Sky Poems

A Child’s Garden

by Rudyard Kipling

‘A Child’s Garden’ by Rudyard Kipling is written from the perspective of a young sick boy who is dreaming of escaping his confining and frightening life by taking to the sky in an airplane.

Life is but a Dream

by Lewis Carroll

‘Life is but a Dream’ by Lewis Carroll is a poem that depicts the logic and illogic of dreams and life, suggesting that our entire lives are one long dream.

Nude Interrogation

by Yusef Komunyakaa

‘Nude Interrogation’ by Yusef Komunyakaa is one of the best examples of prose poetry, and it captures the struggles of Vietnam War veterans after their return home.

'Nude Interrogation' uses the symbol of the sky to represent how the speaker "zones out" and attempts to remain apathetic about the world. However, this sky distraction is simply a coping mechanism that he uses to avoid thinking about how he killed at least one person in the Vietnam War.

The Windhover

by Gerard Manley Hopkins

‘The Windhover’ is an incredibly important poem that Hopkins considered to be his best. It uses symbolism to speak about God and faith.

The poem explores the relationship between the windhover bird and the sky as the bird soars and dives through the air. The sky is portrayed as a place of limitless possibility and transcendence as the bird rises and falls through it with effortless grace.

To Beachey, 1912

by Carl Sandburg

‘To Beachey, 1912‘ by Carl Sandburg is a poem that expresses the author’s appreciation for aviation. The main character of the poem is flying in an airplane, and from high up, he is able to really appreciate the beauty of the blue sky.

The sky is a powerful symbol in Carl Sandburg's poetry, representing freedom, possibility, and the infinite expanse of the human imagination. This is furthered through the poet's focus on flight.

[London, my beautiful]

by F.S. Flint

‘[London, my beautiful]’ by F.S. Flint describes one speaker’s love for the city of London and how he feels the city improves others and himself. 

A Bird Song

by Christina Rossetti

‘A Bird Song’ by Christina Rossetti describes, through the interactions of swallows, the need a speaker has for a consistent companion. 

A Former Life

by Charles Baudelaire

‘A Former Life’ by Charles Baudelaire speaks on a the poet’s own imagination and how his creative works are born there and are at his beck and call. 

A Night Thought

by William Wordsworth

‘A Night Thought’ by William Wordsworth describes a speaker’s displeasure at those among the human race who do not appreciate what fortune has given them.  

A Winter’s Tale

by D.H. Lawrence

‘A Winter’s Tale’ by D.H. Lawrence tells a tale of two parting lovers who meet in the woods on a dark and misty winter day. 

Ah, Moon–and Star!

by Emily Dickinson

‘Ah, Moon–and Star!’ by Emily Dickinson is an unforgettable love poem. The poet skillfully uses the universe to depict what it’s like for two lovers to be separated.

An Apple Gathering

by Christina Rossetti

‘An Apple Gathering’ is a first-person account of a woman who had a relationship before marriage and suffered the societal consquences.

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.

Anything Can Happen

by Seamus Heaney

‘Anything Can Happen’ depicts a contemporary anxiety while referring to a mythological past. The poem has four quatrains with no fixed rhyme-scheme.

Bull Song

by Margaret Atwood

‘Bull Song’ by Margaret Atwood describes the short life of a bull who is forced to fight in a ring against human “gods” and is then cut up for the victors.

Camping Out

by Gina Marie Lauchner

‘Camping Out’ by Gina Marie Lauchner is a celebration of camping and the joys of spending time outside when it’s dark. 

Crescent

by C.D. Wright

Carolyn D. Wright’s ‘Crescent’ is a thoughtful poem that describes a speaker’s intimate, incoherent feelings. She appreciates the nocturne with warmth and passion.

Dark August

by Derek Walcott

‘Dark August’ by Derek Walcott describes the dark life a speaker is forced to live when someone he depends on abandons him. 

De Profundis

by Christina Rossetti

‘De Profundis’ by Christina Rossetti describes a speaker’s longing for heaven, and the impossibility of reaching it during one’s lifetime. 

Evening

by Friedrich Schiller 

‘Evening’ by Friedrich Schiller contains a speaker’s plea to Apollo that he allow the sun to set and rest, and love to descend.

God’s World

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

‘God’s World’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay describes the wonders of nature and the value a speaker places on the sights she observes.

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