A Valediction Forbidding Mourning by Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich’s ‘A Valediction Forbidding Mourning’ describes a speaker’s inability to express her thoughts in conventional poetic decorum. Rich wrote this piece in 1970.
Reunion by Charles Wright
‘Reunion’ by Charles Wright is an emotionally charged poem that expresses the author’s personal relationship to his writing. The author views his poetry as a way to make peace with the past.
Sonnet—To Science by Edgar Allen Poe
‘Sonnet—To Science’ by Edgar Allan Poe contains a speaker’s view on the damage science has done to the arts, particularly the art of poetry.
Edgar Allan Poe by Timothy Thomas Fortune
‘Edgar Allan Poe’ by Timothy Thomas Fortune contains a speaker’s praise for the works and life of the poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe.
I Do Not Love Thee by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton
‘I Do Not Love Thee’ by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton consists of a speaker’s professed lack of love for a listener she is clearly infatuated with.
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.
Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish
‘Ars Poetica’ by Archibald MacLeish describes what the speaker believes to be the elements of successful and unsuccessful poetry.
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.
Write by Carol Ann Duffy
‘Write’ by Carol Ann Duffy is a celebration of love and the power that writing has to depict and understand its emotional intensity.
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.
Upon the Table the Tea Turning Cold by Riyas Qurana
‘Upon the Table the Tea Turning Cold’ by Riyas Qurana is a free verse poem that emphasizes the importance of reconciling the past and future.
My life has been the poem I would have writ by Henry David Thoreau
‘My life has been the poem I would have writ’ is a simple two-line work, but within those two lines, contains many subtle grammar.
Ecce Puer by James Joyce
‘Ecce Puer’ was published in 1932 and it is featured in Collected Poems. Joyce wrote this poem in order to mourn the recent death of his father, John Stanislaus Joyce.
A Text About Reading The Letter by Riyas Qurana
‘A Text About Reading The Letter’ by Riyas Qurana is a free verse poem with twelve stanzas dedicated to discussing a letter between a lover and his beloved.
A Conceit by Maya Angelou
The speaker in ‘A Conceit’ by Maya Angelou indicates she is interested in a relationship that is real and tangible. This is not something she’s willing to back down from.
Not To Step Into The Arena Of Poetry Just On Request by Riyas Qurana
‘Not To Step Into The Arena Of Poetry Just On Request’ is about a deteriorating friendship of the narrator, due to the misinterpretations.
Publication is the Auction by Emily Dickinson
‘Publication is the auction’ by Emily Dickinson is about the poet’s feelings toward her own works. It gives insight into her character and values.
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
‘Introduction to Poetry’ by Billy Collins is a beautiful poem that speaks about the nature of poetry. The poet considers how poetry should be appreciated and comprehended.