Old Man by Edward Thomas
‘Old Man’ by Edward Thomas is a thoughtful piece about the loss of memory and a disconnect to one’s past.
Root Cellar by Theodore Roethke
‘Root Cellar’ by Theodore Roethke is a short eleven-line poem that describes a variety of disgusting and smelly plant life that exists within a speaker’s root cellar.
Spirits of the Dead by Edgar Allan Poe
‘Spirits of the Dead’ by Edgar Allan Poe is a beautiful poem that describes life and death. Specifically, the poet dwells on what it means to move from one world to the next.
I Know a Man by Robert Creeley
Creeley’s ‘I Know a Man’ is about the growing darkness gnawing at the human soul, affecting its light and diminishing its inherent goodness. This poem hints at the condition of humankind in modern times.
For the Anniversary of My Death by W.S. Merwin
In ‘For the Anniversary of My Death,’ Merwin talks about his impending death. Interestingly, he observes a day each year as his probable death anniversary.
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.
The Rear-Guard by Siegfried Sassoon
Read Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘The Rear-Guard’ with a complete summary, analysis, and context to the war poem, about a soldier’s journey.
It Is Here by Harold Pinter
‘It Is Here’ by Harold Pinter is a thoughtful poem. It uses sense imagery in order to explore a relationship between two people.
Prospice by Robert Browning
In ‘Prospice’ by Robert Browning, the speaker talks of facing death bravely and being reunited with his soulmate. Read the poem, with a complete analysis.
In a Dark Time by Theodore Roethke
‘In a Dark Time’ by Theodore Roethke is a powerful, short poem about identity. The speaker contends with their mental health while exploring their darkness.
After Killing a Spider by Masaoka Shiki
‘After Killing a Spider’ by Masaoka Shiki is a thoughtful poem. It describes the negative and dark effects of killing a spider.
Sonnet 147 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 147,’ also known as ‘My love is as a fever, longing still,’ is a dark poem. It expresses the speaker’s loss of control over his body and mind. The Dark Lady has consumed his life like an illness.
Incident by Natasha Trethewey
‘Incident’ was published in the former United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey’s 2006 collection “Native Guard”. This poem features one of the African-American speaker’s reactions after watching the cross-burning by Ku Klux Klan members.
Snow Vision by Rita Reed
‘Snow Vision’ is a beautiful short poem that uses natural images, such as that of a tree, the snow, the wind, and the sun, to craft a fleeting scene.
Sonnet 95 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 95,’ also known as ‘How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame,’ is number ninety-five of one hundred fifty-four sonnets that William Shakespeare wrote.
On the Beach by Anne Ranasinghe
‘On the Beach’ by Anne Ranasinghe is a dark and disturbing poem in which the poet explores sadism through the narrative of a dog’s fate at the beach.
XII: An Epitaph by A.E. Housman
In Housman’s ‘XII: An Epitaph,’ readers will hear from a speaker who knows he’s about to die and is happy to accept his fate.
Try to Praise the Mutilated World by Adam Zagajewski
‘Try to Praise the Mutilated World’ by Adam Zagajewski focuses on the most important ways that people can find happiness in their everyday lives. They can step out into nature or return to memories.
The Autumn day its course has run by Charlotte Brontë
‘The Autumn day its course has run’ by Charlotte Brontë describes the comforting presence of darkness as it travels through a speaker’s home.
Going by Philip Larkin
‘Going’ by Philip Larkin is a memorable poem about death. In it, he depicts death as a dark form that consumes everything.
I now had only to retrace by Charlotte Brontë
‘I now had only to retrace’ by Charlotte Brontë describes a speaker’s harrowing journey through a rapidly darkening landscape.
The Three Little Pigs by Roald Dahl
This classic poem by Roald Dahl retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs with a surprisingly dark conclusion.
Luke Havergal by Edwin Arlington Robinson
‘Luke Havergal’ by Edwin Arlington Robinson is told from inside the mind of Luke Havergal, a man who is being tempted to suicide by the prospect of love.
The Prisoner by Emily Brontë
‘The Prisoner’ by Emily Brontë describes an interaction between the speaker, a prison warden, and a captive held within a dungeon crypt.
The Mill by Edwin Arlington Robinson
‘The Mill’ by Edwin Arlington Robinson describes a dark night in the life of a miller’s wife as she waits for her husband to return.
Goliath and David by Robert Graves
Goliath and David by Robert Graves retells the story of ‘David and Goliath’ in a darker, more realistic manner in which David loses the fight.