Break, Break, Break
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Tennyson wrote ‘Break, Break, Break’ in 1835 and published in 1842. It is often considered to be an elegiac lament
By night we linger’d on the lawn
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
‘By night we linger’d on the lawn’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is an excerpt from Tennyson’s masterpiece, ‘In Memoriam A.
Consumption
by William Cullen Bryant
‘Consumption’ by William Cullen Bryant describes the fast-approaching death of a tuberculosis patient and her path to heaven.
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.
Darling
by Jackie Kay
‘Darling’ by Jackie Kay describes a woman’s death on a beautiful summer day and her close friend’s reaction. It was inspired by a personal loss the poet experienced.
Dead Deer
by David Groff
‘Dead Deer’ by David Groff is a memorable poem about death. It describes a car accident in which the speaker and a deer lose their lives.
Epilogue
by Robert Browning
‘Epilogue’ is a perfect bid-adieu poem to leave behind amidst a great body of poetic works if one is as great a poet as Victorian-era maestro Robert Browning.
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.
Fairer through Fading — as the Day
by Emily Dickinson
‘Fairer through Fading — as the Day’ by Emily Dickinson describes the sun and the value of all things. She uses the day as a symbol for what’s lost and will come again.
Fairer through Fading — as the Day
Into the Darkness dips away —
Half Her Complexion of the Sun —
Hindering — Haunting — Perishing —
Fiddler Jones
by Edgar Lee Masters
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.
Flash Crimson
by Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg’s ‘Flash Crimson’ is an emotionally charged, devotional poem where a speaker is eager to ask God for more hardships. It deals with the themes of devotion, morality, legacy, and the afterlife.
For the Anniversary of My Death
by W.S. Merwin
In ‘For the Anniversary of My Death,’ Merwin talks about his impending death. Interestingly, he observes a day each year as his probable death anniversary.
For the Fallen
by Laurence Binyon
‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon is a beautiful and powerful war poem. It addresses the losses England suffered in World War I while celebrating the soldier’s patriotism and bravery.
From cocoon forth a butterfly
by Emily Dickinson
‘From cocoon forth a butterfly,’ also known as ‘The Butterfly’s Day,’ is a beautiful poem written by the American poet Emily Dickinson. This poem presents the themes of the vanity of life and oblivion.
From Cocoon forth a Butterfly
As Lady from her Door
Emerged — a Summer Afternoon —
Repairing Everywhere —
Holy Sonnet II
by John Donne
‘Holy Sonnet II’ by John Donne is the second in a series of religious sonnets that Donne is well-known for. This poem is directed to God and explores a speaker’s concerns about their fate.
As due by many titles I resign
Myself to thee, O God. First I was made
By Thee; and for Thee, and when I was decay’d
Thy blood bought that, the which before was Thine.
Human Life
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
‘Human Life’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes a speaker’s frustration with the concept that there is no purpose to life or existence after death.
I did not reach Thee
by Emily Dickinson
‘I did not reach Thee’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem about a speaker’s journey through life. She expresses both optimism and hesitation in the face of her death and attempts to reach God.
I did not reach Thee
But my feet slip nearer every day
Three Rivers and a Hill to cross
I Have a Rendezvous with Death
by Alan Seeger
Seeger wrote ‘I Have a Rendezvous with Death’ as a young man while he as serving in the First World
I Have News
by Juliette Cavendish
‘I Have News’ by Juliette A. H. Cavendish is a moving poem. In it, the speaker describes the aftermath of a death and how they contended with it.
If those I loved were lost
by Emily Dickinson
‘If those I loved were lost’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem. It uses allusions to describe how the poet, or at least her speaker, would react to the loss of loved ones.
If those I loved were lost
The Crier’s voice would tell me —
If those I loved were found
The bells of Ghent would ring —
In this short life that only lasts an hour
by Emily Dickinson
‘In this short life that only lasts an hour’ by Emily Dickinson is a thoughtful, short poem. It is about how little we can control in our everyday lives.
In this short Life that only lasts an hour
How much - how little - is within our power
It was not Death, for I stood up
by Emily Dickinson
‘It was not Death, for I stood up’ by Emily Dickinson is a thoughtful poem about understanding depression. Specifically, the speaker is interested in understanding herself.
It was not Death, for I stood up,
And all the Dead, lie down -
It was not Night, for all the Bells
Put out their Tongues, for Noon.
Low Barometer
by Robert Bridges
‘Low Barometer’ by Robert Bridges describes a world in which ghosts are brought from the afterlife into the present during a storm.
May You Sleep A Million Years, Shiva
by Anita Nair
May You Sleep A Million Years, Shiva seems to be an angry narrator directing their frustrations at the Hindu god,
Mother Night
by James Weldon Johnson
‘Mother Night’ by James Weldon Johnson describes a speaker’s optimistic and comforting beliefs in regards to what is waiting after death.
My Days among the Dead are Past
by Robert Southey
In this poem, ‘My Days among the Dead are Past’, Robert Southey speaks from the point of view of a
My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close
by Emily Dickinson
‘My life closed twice before its close’ by Emily Dickinson uses heartbreak as a metaphor for death. She also experiments with the meaning of “closure.”
My life closed twice before its close—
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me
Night on the Mountain
by George Sterling
‘Night on the Mountain’ by George Sterling is a beautiful and thoughtful poem. In it, the speaker explores the soul of a mountain.
O let the solid ground
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
‘O let the solid ground’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a two stanza excerpt from the longer work, ’Maud’. The poem was published in
On a Drop of Dew
by Andrew Marvell
In ‘On a Drop of Dew’ by Andrew Marvell, the central idea is that the human soul comes into this
