Untitled
by Ishmael Reed
‘Untitled’ by Ishmael Reed is a short, precisely worded poem that connects the sale of the Alaskan territory in 1867 to the British plundering of Jamaica.
Untitled Poem
by George Henry Boker
George Henry Boker, having lived through the American Civil War, wrote a book full of poetry that depicts the effects
Upon the Table the Tea Turning Cold
by Riyas Qurana
‘Upon the Table the Tea Turning Cold’ by Riyas Qurana is a free verse poem that emphasizes the importance of reconciling the past and future.
Venus of the Louvre
by Emma Lazarus
‘Venus of the Louvre’ by Emma Lazarus describes the sights seen and emotions experienced by a narrator who is visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Venus’-fly traps
by Yusef Komunyakaa
‘Venus’-fly traps’ by Yusef Komunyakaa describes the life of a young boy, the secrets he hears and the worlds he creates as escape mechanisms.
Victory comes late
by Emily Dickinson
‘Victory comes late’ by Emily Dickinson is a thoughtful and complex poem. It explores the ways people interact with God and religion.
Victory comes late – And is held low to freezing lips – Too rapt with frost
Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night
by Walt Whitman
‘Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night’ by Walt Whitman is an emotional poem that describes a soldier’s night-time vigil alongside the body of his fallen comrade.
Visits to St. Elizabeths
by Elizabeth Bishop
‘Visits to St. Elizabeths’ by Elizabeth Bishop depicts the late Ezra Pound in a mental institution. The poet was inspired by the structure of children’s nursery rhymes in her composition of the text.
Vulture
by Robinson Jeffers
‘Vulture’ by Robinson Jeffers is a poem that describes the thoughts of a speaker caught up in the beauty of death, but not quite ready to enter it.
Waiting at the Door (Dog Poem)
by Undefined Poet
‘Waiting at the Door’ is a poem told from the perspective of a loving dog addressing its still living owner. The dog reassures the owner that they will be together again in the future.
Waking Early Sunday Morning
by Robert Lowell
‘Waking Early Sunday Morning’ by Robert Lowell speaks on the current godless, moral state of earth and the future of humankind.
Waking from Sleep
by Robert Bly
Robert Bly’s ‘Waking from Sleep’ is a symbolic poem about the awakening from the deep slumber of ignorance and thralldom. It evokes the imagery of a “harbor at dawn” in order to present this theme.
Waking in Winter
by Sylvia Plath
‘Waking in Winter’ by Sylvia Plath tells the story of hotel residents. They’re living different lives but are unified through their hopelessness.
I can taste the tin of the sky —- the real tin thing.
Winter dawn is the color of metal,
The trees stiffen into place like burnt nerves.
All night I have dreamed of destruction, annihilations —-
Walking the Dog
by Howard Nemerov
‘Walking the Dog’ by Howard Nemerov is a poem about an owner, his dog, and the walks they go on. The poet expresses the various sights he sees with his pet and the things they do and don’t share.
Wanting to Die
by Anne Sexton
‘Wanting to Die’ by Anne Sexton is a poem about the poet’s desire to take her own life. It was written close to ten years before she committed suicide.
Warm Summer Sun
by Mark Twain
‘Warm Summer Sun’ by Mark Twain is a poem that expresses the process of aging and life, all the way to life’s final moments.
Waterfalls
by Vernon Watkins
‘Waterfalls’ by Vernon Watkins is an elegy written in free verse with four stanzas dedicated to the memories of the narrator.
We Alone
by Alice Walker
In this famous poem, We Alone, based on humanity, love, and money, Alice Walker reveals the power within each human
We Real Cool
by Gwendolyn Brooks
‘We Real Cool’ by Gwendolyn Brooks describes the lives of seven pool players who lurk in the night, don’t go to school and plan on dying soon.
We Wear the Mask
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
‘We Wear the Mask’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar describes the way that “We” put on, and accept the presence of decietful masks.
We Were Simply Talking
by Andrew Hudgins
‘We Were Simply Talking’ appears in the American poet Andrew Hudgins’ poetry collection Babylon in a Jar (1998). This piece is about a car accident the speaker managed to avoid.
Weekend Glory
by Maya Angelou
‘Weekend Glory’ by Maya Angelou explores important themes of identity and happiness. She uses the weekend as a way to explore what’s truly “glorious” and what’s not.
Some clichty folks
don't know the facts,
posin' and preenin'
and puttin' on acts,
What is Poetry?
by John Ashbery
‘What is Poetry?’ by John Ashbery is a complex poem about poetry and what exactly it is. It uses Ashbery’s traditional obscure language and meaning.
What Kind of Times Are These
by Adrienne Rich
‘What Kind of Times Are These’ is a poem about modern-day problems. Adrienne Rich, the poet of this piece, provides the solution at the end.
What My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why
by Edna St. Vincent Millay
‘What My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why’ is an Italian sonnet about being unable to recall what made one happy in the past.
What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
What mystery pervades a well!
by Emily Dickinson
‘What mystery pervades a well!’ by Emily Dickinson describe limits to ones knowledge no matter how much time they spend of the natural world.
What mystery pervades a well!
That water lives so far –
A neighbor from another world
Residing in a jar
What the Orphan Inherits
by Sherman Alexie
‘What the Orphan Inherits’ by Sherman Alexie is a powerful piece about contending with the world as a Native American child after becoming an orphan.
What Were They Like? By Denise Levertov
by Denise Levertov
The poem, What Were They Like?, is about the aftereffects of war, and what happens when one culture conflicts with
Whatif
by Shel Silverstein
‘Whatif’ by Shel Silverstein is a playful presentation of fears, struggles, and uncertainties that haunt Silverstein at “night“.
When All My Five and Country Senses See
by Dylan Thomas
‘When All My Five and Country Senses See’ describes the necessity of paying attention to one’s senses for love to function.
