Jazz Fantasia by Carl Sandburg
In ‘Jazz Fantasia’ Carl Sandburg conveys his feelings about the rise of jazz music and Black culture in America.
Pour l’amour de ma doulce amye
‘Pour l’amour de ma doulce amye’ or ‘For the love of my sweet lady,’ is a French lyric composed in the 15th century. It is dedicated to a woman the writer loved.
Dear John, Dear Coltrane by Michael S. Harper
‘Dear John, Dear Coltrane’ by Michael S. Harper describes musician John Coltrane’s life and alludes to the ways in which it influenced the poet’s work.
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.
The Man with the Saxophone by Ai
‘The Man with the Saxophone’ by Ai contains a description of a lonely, quiet New York street and the moments of happiness the narrator experiences while listening to music.
Dream Boogie by Langston Hughes
‘Dream Boogie’ by Langston Hughes is a poem about jazz, creativity, and the oppression of Black Americans. It was written during the Harlem Renaissance.
Recital by John Updike
‘Recital’ by John Updike is a poetic tribute to Roger Bobo, an American tuba virtuoso and brass pedagogue. This poem captures the popularity of Bobo’s tuba playing skills.
Fiddler Jones by Edgar Lee Masters
Masters’ ‘Fiddler Jones’ highlights how following one’s passion, no matter what it is, is always worthwhile and helps lead a life without any regrets. As the title says, this poem is about a wayward fiddler devoted to his passion.
Love Songs In Age by Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin explores the immense power in ‘Love Songs In Age,’ and how reality can never fulfill the potential they promise us.
The Accompanist by William Matthews
‘The Accompanist’ by William Matthews is a direct and powerful poem about jazz and what music can accomplish.
A Fairy Song by William Shakespeare
‘A Fairy Song’ by William Shakespeare features in the well-loved play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s sung by a fairy and describes their work.
Everywhere Is Out of Town by Kevin Young
‘Everywhere Is Out of Town’ is a poetic tribute to The James Brown band, popularly knows as the J.B.’s. The poem was first published in a poetry journal in 1993.
The Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay
‘The Harlem Dancer’ by Claude McKay is a thoughtful poem about a dancer’s inner life. It speaks on the duality of what people see and what people experience.
The Day Lady Died by Frank O’Hara
Frank O’Hara wrote ‘The Day Lady Died’ in memory of the jazz singer Billie Holiday. She passed away from complications due to liver diseases in July 1959.
Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness by John Donne
‘Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness’ by John Donne is written from the perspective of a dying man hoping to gain access to heaven.
I Am In Need of Music by Elizabeth Bishop
‘I Am In Need of Music’ by Elizabeth Bishop describes the desire a speaker has to be held, calmed down and consumed by the music she loves.
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.
To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence by James Elroy Flecker
‘To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence’ by James Elroy Flecker describes the poet’s attempt to reach out to future generations of writers.
The Day is Done by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
‘The Day is Done’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes a speaker’s desire to have his night improved with the work of a passionate poet.
Hours by Hazel Hall
‘Hours’ by Hazel Hall describes how a speaker experinces hours which are like “cities,” “forbidden music” and “mellow” in tone.
Inexorable Deities by Edgar Lee Masters
‘Inexorable Deities’ is made up of one speaker’s wish to be given the power to look on the beauty of the world without shying away.
The Vampire by Conrad Aiken
‘The Vampire’ by Conrad Aiken describes the coming of a great evil and the choices made by men in the midst of unspeakable darkness.
The Myth of Music by Rachel M. Harper
‘The Myth of Music’ by Rachel M. Harper describes the mythical power of music and its ability convey one’s generational and familial relationships.
Reflections Irregular by John Rollin Ridge
‘Reflections Irregular’ details the return of a man to a place in which he spent his youth and the ways he has changed in the intervening years.
A Minor Poet by Stephen Vincent Benét
‘A Minor Poet’ by Stephen Vincent Benét describes the speaker’s beliefs about his own work and how it compares to the work of the world’s greatest writers.
Musician by Gillian Clarke
‘Musician’ by Gillian Clarke is a poem about her son learning to play the piano, where the imagery around the home aids to describe the creativity of music.
Piano by D.H. Lawrence
‘Piano’ by D.H. Lawrence is a powerful and emotional poem about the past. It uses childhood memories and nostalgia to move the reader.