‘If I were loved, as I desire to be’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a variation of a Petrarchan or
If I were loved, as I desire to be,v What is there in the great sphere of the earth, And range of evil between death and birth, That I should fear, —if I were loved by thee?
‘Lineage’ by Margaret Walker describes the strength of a speaker’s enslaved female ancestors and how they suffered for that strength.
‘Lion Heart’ by Amanda Chong is an eight stanza poem that is divided into sections of six, three, and two
‘Meeting Point’ by Louis MacNiece is an eight-stanza poem that uses structure, rhyme, and metaphor to reveal the life cycle of a relationship.
‘Mississippi’ by Aimé Césaire depicts the importance of perseverance and strength in the face of any kind of oppression.
‘My Grandmother’s Laughter’ is a poem that utilizes the simple element of a “blanket” to showcase the strength of the human mind.
‘My Mother’ by Ellen Bryant Voigt explores a speaker’s understanding of her mother and how her mother considered her as she aged.
‘No Coward Soul Is Mine’ by Emily Brontë describes a speaker’s overwhelming passion for God and the strength she is able to draw from her faith.
‘Ode’ or ‘We are the music makers’ was written in 1873, and it has nine full stanzas, where the first three are the most commonly quoted. This poem celebrates the energy and the spirit of the Victorian era.
‘Our Grandmothers’ by Maya Angelou explores understanding and acceptance. It includes themes of family and relationships.
She lay, skin down in the moist dirt,
the canebrake rustling
with the whispers of leaves, and
loud longing of hounds and
‘Plague’ by Jackie Kay is a poem about death, specifically about the plague in London and how a mother is forced to contend with the knowledge that both her sons are going to die.
‘Power’ by Adrienne Rich is a memorable poem that focuses on the power of Marie Curie and the impact she made on her field.
‘Prayer at Sunrise’ by James Weldon Johnson describes the power of the sun and a speaker’s request to be granted strength from God.
‘Queenhood’ by Simon Armitage was written to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. It celebrates the Queen’s lifetime of service and describes the unique features of her life.
‘Renouncement’ by Alice Meynell is a passionate poem in which the speaker fights to fend off thoughts of the person she loves. She refuses to allow herself to think about this person during the day.
‘She rose to His Requirement – dropt’ by Emily Dickinson speaks to the lack of freedom and respect women had in Dickinson’s time. It emphasizes the confining nature of marriage and society’s expectations for a married woman.
She rose to His Requirement—dropt
The Playthings of Her Life
To take the honorable Work
Of Woman, and of Wife—
‘Tableau’ by Countee Cullen is a powerful poem about two men, one black and one white, who appear to be romantic partners.
Alexander Pope’s ‘ The Dying Christian to His Soul’ is a poem that focuses on the speaker in his time of death.
‘The Forced Recruit’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning tells the very real story of a brave Italian man who was forced to fight against his country.
‘The Garden’ by H.D. is a thoughtful poem about oppression. The speaker uses natural imagery in order to depict oppression during her lifetime.
‘The Mountain and the Squirrel’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks on the strengths and weaknesses of two quarrelling characters who are very different.
‘The Same Note’ by Jackie Kay depicts Bessie Smith’s musical ability and how she could unite people from all walks of life.
‘The soul selects her own Society’ by Emily Dickinson emphasizes the solitary nature of the “Soul.” As well as “her” ability to select the “one” she wants to give access to, and then shut out all the rest.
The Soul selects her own Society —
Then — shuts the Door —
To her divine Majority —
Present no more —
‘The Stars Go Over the Lonely Ocean’ by Robinson Jeffers is a complex poem that suggests that the speaker’s contemporary world is falling apart and is only going to get worse before it gets better.
‘The Undertaking’ by John Donne is a poem about an elevated form of love that makes the speaker’s relationship superior to other people’s.
I have done one braver thing
Than all the Worthies did,
And yet a braver thence doth spring,
Which is, to keep that hid.
‘The Witch’ poem tells a short story about the life of the speaker, the witch, and the destruction she wrought on one someone who tried to help her.
‘The Women Gather’ is a short, free verse poem that speaks on how we judge one another and the essentially good nature of human beings.
The women gather because it is not unusual to seek comfort in our hours of stress.
A man must be buried.
It is not unusual that the old bury the young though it is an abomination.
‘To Earthward’ by Robert Frost contemplates the speaker’s connection to the earth. As he’s aged, he’s sought out more painful experiences in order to feel the same as he did in his youth.
Love at the lips was touch
As sweet as I could bear;
And once that seemed too much;
I lived on air
‘To My Mistress Sitting by a River’s Side by Thomas Carew compares the relationship between two lovers to the actions of a stream, river, and eddy.
‘Two Little Shadows’ is a poem by an unknown author about motherhood. It uses examples of figurative language to describe children.
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