The Other Side
by Seamus Heaney
Within ‘The Other Side’ Heaney delves into themes of division and difference, religion, as well as reconciliation. The poem is
Thigh-deep in sedge and marigolds,
a neighbour laid his shadow
on the stream, vouching
The Paradoxical Commandments
by Kent M. Keith
Here is an analysis of Kent M. Keith’s poem The Paradoxical Commandments. This is a wildly popular poem that has
The Sad Shepherd
by William Butler Yeats
‘The Sad Shepherd’ by William Butler Yeats describes one man’s deepest sorrow and his quest to share his emotions with whomever or whatever he can find.
The Secret Sits
by Robert Frost
‘The Secret Sits’ by Robert Frost is a thoughtful, short poem about life and its secrets. Its only two lines long, but packs a punch in its use of imagery and allusion.
We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.
The Sower
by Victor Hugo
‘The Sower’ by Victor-Marie Hugo reveals the musings of a poet persona as he observes an old sower working in his fields till night.
The Underground Baby Case
by Jackie Kay
‘The Underground Baby Case’ by Jackie Kay conveys the feelings and choices of a woman who lost her own child and stole someone else’s.
The Unfinished
by Laurie Sheck
‘The Unfinished’ by Laurie Sheck is a complex and powerful poem about meaning, the purpose of life, and free will.
The Witnesses
by W.H. Auden
The poet, in the poem, ‘The Witnesses,’ or ‘The Two,’ says that inside a man’s body, there are two vital
The World is Too Much With Us
by William Wordsworth
‘The World is Too Much With Us’ by William Wordsworth is a thoughtful poem. It encourages the reader to think about the spiritual world more than the earthly world.
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
There was a time when my cheek burned
by Emily Brontë
‘There was a time when my cheek burned’ by Emily Brontë is a sextilla that describes a speaker’s passion for truth, and justice, and how the world disappointed them.
They Say My Verse is Sad
by A. E. Housman
‘They Say My Verse is Sad’ by A.E. Housman is a direct, two stanza poem. In it, Housman describes why he writes poetry and who he writes for.
Tissue
by Imtiaz Dharker
The poem ‘Tissue’ by Imtiaz Dharker reveals the power of a paper, and how one can use it for many
To Fight Aloud, is Very Brave
by Emily Dickinson
‘To fight aloud, is very brave’ by Emily Dickinson compares inner and outer struggles. She emphasizes the former, suggesting it is far more complex and difficult than it seems.
To fight aloud, is very brave -
But gallanter, I know
Who charge within the bosom
The Calvalry of Wo -
To Night
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
This is a remarkable lyric by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It is full of the passion and the yearning so typical
Tonight No Poetry Will Serve
by Adrienne Rich
‘Tonight No Poetry Will Serve’ by Adrienne Rich is a multilayered poem. The poet imbued it with many complex sexual and political innuendoes about power.
Void in Law
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
‘Void in Law’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning depicts the scuffle many Victorian women endured after getting married. The woman has been left alone with no real resources by a husband who prefers to spend time with his mistress.
We Are Seven
by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was certainly not without his share of tragedy, and this poem, “We Are Seven”, is one which evokes this tragic feeling.
———A simple Child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?
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 the Living Do
by Marie Howe
‘What the Living Do’ by Marie Howe is a beautiful poem about contemporary life. Throughout, the speaker defines what it is the living do.
When Death Comes
by Mary Oliver
Here is an analysis of the poem When Death Comes by American poet Mary Oliver. Oliver, a highly beloved and
When I Die
by Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi
‘When I Die’ is an incredible Rumi poem about eternal life after death. The poet proposes not to grieve his death as it’s just a means to a new beginning, not an end.
When Stretch’d On One’s Bed
by Jane Austen
With the brief poem When Stretch’d On One’s Bed, Jane Austen is able to cause readers to value the days
When The Rain Started Drizzling Into His Story
by Riyas Qurana
‘When The Rain Started Drizzling Into His Story’ by Riyas Qurana is poem about growth and moving on, promoting self growth.
Where the Picnic Was
by Thomas Hardy
Most of Thomas Hardy’s poetry is riveted with loss. It is clear from his poetry that he experienced loss and
Wind (translated by A. K. Ramanujan)
by Subramania Bharati
‘Wind’ by Subramania Bharati focuses on the incredible strength of the wind and uses it as a way to encourage men to be just as strong and capable as it is.
Wodwo
by Ted Hughes
‘Wodwo’ by Ted Hughes is a dramatic monologue that depicts a “Wodwo” or fictional human-like creature. The creature investigates his surroundings and repetitively questions his existence.
Women and Roses
by Robert Browning
‘Women and Roses’ by Robert Browning conveys a man’s perspective on women throughout time. They are represented by three apples on his metaphorical apple tree.
World I Have Not Made
by Elizabeth Jennings
After the 1961 collection, Jennings, poet to ‘World I Have Not Made‘, came up with Recoveries (1964) and The Mind
Yellow Wood
by Syma K.
‘Yellow Wood’ by Syma K. details the ongoing struggle to balance the various layers of a person’s existence, without showing
You Reading This, Be Ready
by William Stafford
‘You Reading This, Be Ready’ was written a few days before William Stafford’s death. This poem taps on the theme of savoring the present moment.
