The Rose That Grew From Concrete
by Tupac Shakur
‘The Rose That Grew From Concrete’ is a moving celebration of personal resolve against the backdrop of oppressive forces.
Emmonsail’s Heath in Winter
by John Clare
‘Emmonsail’s Heath in Winter’ by John Clare is a beautiful nature poem that describes a specific area in Northamptonshire in winter. The poem focuses on plants and birds.
The Wind in the Dooryard
by Derek Walcott
‘The Wind in the Dooryard’ by Derek Walcott was written after the death of Eric Roach, a well-respected poet who died by suicide in 1974. This poem is dedicated to his life and work.
A Dirge Without Music
by Edna St. Vincent Millay
‘A Dirge Without Music’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay is a beautiful dirge. The poet uses clear and lyrical language to describe how lovers and thinkers alike go into the darkness of death with a little remaining.
A drop fell on the apple tree
by Emily Dickinson
‘A drop fell on the apple tree’ by Emily Dickinson is filled with joy. It describes, with Dickinson’s classic skill, images of the summer season and how a storm can influence it.
A Light Exists in Spring
by Emily Dickinson
‘A light exists in spring’ is about the light in spring that illuminates its surroundings. Though this poem is about nature, it has a deep religious connotation that science cannot explain.
A Poppy Blooms
by Katsushika Hokusai
‘A Poppy Blooms’ by Katsushika Hokusai is a thoughtful poem about writing. The poet uses a metaphor to depict how his process works.
A Red, Red Rose
by Robert Burns
‘A Red, Red Rose’ by Robert Burns is a poem that is in the ballad formation of four-line stanzas with ABBA rhyme schemes.
A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London
by Dylan Thomas
‘A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London’ by Dylan Thomas tells of a speaker’s inability to comprehend great losses.
A Small Needful Fact
by Ross Gay
‘A Small Needful Fact’ by Ross Gay is a powerful poem that presents an image of hope and beauty after a loss. The poem addresses the legacy of Eric Garner and how one might still find his presence in the world.
A Song: Ask me no more where Jove bestows
by Thomas Carew
‘A Song: Ask me no more where Jove bestows’ by Thomas Carew describes how in winter beauty doesn’t die, rather, it moves from nature to the listener’s body.
Apparently with no surprise
by Emily Dickinson
In ‘Apparently with no surprise,’ Emily Dickinson explores themes of life, death, time, and God. The poet takes the reader to a moving snapshot of life and death.
Bleak Weather
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
‘Bleak Weather’ by Ella Wheeler Wilcox describes the coming of winter and how the newly “bleak” days might impact a relationship.
Blue-Butterfly Day
by Robert Frost
‘Blue-Butterfly Day’ by Robert Frost beautifully describes the movements of a flock of butterflies. He uses them as a way of describing the cycle of life and death.
Buried Love
by Sara Teasdale
‘Buried Love’ by Sara Teasdale expresses a contrast of emotion within the narrator as she grieves a “Love” that was “bittersweet.”
Chinoiseries
by Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell’s ‘Chinoiseries’ is an ekphrastic poem depicting the engravings on chinoiserie pottery. Lowell’s speaker gets lost in the art as if it is the eyes of her loved one.
Coming
by Philip Larkin
‘Coming’ by Philip Larkin is about spring and how emotional its arrival can be. The peace, joy, and promise of spring rub off on Larkin’s speaker in a wonderful way.
Drifting Flowers of the Sea
by Sadakichi Hartmann
‘Drifting Flowers of the Sea’ by Sadakichi Hartmann describes the presence of white flowers and their relation to perseverance and unspoken dreams.
Every Day You Play
by Pablo Neruda
‘Every Day You Play’ by Pablo Neruda describes the overwhelming love a speaker has for the listener and the way his life is improved by their relationship.
First Love
by John Clare
‘First Love’ by John Clare describes the sudden, overwhelming love a speaker feels for a woman he is seeing for the first time.
Floral Tribute
by Simon Armitage
‘Floral Tribute’ by Simon Armitage uses symbolism to relate flowers and the British landscape to Queen Elizabeth’s reign and death in 2022.
Flower On the Road
by Chitra Padmanabhan
‘Flower On the Road’ by Chitra Padmanabhan is a sweet and simple children’s poem that emphasizes everyone’s ability to bring joy to the world, no matter their size.
From the Garden
by Anne Sexton
‘From the Garden’ by Anne Sexton is a peaceful poem in which the speaker describes how beneficial it is to spend time in nature.
Go, Lovely Rose
by Edmund Waller
‘Go, Lovely Rose’ by Edmund Waller is addressed to a sweet and wonderours rose being sent to a speaker’s object of affection.