The Song of the Jellicles by T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot’s ‘The Song of the Jellicles’ features the characteristics and nature of the Jellicle Cats, made famous by the musical adaptation, Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The Bear by Galway Kinnell
‘The Bear’ by Galway Kinnell is an unforgettable poem that details the physical struggle between a hunter and a bear he’s pursuing as well as the hunter’s spiritual transformation.
Silent Poem by Robert Francis
‘Silent Poem’ by Robert Francis is a poem dedicated to the “silent things” one finds in nature and on a rural farm. It is composed of a series of compound words.
Two-Headed Calf by Laura Gilpin
‘Two-Headed Calf’ by Laura Gilpin is a moving poem that evokes the reader sympathy for a doomed two-headed calf. It alludes to the value of all life, no matter if it conforms to humanity’s opinion of what is right and wrong.
Hush little baby, don’t say a word by Mother Goose
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word” by Mother Goose is a popular nursery rhyme that originated in the southern United States. It is addressed to a crying child and includes the many things that their father would do for them to make them happy.
Love on the Farm by D.H. Lawrence
‘Love on the Farm’ by D.H. Lawrence is a poem about the universality of love, passion, and death. Lawrence depicts these elements through the various lives observable on a farm.
The Hippopotamus by Hilaire Belloc
‘The Hippopotamus’ by Hilaire Belloc is an amusing short poem that describes shooting a hippopotamus with platinum bullets.
Good-bye Fox by Mary Oliver
‘Good-bye Fox’ by Mary Oliver is a thoughtful poem that explores the meaning of life. It includes a conversation between a fox and a human being.
Walking the Dog by Howard Nemerov
‘Walking the Dog’ by Howard Nemerov is a poem about an owner, his dog, and the walks they go on. The poet expresses the various sights he sees with his pet and the things they do and don’t share.
Animals Are Passing From Our Lives by Philip Levine
‘Animals Are Passing From Our Lives’ by Philip Levine is a thoughtful piece about the treatment of all living things. It was written in the mid-1960s during protests over the Vietnam War in the United States.
The Camel’s Hump by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Camel’s Hump’ is a fun poem on the repercussions of lethargy and inactivity. Humorously, we may grow a “Cameelious hump” if we feel like “we haven’t enough to do.”
A Dream by William Blake
‘A Dream’ by William Blake paints a compassionate and thoughtful picture of the natural world through the personified story of an ant.
Elizabeth’s War with the Christmas Bear by Norman Dubie
‘Elizabeth’s War with the Christmas Bear’ by Norman Dubie is an unforgettable poem about a Christmas bear that tries to attack Queen Elizabeth I and her reaction.
Fork by Charles Simic
‘Fork’ by Charles Simic is a surprising and imaginative poem. In it, the speaker uses interesting examples of figurative language to depict a fork.
The Panther by Ogden Nash
‘The Panther’ by Ogden Nash is a children’s poem about panthers. It uses humor to depict the panther and the dangers it poses.
The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Randall Jarrell
‘The Woman at the Washington Zoo’ by Randall Jarrell is a moving and disturbing poem. In it, the speaker explores her self worth and identity while comparing herself to zoo animals.
Traveling through the Dark by William Stafford
‘Traveling through the Dark’ by William Stafford is a powerful poem about life, death, and nature. The lines depict someone’s choices in regard to a dead, pregnant doe he finds on the side of the road.
Fog by Carl Sandburg
‘Fog’ by Carl Sandburg is a poem that expresses the author’s appreciation for the little events that occur in nature. The poem characterizes the fog as a graceful cat, which endears it in the eye of the reader.
The Pasture by Robert Frost
‘The Pasture’ by Robert Frost is a thoughtful and image-rich poem that depicts the chores a farmer has to complete.
Alice the Camel
‘Alice the Camel’ is a fun nursery rhyme and counting song. It describes Alice the camel and depicts her losing humps through the six stanzas until a surprising punchline ends the song.
The Purple Cow by Gelett Burgess
‘The Purple Cow’ by Gelett Burgess is a funny short poem. In it, the speaker declares his opinion about seeing and/or being a purple cow.
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry
‘The Peace of Wild Things’ by Wendell Berry is a popular poem about the natural world. The speaker spends the lines relishing in the freedom they experience in the woods.
Bag of Mice by Nick Flynn
‘Bag of Mice’ by Nick Flynn is a powerful poem that describes a speaker’s dream and a listener’s suicide note.
The North Wind Doth Blow
‘The North Wind Doth Blow,’ also sometimes known as ‘The Robin,’ is a short English nursery rhyme that may date as far back as 16th century England.
Animal Fair
‘Animal Fair’ is a fun nursery rhyme that describes the actions of a monkey and an elephant, which ends with a cliffhanger.
A Wise Old Owl
‘A Wise Old Owl’ is an English nursery rhyme. It depicts the qualities an owl has that make him wise and worthy of admiration.
Echoes of Cloncurry by Juliette A. H. Cavendish
‘Echoes of Cloncurry’ by Juliette A. H. Cavendish is a thoughtful poem about Cloncurry, Australia, and its entrancing past and present.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
‘There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly’ is a funny children’s rhyme. It describes an old lady who swallows everything from a fly to a cat to a horse.
Dead Deer by David Groff
‘Dead Deer’ by David Groff is a memorable poem about death. It describes a car accident in which the speaker and a deer lose their lives.
Holding Hands by Lenore M. Link
‘Holding Hands’ by Lenore M. Link is a light-hearted children’s poem that describes the way elephants “hold hands.” They link tails and spend their days in one another’s company.
