On Seeing the Elgin Marbles by John Keats
‘On Seeing the Elgin Marbles’ by John Keats is a poem about mortality. The speaker observes the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum and is moved by their power.
The Sower by Victor-Marie Hugo
‘The Sower’ by Victor-Marie Hugo reveals the musings of a poet persona as he observes an old sower working in his fields till night.
Compare and Contrast ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ by John Keats and ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare
‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ by John Keats and ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare speak on love through two very different lenses.
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art by John Keats
‘Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art’ is one of John Keats’ best-loved poems. It uses a star as an image of steadfastness in order to depict how true a lover’s heart is.
Human Life by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
‘Human Life’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes a speaker’s frustration with the concept that there is no purpose to life or existence after death.
A Character by William Wordsworth
‘A Character’ by William Wordsworth speaks on the moral character of a segment of mankind in relation to the feelings he has for the intended listener.
Nutting by William Wordsworth
‘Nutting’ by William Wordsworth describes a speaker’s boyhood journey into the woods and the resulting pleasure and rage he experiences.
Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples by Percy Bysshe Shelley
‘Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley describes the feelings a speaker suffers from and how he attempts to sooth his pain.
Thou Whose Spell Can Raise the Dead by Lord Byron
‘Thou Whose Spell Can Raise the Dead’ by Lord Byron, told by the prophet Samuel, describes the fate of King Saul and his sons.
October, 1803 by William Wordsworth
‘October, 1803’ by William Wordsworth describes England’s fear over an expected French invasion and how the speaker sees the world being transformed.
Work without Hope by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
‘Work without Hope’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes the ways in which Nature works and the importance of having goals, or hopes, to strive towards.
Consumption by William Cullen Bryant
‘Consumption’ by William Cullen Bryant describes the fast-approaching death of a tuberculosis patient and her path to heaven.
De Profundis by Christina Rossetti
‘De Profundis’ by Christina Rossetti describes a speaker’s longing for heaven, and the impossibility of reaching it during one’s lifetime.
A Slumber did my Spirit Seal by William Wordsworth
‘A Slumber did my Spirit Seal’ by William Wordsworth is one of five “Lucy” poems that Wordsworth published in the volume Lyrical Ballads, that he co-authored with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth
‘Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey’ by William Wordsworth is a well-loved poem that describes a speaker’s return to a specific spot along the banks of the River Wye and his understanding of nature.
The Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats
‘The Eve of St. Agnes’ by John Keats is a celebration of an idealized love between two beautiful and heroic characters. it’s written in Spenserian.
I Looked Up from My Writing by Thomas Hardy
‘I Looked Up from My Writing’ by Thomas Hardy is a existentially contemplative piece in which a writer is confronted with his own ignorance and irresponsibility.
The Indian Serenade by Percy Bysshe Shelley
‘The Indian Serenade’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a dreamlike, lyrical love poem told from the perspective of a desperate lover.
Mutability by Percy Bysshe Shelley
‘Mutability’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a description of the variable nature of our world and the fleeting lives of human beings.
Love and Friendship by Emily Brontë
‘Love and Friendship’, by Emily Brontë, is a three-stanza poem that functions as a compare/contrast piece between “love and friendship.”
The Ecchoing Green by William Blake
‘The Ecchoing Green’ by William Blake is poem that presents a theme that is as beautiful as it is melancholy.
The Eolian Harp by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
‘The Eolian Harp’ by S.T. Coleridge, has been entitled after the ‘Aeolian harp’, which creates melodious music while the wind blows across its strings. It is one of Coleridge’s early conversation poems.
Fears in Solitude by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
‘Fears in Solitude’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a historically significant poem in which the speaker discusses the threats his country is facing. He has no desire to be the enemy of his country, but he does need to stand up for what he believes in.
Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
‘Goblin Market’ is one of Christina Rossetti’s most famous and well-studied poems. The symbolism in the poem has led to a number of interpretations. One could argue that it is a metaphor for drug addiction or female purity.
