Poems that convey satisfaction often celebrate contentment, fulfillment, and a sense of completion. Whether in love, work, or personal growth, these poems express a joyous acceptance of the moment and an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.
A fine example of this sentiment is found in Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself,’ where the speaker revels in the self and the connection with the world around them. The language used in poems about satisfaction is often warm and affirming, with imagery that reflects harmony and balance.
‘Days’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a short allegorical poem reflecting on the passage of time and the expectations of humans that come and go with it. It is celebrated as one of the best transcendental poems of the 19th century.
Daughters of Time, the hypocritic Days,
Muffled and dumb like barefoot dervishes,
And marching single in an endless file,
Bring diadems and fagots in their hands.
‘A Dead Rose’ mourns the short-lived nature of beauty, with vivid imagery and poignant emotions.
O Rose! who dares to name thee?
No longer roseate now, nor soft, nor sweet;
But pale, and hard, and dry, as stubble-wheat,—-
Kept seven years in a drawer—-thy titles shame thee.
‘Archaic Torso of Apollo’ by Rainer Maria Rilke details the remaining beauty and power of a damage sculpture missing its head and legs.
We cannot know his legendary head
with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso
is still suffused with brilliance from inside,
like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,
Tupac Shakur’s ‘Dear Mama’ expresses heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for a mother’s love and sacrifices, showcasing profound emotions.
There's no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
‘Leaving the Motel’ reflects on the impermanence of human experiences, urging readers to embrace transience and let go of attachments.
Outside, the last kids holler
Near the pool: they’ll stay the night.
Pick up the towels; fold your collar
Out of sight.
Oliver Wendell Holmes’s ‘The Last Leaf’ portrays the physical decline of an elderly man and explores themes of mortality and acceptance.
I saw him once before,
As he passed by the door,
And again
The pavement stones resound,
Denise Levertov’s ‘Pleasures’ celebrates the beauty hidden within everyday objects, inviting readers to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.
I like to find
what's not found
at once, but lies
within something of another nature,
‘Life Sculpture’ by George Washington Doane is a poem heavily symbolic poem about realizing one’s true potential and purpose in life.
Chisel in hand stood a sculptor boy
With his marble block before him,
And his eyes lit up with a smile of joy,
As an angel-dream passed o’er him.
‘Look, Stranger’ by W. H. Auden captures the beauty of a moment observed by the speaker and reveals the very human desire to commit it to memory.
Look, stranger, on this island now
The leaping light for your delight discovers,
Stand stable here
And silent be,
‘Ozymandias’ is about the nature of power. It is an important piece that features how a great ruler like Ozymandias, and his legacy, was prone to impermanence and decay.
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
‘Between the Breasts’ is a celebration of sensuality, desire, and the uninhibited pursuit of pleasure, using unconventional language and vivid imagery to evoke intense emotions and challenge traditional poetic norms.
between the breasts
of bestial
‘Summer of Love’ by Joyce Kilmer juxtaposes nature’s beauty with enduring love, celebrating the lasting joy of affection.
June lavishes sweet-scented loveliness
And sprinkles sunfilled wine on everything;
The very leaves grow drunk with bliss and sing
And every breeze becomes a soft caress.
Edgar Albert Guest’s ‘Thanksgiving’ radiates familial warmth, intertwining laughter, gratitude, and time-honored traditions in shared gatherings.
Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice,
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice;
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they
Are growin’ more beautiful day after day;
‘The Pumpkin’ by John Greenleaf Whittier celebrates the pumpkin’s beauty, nostalgia, and its power to evoke cherished memories and emotions.
Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Amidst scarlet flames and camaraderie, ‘Around the Campfire’ captures transformative connections. Vivid imagery illuminates rekindled friendships, binding souls in tranquility.
Rising from the fire like a phoenix,
ash morphs into flights of flaming darts.
And shadows mark the fringes of light,
extinguishing all unwary sparks.
In grateful hymns, Dunbar lauds God’s mercy, human flaws, and divine abundance in a harmonious ode.
The sun hath shed its kindly light,
Our harvesting is gladly o’er
Our fields have felt no killing blight,
Our bins are filled with goodly store.
‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’ by William Blake explores the tension between opposing forces and the transformative power of embracing contradiction.
Rintrah roars and shakes his fires in the burdened air;
Hungry clouds swag on the deep.
Once meek, and in a perilous path,
The just man kept his course along
‘You Can’t Have It All’ celebrates life’s diverse experiences, urging appreciation for moments amid constraints, fostering gratitude and acceptance.
But you can have the fig tree and its fat leaves like clown hands
gloved with green. You can have the touch of a single eleven-year-old finger
on your cheek, waking you at one a.m. to say the hamster is back.
You can have the purr of the cat and the soulful look
In ‘To BRYANT, the Poet of Nature,’ Bryant’s legacy is intertwined with nature’s eternal embrace. It is a poetic testament transcending time, honoring the divine bond between art and environment.
Let Glory diadem the mighty dead—
Let monuments of brass and marble rise
To those who have upon our being shed
A golden halo, borrowed from the skies,
Longfellow’s contemplative journey reveals the weariness of the human experience and the limitations of language.
Once upon Iceland's solitary strand
A poet wandered with his book and pen,
Seeking some final word, some sweet Amen,
Wherewith to close the volume in his hand.
IN ‘Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes the Veil’ the speaker yearns for a tranquil sanctuary, free from life’s storms, desiring a realm of eternal springs and serene beauty.
I have desired to go
Where springs not fail,
To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail
And a few lilies blow.
‘The Song of Hiawatha’ Introduction by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the first in a series of sections, or cantos, from the long epic poem, ‘The Song of Hiawatha.’
Should you ask me, whence these stories?
Whence these legends and traditions,
With the odors of the forest
With the dew and damp of meadows,
‘29 April 1989’ by Sujata Bhatt is a sweet, little piece about a mother’s sudden found pleasure in nature’s soggy musicality.
‘A still— Volcano —Life’ by Emily Dickinson is an unforgettable poem that uses an extended metaphor to describe the life of the poet. She compares herself to a volcano that erupts under the cover of darkness.
A still — Volcano — Life —
That flickered in the night —
When it was dark enough to do
Without erasing sight —
‘Blaen Cwrt,’ a poem by Welsh poet Gillian Clarke depicts the pleasant dwelling of the speaker in rural Ceredigion, West Wales.
‘Breaking the Surface’ by Jean Bleakney is about the “art of skimming,” an extended metaphor for the art of writing poetry.
‘Eel Tail,’ a poem by contemporary British poet Alice Oswald, is about the mysteriously beautiful eels and their swift movements in the water.
sometimes you see mudfish,
those short lead lengths of eels
that high at low tide
those roping and wagging,
Masters’ ‘Fiddler Jones’ highlights how following one’s passion, no matter what it is, is always worthwhile and helps lead a life without any regrets. As the title says, this poem is about a wayward fiddler devoted to his passion.
‘For Nanabhai Bhatt’ is about the poet Sujata Bhatt’s grandfather, Nanabhai Bhatt, who was an educationist and activist active during the Indian independence movement.
In this dream my grandfather
comes to comfort me.
He stands apart
silent
‘For Sidney Bechet’ is a poetic tribute to Sidney Bechet, one of the early jazz maestros that poet Philip Larkin admired the most.
That note you hold, narrowing and rising, shakes
Like New Orleans reflected on the water,
And in all ears appropriate falsehood wakes,
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