Gathering Leaves
by Robert Frost
‘Gathering Leaves’ is a profound poem that delves into the themes of man versus nature, productivity, and change.
The Complaints of the Poor
by Robert Southey
‘The Complaints of the Poor’ by Robert Southey takes place in a city, likely London, and describes the desperate measures poverty drives people to.
Air Raid
by Chinua Achebe
‘Air Raid’ by Chinua Achebe is a poem that provides a glimpse into the Nigerian/Biafran Civil War using symbolism and dark humor.
The Virgins
by Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott’s poem ‘The Virgins’ gives a holistic view of the life, economy, and culture of one of the Virgin Islands of the US, Saint Croix.
Hymn to Aphrodite
by Sappho
The ‘Hymn to Aphrodite’ by Sappho is an ancient lyric in which Sappho begs for Aphrodite’s help in managing her turbulent love life.
Next Day
by Randall Jarrell
‘Next Day’ by Randall Jarrell is a confessional poem with a conversational tone that articulates the complex emotions of aging and change.
Don’t kill yourself today
by Hannah Dains
‘Don’t kill yourself today’ by Hannah Dains is a thoughtful and powerful poem about suicide. The poet explores all the reasons someone has to stay alive and expresses her love for those struggling with depression.
How Did You Die?
by Edmund Vance Cooke
‘How Did You Die?’ by Edmund Vance Cooke is a rhyming poem that tries to impart an idealized view of perseverance in life.
3 November 1984
by Sujata Bhatt
In ‘3 November 1984,’ Indian-English poet Sujata Bhatt shows how history plays a vital role in the process of writing poetry, and their interconnectedness.
A Dream within a Dream
by Edgar Allan Poe
Published in 1849, ‘A Dream Within a Dream’ by Edgar Allan Poe examines the subtleties of time. His speaker delves into our perception of it and its effects.
Advent
by Gillian Clarke
Gillian Clarke’s free-verse poem ‘Advent’ depicts a lifeless winter landscape where everything is frozen to a state that instills despair and hopelessness in the speaker’s heart.
After Reading ‘Antony and Cleopatra’
by Robert Louis Stevenson
‘After Reading Antony and Cleopatra’ by Robert Louis Stevenson describes humankind’s unquenchable desire for “hopeless things” that stem from the past.
Air Raid
by Stephen Spender
Stephen Spender’s poem ‘Air Raid’ depicts the impact of the Blitz or German Luftwaffe air strike on the United Kingdom.
Amethyst Beads
by Eavan Boland
‘Amethyst Beads’ by Eavan Boland alludes to Greek mythology and the suffering of a child, Persephone, after she was separated from her mother, Demeter.
Anorexic
by Eavan Boland
‘Anorexic’ by Eavan Boland conveys the mindset of a woman determined to destroy her physical body through starvation and filled with hatred for her sinful past, as according to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Blizzard
by William Carlos Williams
‘Blizzard’ by the American poet William Carlos Williams is filled with vivid imagery of a blinding snowstorm and its aftermath. This poem taps on the themes of time, human history, and personal experiences.
Contusion
by Sylvia Plath
‘Contusion’ by Sylvia Plath is a memorable, short poem about death and a loss of passion or meaning in one’s life. It is a dramatic monologue written 12 days before the poet’s death.
Counter-Attack
by Siegfried Sassoon
‘Counter-Attack’ is perhaps Siegfried Sassoon’s longest poem that describes a failed counter-attack on the German line. From the very first stanza, a sense of hopelessness lurks in this poem.
Crow Sickened
by Ted Hughes
‘Crow Sickened’ is a brilliant example of Hughes’ playful style, in which Crow attempts to work out the cause of his misery.
Description of Spring
by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
‘Description of Spring’ by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey uses spring to emphasize the speaker’s sorrow. Despite the uplifting season, the speaker’s depression only worsens.
First March
by Ivor Gurney
‘First March,’ written by one of the lesser known First World War poets, Ivor Bertie Gurney, is about a soldier’s emotional state while returning to his home.
Futility
by Wilfred Owen
Despite Wilfred Owen’s prodigious writing, only five poems were ever published in his lifetime – probably because of his strong anti-war sentiment, which would not have been in line with British policy at the time, particularly in their attempt to gather rather more and more people to sign up for the war.
Hard Rock Returns to Prison
by Etheridge Knight
‘Hard Rock Returns to Prison’ is an allegory of oppression and forced submission of Black inmates in America.
Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience)
by William Blake
‘Holy Thursday’ by William Blake depicts the poor children of London attending church on Holy Thursday. Specifically, Blake describes their songs, appearance, and how their existence challenges the message the church is trying to convey.
I Am!
by John Clare
‘I Am!’ by John Clare is a powerful poem about a speaker’s struggle with depression, loneliness, and a desire to find peace in Heaven.
I Cannot Live With You
by Emily Dickinson
‘I cannot live with You’ by Emily Dickinson is a poem about marriage. The speaker spends the lines declaring why she can’t “live with you” and her various related concerns.
Inspection
by Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Inspection’ was drafted at a military hospital Craiglockhart in August 1917, and completed in September, under the influence of wartime poet Siegfried Sassoon. In it, Owen writes about the loss and cheapness of life through war.