10 of the Best Dad Poems from a Daughter

The best dad poems from a daughter express love, admiration, and appreciation. The poems on this list are mostly from contemporary authors who use easy-to-understand language to express gratitude to their fathers and recognition of everything they’ve done throughout their lives. 

Dad by Karen K. Boyer 

Karen K. Boyer’s ‘Dad’ is a thoughtful, easy-to-analyze poem that expresses a daughter’s love for her father. The poem acknowledges how hard the speaker’s father works to provide a good life for his family. He dedicates his life to them and proves to be a “true friend” to his children in times of strife. Here are a few lines of this contemporary poem: 

He never looks for praises 

He’s never one to boast 

He just goes on quietly working

For those, he loves the most

This poem is perfect for any daughter hoping to share their affection for their father on any day of the year, especially father’s day. 

To Her Father with Some Verses by Anne Bradstreet 

This well-known poem expresses the poet’s admiration for her father and desire to pay him back for his support. In the first lines of this poem, Bradstreet calls her father “Most truly honoured, and as truly dear.” She knows everything he’s done for her and doesn’t have much to give him. Bradstreet wrote: 

Most truly honoured, and as truly dear,

If worth in me or ought I do appear,

Who can of right better demand the same

Than may your worthy self from whom it came?

The principal might yield a greater sum,

Yet handled ill, amounts but to this crumb;

Discover more Anne Bradstreet poems.

Father by Ella Wheeler Wilcox 

Wilcox’s ‘Father’ is among testament to a father’s love and dedication to his daughter. Wilcox wrote: 

There seemed to be a loving little prayer

In their voices, even when they called him ‘Dad’

Though the man was never heard of anywhere

As a hero, yet somehow understood

Readers from all walks of life will likely relate to the poet’s clearly defined love for her father. She speaks about a child’s loving voice when they call him “Dad” and how in that sound, one can interpret everything they need to know about the man. 

Read more Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems. 

In Her Eyes by Michelle W. Emerson

‘In Her Eyes’ is a contemporary poem that describes how a father’s love can be seen in his daughter’s eyes. If one looks there and looks closely, they’ll see everything they need to know about the connection between father and daughter. The poet describes how the familial relationship was “planned” by “God.” The poem begins with these three lines:

The depth of a father’s love shows in his daughter’s eyes 

What’s known is what’s shown from sunset to sunrise

A foundation built on more than just what is spoken

Memories of My Dad by Rebecca D. Cook

Cook’s loving poem describes her father’s heroism in his everyday life. He did everything he could to provide for his children, and she loved his voice before she could speak. He took care of her as a baby and continues to provide for them in every way possible. ‘Memories of My Dad’ begins with the lines: 

He wasn’t a hero

Known by the world,

But a hero he was

To his little girl.

My Father, My Friend by Peggy Stewart

Stewart’s ‘My Father, My Friend’ speaks about the loving relationship the poet has with her father, who has proved to be as much a friend to her as a parent. Through the good times and the bad, he’s always been there to share laughter and tears with her. She wrote: 

The tears I have shed,

As you lovingly nodded your head.

You have always been there,

With a smile and a hug,

A precious gift from our God up above.

This is an ideal poem for a daughter to share with her father in acknowledgment of the love the two share through the hard times and the good times. 

Always There for Your Daughter by Joanna Fuchs

Joanna Fuchs’ ‘Always There for Your Daughter’ begins with the lines: 

Every day the whole year through,

I feel grateful you are my father.

Some fathers don’t have time for their kids,

The poet describes her relationship with her father and how grateful she is that he has always found time to spend with her throughout her life. He’s always tried to listen to her and share good and bad experiences with her. He is admired and loved, she concludes. The final line wishes her father a “Happy Fathers Day,” making this a perfect addition to anyone’s list of Father’s Day poems. 

My Dad and I by Phyllis C. Michael

Phyllis C. Michael’s ‘My Dad and I’ is a contemporary poem that begins with the lines: 

My dad and I-we think alike,

He knows just what I mean

Before I even say a word

He reads, well, in between. 

The short, effective poem is written in quatrains, or sets of four lines, and couplets, or sets of two lines. It simply addresses the speaker’s relationship with her father. She begins most of the lines with, “My dad. 

Fathers Can Be Solitary Mountains by Anonymous 

‘Fathers Can be Solitary Mountains’ is a short, eight-line poem that uses metaphors and similes to compare fathers to mountains. The poet wrote: 

All their love rock-like, steep, and strong.

Though warm and caring, somehow they belong

Halfway home to mothers’ bubbling fountains.

While fathers can be hard and mountain-like, they are also strong and caring. Seeing through the hard exterior is an important part of understanding a father’s love, the speaker suggests. 

Fathers are Wonderful People by Helen Steiner Rice 

Rice’s ‘Fathers are Wonderful People’ is a father’s day poem that’s divided into sets of four lines and is easily read and interpreted by readers of all ages. The speaker begins by describing how fathers are “wonderful people” but that they are not always understood. They aren’t appreciated as much as they should be. They add that fathers struggle with their “IMAGE” at times. Here are a few lines: 

And perhaps that is the reason

We sometimes get the notion,

That Fathers are not subject

To the thing we call emotion,

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