by William Shakespeare
Read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 106, ‘When in the chronicle of wasted time,’ with a summary and complete analysis of the poem.
A Peasant by R.S. Thomas
‘A Peasant’ was written in 1942. The poem presents an emblematic character of Thomas’s poetry called Iago Prytherch.
The Voice by Thomas Hardy
‘The Voice’ was written after Thomas Hardy’s wife died in 1912. It was published in Poems 1912–13, an elegiac sequence that responds to Emma’s death.
To a Snowdrop by William Wordsworth
‘To a Snowdrop’ describes an unexpected guest in the lyrical voice’s garden where the final lines provide the possibility of reflection and thought.
At a Potato Digging by Seamus Heaney
‘At a Potato Digging’ written by Seamus Heaney. The poem consists of four sections that depict men’s relationship with the land.
Bredon Hill by A. E. Housman
‘Bredon Hill’ by A.E. Housman depicts an initially heartwarming and later heartbreaking story of a couple torn apart when one of them dies suddenly on a cold Christmas night.
She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways by William Wordsworth
‘She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways’ was written in 1798. This poem is Wordsworth’s best known work from a series of five texts that form his “Lucy” series.
At Castle Boterel by Thomas Hardy
‘At Castle Boterel’ was written in 1913. The poem remembers a certain moment in life that is associated with a deeply significant memory.
A Quoi Bon Dire by Charlotte Mew
‘A Quoi Bon Dire’ by Charlotte Mew, explores the process of aging and deals with topics such as loss and death. Here’s a complete analysis.
Baby Song by Thom Gunn
‘Baby Song’ by Thom Gunn depicts the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of a baby who has been born recently.
Sonnet 75 by Edmund Spenser
‘Sonnet 75′ is part of Amoretti, a sonnet cycle that describes Edmund Spenser’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Boyle.
Song: Love, a child, is ever crying by Lady Mary Wroth
‘Love, a child, is ever crying’ is part of ‘Pamphilia to Amphilanthus’ and doesn’t have an innocent view about love and serves as a warning of its nature.
Heart and Mind by Edith Sitwell
‘Heart and Mind’ is a poem that was written in 1944. Edith Sitwell’s best known work is the one produced during the Second World War.