Peace Poems

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 poem presents the act of gathering cowrie shells and arranging them. The speaker thinks it could bring peace to her sad mind.

Sunday

by Gillian Clarke

 ‘Sunday’ by Gillian Clarke was inspired by the poet’s personal experience of attempting to enjoy a Sunday morning but then being reminded of all the suffering that’s going on in the world. 

The poem reminds the reader that peace is a luxury, one that is afforded to far fewer people than readers in affluent countries might assume.

Morning Swim

by Maxine Kumin

‘Morning Swim’ by Maxine Kumin is a thoughtful lyric poem that’s written in couplets. The poem engages with themes of God and Nature. 

The speaker is filled with a feeling of peace as she swims in the lake water, alone in the early morning with no one but the fish for company. She sings a Christian hymn, drawing close to both her religion and the natural world.

The Eternal Goodness

by John Greenleaf Whittier

‘The Eternal Goodness’ by John Greenleaf Whittier is a relatively unknown 19th-century poem that explores religious themes and the various ways that God’s love comes through. 

One of the ways that the speaker feels his beliefs differ from those of his friends is his focus on God's kindness and love for peace and happiness. For one reason, his friends are not focused on the same thing.

29 April 1989

by Sujata Bhatt

‘29 April 1989’ by Sujata Bhatt is a sweet, little piece about a mother’s sudden found pleasure in nature’s soggy musicality.

A Brave and Startling Truth

by Maya Angelou

‘A Brave and Startling Truth’ by Maya Angelou is a commonly quoted poem about humanity’s future. The poet alludes to the “truth” that humanity will arrive at when “we” realize we are the one true wonder of the world. 

A Fairy Tale

by Amy Lowell

A Fairy Tale, as the title of Amy Lowell’s work invokes, is something that nearly everyone can relate to. A

A Hymn to the Evening

by Phillis Wheatley

‘A Hymn to the Evening’ by Phillis Wheatley describes a speaker’s desire to take on the glow of evening so that she may show her love for God.

A Murmur in the Trees— to note

by Emily Dickinson

‘A Murmur in the Trees— to note’ by Emily Dickinson is a poem about nature’s magic. It includes mysterious images of fairy men, glowing lights in the woods, and the murmuring of trees. 

A Simile for Her Smile

by Richard Wilbur

‘A Simile for Her Smile,’ written by the American poet Richard Wilbur, is a poem about finding the right simile for a loved one’s smile. It appears in Wilbur’s second collection of poetry, Ceremony, and Other Poems (1950).

A Thank-Offering

by Ella Higginson

‘A Thank-Offering’ by Ella Higginson is addressed to God. It outlines all the beautiful sights and sounds in a speaker’s everyday life and thanks to God for creating them. 

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

by John Donne

‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ by John Donne is an incredibly famous poem. In it, Donne uses one of his famous conceits to depict the steadfast nature of his love.

A Woman’s Last Word

by Robert Browning

‘A Woman’s Last Word’ by Robert Browning is made up of a wife’s request to her husband that they stop arguing for the night and enter into a peaceful sleep. 

After Love

by Sara Teasdale

‘After Love’ by Sara Teasdale expresses a relationship situation where, despite the “peace” and “safe[ty]” felt within it, the narrator still feels disappointed.

After the Winter

by Claude McKay

‘After the Winter’ by Claude McKay is a thoughtful and beautiful poem. Its speaker looks towards the future and considers the ideal life he’ll live with his partner.

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.

An August Midnight

by Thomas Hardy

‘An August Midnight’ was written in 1899 by ‘Thomas Hardy’, published in 1901. The main theme in this poem is the meaning and purpose in life.

Animal Tranquility and Decay

by William Wordsworth

This fascinating poem, ‘Animal Tranquility and Decay,’ by William Wordsworth depicts an old man who walks in peace and tranquility. He seems to walk aloof from the cares and concerns of this world.

Anne Hathaway

by Carol Ann Duffy

‘Anne Hathaway’ by Carol Ann Duffy is told from the perceptive of Shakespeare’s wife who discusses their enduring love through the symbol of a bed. 

Armistice

by Sophie Jewett

‘Armistice’ by Sophie Jewett describes a brief moment of magic, contemplation, and peace that two travellers experience as they journey across the ocean.

Beautiful Old Age

by D.H. Lawrence

Beautiful Old Age is a poem in which Lawrence imagines a world in which old age is truly revered and hoped for, & describes what that world would feel like.

Blowin’ in the Wind

by Bob Dylan

What’s actually blowin’ in the wind? What’s already there yet deliberately ignored? The answer, my friend, is there in the memorable lyrics of Bob Dylan’s best-loved song ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.

Daybreak

by Jack London

‘Daybreak’ by Jack London describes an interaction between a speaker and the woman he loves at the dawning of an especially beautiful day.

Don’t Despise Me

by Akka Mahadevi

‘Don’t Despise Me’ by Akka Mahadevi is a plea to the listener. It showcases the poet’s devotion and adherence to her faith.

The Best-Kept Secrets of Poetry

Discover and learn about the greatest poetry ever straight to your inbox

Discover and learn about the greatest poetry, straight to your inbox

Start Your Perfect Poetry Journey