Donegal Sightings
by Jean Bleakney
‘Donegal Sightings’ explores how elusive the natural world can feel, even when we are immersed within its beauty.
Emmonsail’s Heath in Winter
by John Clare
‘Emmonsail’s Heath in Winter’ by John Clare is a beautiful nature poem that describes a specific area in Northamptonshire in winter. The poem focuses on plants and birds.
Each and All
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘Each and All’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson depicts nature as interconnected and dependent on all other living and non-living things. The poet uses a few clever examples to demonstrate why he sees the world this way.
Morning Swim
by Maxine Kumin
‘Morning Swim’ by Maxine Kumin is a thoughtful lyric poem that’s written in couplets. The poem engages with themes of God and Nature.
A Nation’s Strength
by William Ralph Emerson
‘A Nation’s Strength’ by William Ralph Emerson asks readers to consider what it is that makes a country great and why countries fail.
Anne Rutledge
by Edgar Lee Masters
‘Anne Rutledge’ by Edgar Lee Masters is an epitaph based on the life of someone who knew and loved Abraham Lincoln in her youth.
I died for beauty but was scarce
by Emily Dickinson
‘I died for beauty but was scarce’ by Emily Dickinson reflects her fascination for death and the possible life to follow.
Life in a Love
by Robert Browning
‘Life in a Love’ by Robert Browning is an obsessive love poem in which a speaker tells the person they’re in love with that no matter how many times they’re torn down; they’re always going to get back up.
Rowing
by Anne Sexton
‘Rowing’ by Anne Sexton is a moving and unforgettable poem about depression. It was written two years before Sexton took her life in 1974.
Memorial
by Amanda Gorman
‘Memorial’ by Amanda Gorman is a poem about the past and how poets are able to use their writing to help readers relive it.
29 April 1989
by Sujata Bhatt
‘29 April 1989’ by Sujata Bhatt is a sweet, little piece about a mother’s sudden found pleasure in nature’s soggy musicality.
A Day (I’ll Tell You How The Sun Rose)
by Emily Dickinson
‘A Day’ by Emily Dickinson is a lyrical poem describing sunrise and sunset. In a metaphysical sense, it also portrays the beauty of life and the uncertainty of death.
A Murmur in the Trees— to note
by Emily Dickinson
‘A Murmur in the Trees— to note’ by Emily Dickinson is a poem about nature’s magic. It includes mysterious images of fairy men, glowing lights in the woods, and the murmuring of trees.
Afterglow
by Helen Lowrie Marshall
‘Afterglow’ by Helen Lowrie Marshall is a popular funeral poem. It describes a speaker’s hope that they’re remembered fondly and warmly.
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil Frances Alexander
‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ by Cecil Frances Alexander describes how God is responsible for creating all things, positive and negative, big and small, in the world.
Among the Rocks
by Robert Browning
‘Among the Rocks’ is a beautiful lyric poem written from the perspective of James Lee’s wife, a character of Robert Browning’s collection, Dramatis Personae (1864).
Anne Hathaway
by Carol Ann Duffy
‘Anne Hathaway’ by Carol Ann Duffy is told from the perceptive of Shakespeare’s wife who discusses their enduring love through the symbol of a bed.
At Grass
by Philip Larkin
‘At Grass’ by Philip Larkin is a poem about fame and happiness. It focuses on racehorses and how they found new homes away from their previous lives.
Blaen Cwrt
by Gillian Clarke
‘Blaen Cwrt,’ a poem by Welsh poet Gillian Clarke depicts the pleasant dwelling of the speaker in rural Ceredigion, West Wales.
Confessions
by Robert Browning
Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘Confessions,’ as the title says, is written in the confessional mode and is about a speaker’s secretive meetings with a girl.
Danse Russe
by William Carlos Williams
Danse Russe by William Carlos Williams is a lighthearted poem in which the poet dances naked before a mirror. The poet, as he dances, admires himself and his own company, relishing his loneliness.
Departed To The Judgment
by Emily Dickinson
‘Departed To The Judgment’ by Emily Dickinson discusses death and the afterlife. The speaker explores their beliefs about both and how they contrast with others’.
Epitaph
by Merrit Malloy
‘Epitaph’ by Merrit Malloy is a beautiful poem about the good that can come out of death. The speaker wants their memory used to make the world a better place.
Fame is a bee
by Emily Dickinson
‘Fame is a bee’ by Emily Dickinson uses a bee to describe the fleeting nature of fame. She uses clever images and original poetic writing throughout.
February
by Gillian Clarke
‘February’ depicts a stunning and figurative encounter with Clarke’s familiar Welsh landscape on a snowy February day.