100+ Poems about Family - Poem Analysis

Death of a Young Woman

by Gillian Clarke

Explore ‘Death of a Young Woman,’ where Clarke depicts how a loved one’s death lets a person free from their inward, endless suffering.

In this piece, Clarke depicts what a family goes through when their loved one battles death and gets defeated.

Consolidation

by Jean Bleakney

Jean Bleakney’s ‘Consolidation’ is a deeply personal poem about the act of rearranging the cowry shells that the speaker and her children gathered in the past.

This piece features how the splinter of adulthood causes distance in families, especially in a mother-children relationship.

The Idea of Ancestry

by Etheridge Knight

‘The Idea of Ancestry’ by Etheridge Knight is concerned with family relationships and how important being with those you’re related to is.

Family is a critical part of the poem and Knight's experience in prison.

Home

by Edgar Guest

‘Home’ by Edgar Guest is a moving and highly relatable poem in which the poet describes the necessity of turning a house into a home and how that process plays out.

One's family and the experiences one has with those one love are a key part of this 20th-century poem. Guest reminds readers of how important life's ups and downs are to making a home.

Jest ‘Fore Christmas

by Eugene Field

‘Jest ‘Fore Christmas’ is a humorous, five-stanza poem that’s written from the perspective of a young boy looking forward to Christmas.

Throughout this poem, the speaker alludes to how his family feels about his behavior and how happy they are to see improvements in his attitude during the winter. Somehow, they haven't caught onto the way he's manipulating them.

August, Los Angeles, Lullaby

by Carol Muske-Dukes

‘August, Los Angeles, Lullaby’ by Carol Muske-Dukes is a contemporary poem about bringing life into the world and the worries that plague a mother after giving birth.

Family is a part of this poem as the speaker considers her youth and her child's future. Her mom features in the poem briefly and helps influence the speaker's thoughts about the future.

Basketball Rule #1

by Kwame Alexander

Family is one of the most important topics at work in this poem. The poet uses basketball-specific imagery to describe deeper themes of living a good life.

Before She Died

by Karen Chase

‘Before She Died’ by Karen Chase is a poem about how someone’s death, or impending death, changes the way that one understands the world.

Although it's not explicitly stated, it seems likely that this poem is about the upcoming death of a family member. Who this person is, though, is up for interpretation. The poet's only real hint is that the title mentions a woman.

Cottage Street, 1953

by Richard Wilbur

‘Cottage Street, 1953’ by Richard Wilbur is a powerful poem based on the poet’s own experience. It depicts a simple social meeting between his family and the Plaths.

The poet's family is present in this poem, but their presence does not make the meeting any easier. There is a distinct awkwardness to the proceedings, which is only made worse by the poet's consideration of events years in the future.

In This Place (An American Lyric)

by Amanda Gorman

‘In This Place (An American Lyric)’ is a moving poem about American life and the tragedies, acts of bravery, and hope that shape the nation.

One of the main images readers encounter in this poem is family and family life. The poet highlights the different ways that people live throughout the country.

A Hot Noon in Malabar

by Kamala Das

Acrostic: Georgiana Augusta Keats

by John Keats

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.

Auld Lang Syne

by Robert Burns

‘Auld Lang Syne’ is a poem that addresses old acquaintances and the memories associated with them at the end of a year. It is a famous poem that is sung all across the world.

Aviation

by Alice Fulton

‘Aviation’ by Alice Fulton is a poem about a single speaker’s highly relatable feelings of isolation in her small town. She sees herself as separate and alienated from those around her.

Ballad of Birmingham

by Dudley Randall

Ballad of Birmingham’ by Dudley Randall is a moving narrative of the last moments of a little girl murdered in a church bombing.

Begotten

by Andrew Hudgins

‘Begotten’ appears in the American poet Andrew Hudgins’ poetry collection The Glass Hammer: A Southern Childhood (1994). This poem is about a child finding his resemblance to the other members of his family.

Bells for John Whiteside’s Daughter

by John Crowe Ransom

‘Bells for John Whiteside’s Daughter’ by John Crowe Ransom is an elegy for Whiteside’s daughter, a young girl who passed away suddenly. It’s unclear why she died, but, the speaker spends the bass majority of this poem depicting her lively and playful life.

Black Silk

by Tess Gallagher

‘Black Silk’ by Tess Gallagher is a sorrowful poem. In it, the speaker uses a silk vest to convey the emotion surrounding a loss.

Brendon Gallacher

by Jackie Kay

Brothers

by Andrew Forster

Catrin

by Gillian Clarke

Clearances

by Seamus Heaney

‘Clearances’ forms part of a series of sonnets in which Heaney examines his relationship with his mother, and focuses on her death.

Climbing My Grandfather

by Andrew Waterhouse

Come Up from the Fields Father

by Walt Whitman

‘Come Up from the Fields Father’ by Walt Whitman is a moving war-time poem. Through its lines, the poet addresses the effect of a son’s death on his family.

Coming Home

by Owen Sheers

‘Coming Home’ by Owen Sheers is a thoughtful poem that describes the transitory nature of life. The poet explores aging, family, and the impact of change.

Coward

by Archie Randolph Ammons

‘Coward’ by A.R. Ammons is a very short poem that speaks about bravery and asks the reader to analyze the truth of a single statement.

Docker

by Seamus Heaney

‘Docker’ is a 1966 poem by Seamus Heaney which depicts the life of a dockworker in Belfast and explores his personal and religious sense of discord.

Eating Together

by Li-Young Lee

‘Eating Together’ by Li-Young Lee is a beautiful contemporary poem about death. It uses a thoughtful simile and direct language.

Family Poems