DEAD by Kanye West
‘DEAD’ by Kanye West addresses feelings of alienation and isolation. Specifically, those surrounding the writer’s relationship with his now ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
A Renewal by James Merrill
‘A Renewal’ by James Merrill describes the plight of a speaker who tries to end a relationship but, as soon as they successfully do so, our struck by a violent resurgence of the same love that they had lost.
To a Young Girl by William Butler Yeats
‘To a Young Girl’ by William Butler Yeats is a poem about a past love and how lovers know one another better than anyone else.
The Meeting by Katherine Mansfield
‘The Meeting’ by Katherine Mansfield is a short and image-rich poem that depicts a speaker’s reaction to a permanent separation from her lover.
10 of the Best Poems about the Heart
Here is a list of 10 heart-to-heart poems from poets ranging from William Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, Emily Dickinson, and Dylan Thomas. These poems explore the nature of love, heartache, and hearty emotions stored within.
Sonnet 139 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 139,’ also known as ‘O, call not me to justify the wrong,’ expresses the speaker’s longing that the Dark Lady stop treating him so cruelly. By the end, he gives in and accepts his fate.
Sonnet 133 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 133,’ also known as ‘Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan,’ is a poem about the speaker’s toxic relationship with the Dark Lady. He tries to find a way to improve his circumstances but admits he’s trapped.
Sonnet 135 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 135,’ also known as ‘Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,’ is an unusual sonnet within Shakespeare’s oeuvre. It expresses the speaker’s desire to sleep with the Dark Lady and counted among her many lovers.
Sonnet 118 by William Shakespeare
‘Sonnet 118,’ also known as ‘Like as, to make our appetites more keen,’ by William Shakespeare uses metaphors to depict the current state of the speaker and Fair Youth’s relationship.
Water by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Within ‘Water,’ Emerson personifies the force, depicting it as having its own will and the ability to make choices for itself and for civilization.
My own heart let me more have pity on by Gerard Manley Hopkins
‘My own heart let me more have pity on’ contains the thoughts of a speaker who is seeking a way out of his depressed mental state.
Time does not bring relief; you all have lied by Edna St. Vincent Millay
‘Time does not bring relief; you all have lied’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay tells of an emotionally damaged woman, seeking relief from heartbreak.
What Would I Give? by Christina Rossetti
‘What Would I Give?’ by Christina Rossetti is a first person narrative that describes a speaker’s emotionally damaged and depressed state of mind.
Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns
‘Ae Fond Kiss’ by Robert Burns tells of the unfortunate parting of two lovers, and a speaker’s depression over the many parts of his life he is losing.
Wild Oats by Philip Larkin
‘Wild Oats’ by Philip Larkin depicts the difficulties in a specific relationship he had with two women.
The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
‘The Invitation’ by Oriah Mountain Dreamer is a poem about relationships. In this piece, the speaker defines what it is she’s looking for and everything she doesn’t care about.
The Ghost by Sara Teasdale
‘The Ghost’ by Sara Teasdale describes a speaker’s unwelcome experience after reuniting with two ex-lovers in a city she used to know.
La Figlia Che Piange by T.S. Eliot
‘La Figlia Che Piange’ by T. S. Eliot describes a speaker’s attempt to craft the perfect, yet tragic, love story and his obsession with its completion.
Music I Heard by Conrad Aiken
‘Music I Heard’ by Conrad Aiken describes the irreparably changed world of a speaker who has lost his lover but not the most poignant of his memories.
Song For The Last Act by Louise Bogan
‘Song for the Last Act’ by Louise Bogan describes the complicated and emotionally confining relationship that exists between a speaker and their listener.
The Truth the Dead Know by Anne Sexton
‘The Truth the Dead Know’ by Anne Sexton is an emotional poem that speaks about traditions and attitudes around death, as well as Sexton’s response to loss in her own life.
To my Inconstant Mistress by Thomas Carew
‘To my Inconstant Mistress’ by Thomas Carew describes the outcome of a failed relationship between the speaker and the intended listener of the poem.
To a Friend in Love with the Wrong Man Again by Stephen Dunn
‘To a Friend in Love with the Wrong Man Again’ by Stephen Dunn describes the ups and downs of love through the story of a digger wasp.
The Broken Heart by William Barnes
‘The Broken Heart’ by William Barnes describes a kind and selfless Fanny whose heart was broken by a selfish and cruel man.
A Thousand Martyrs by Aphra Behn
‘A Thousand Martyrs’ by Aphra Behn describes the opulent life of a speaker who consumes everyone and everything around her.
My Picture Left in Scotland by Ben Jonson
‘My Picture Left in Scotland’ by Ben Jonson is a humorous tale of rejection told from the perspective of a rejected would-be-lover.
A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe
‘A Dream’ by Edgar Allan Poe describes a speaker’s waking and dreaming state and the brief moments of light and hope he experiences.
Never Seek to Tell thy Love by William Blake
‘Never Seek to Tell thy Love’ by William Blake describes one man’s choice to reveal his true feelings to his “love” and the failure of that effort.