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.
Hospital for Defectives by Thomas Blackburn
‘Hospital for Defectives’ by Thomas Blackburn depicts a speaker’s inability to understand why God would create men who are unable to communicate.
Talking in Bed by Philip Larkin
‘Talking in Bed’ by Philip Larkin depicts the difficulties a speaker has talking in bed with his lover. It’s a poem about how loneliness can invade even the most initmate moments.
Walking by Thomas Traherne
‘Walking’ by Thomas Traherne describes the joy and knowledge to be gained through the routine of walking and observing the world with one’s thoughts.
Weariness by Eva Gore-Booth
‘Weariness’ by Eva Gore-Booth describes a world weary speaker who is tired of living amongst the constant chatter of her everyday life.
Marshlands by Emily Pauline Johnson
‘Marshlands’ by Emily Pauline Johnson paints a picture of the life residing in a marshland as night approaches and casts the ecosystem into silence.
Faith Healing by Philip Larkin
‘Faith Healing’ by Philip Larkin is a thoughtful poem that depicts a group of women and focuses on their emotional experiences.
Sea of Death by Thomas Hood
‘Sea of Death’ by Thomas Hood describes the nature of the sea of death as seen through the eyes of an observer, anchored in a boat.
The grove of golden trees has fallen silent… by Sergei Yesenin
‘The grove of golden trees has fallen silent’ by Sergei Yesenin was written in 1924 and originally published in Yesenin’s native tongue, Russian. It appears in this analysis in translated English, by Anton Yakovlev.
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond by E.E. Cummings
‘somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond ‘ describes the control a fragile and gentle lover has over a speaker’s state of mind.
Rose-Cheeked Laura by Thomas Campion
‘Rose-Cheeked Laura’ by Thomas Campion describes a speaker’s idealized image of what love should be and how one woman personifies that love.
Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘Concord Hymn’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson describes the spirit which inhabited the “embattled farmers” at the start of the Revolutionary War.
Winter-Lull by D.H. Lawrence
‘Winter-Lull’ by D.H. Lawrence describes a snow covered battlefield and the silence plaguing a group of soldiers during WWI.
Passers-by by Carl Sandburg
‘Passers-by’ by Carl Sandburg describes the emotions interpreted and the sights seen by speaker after a walk through the streets of a city.
Apostate by Léonie Adams
Apostate’ by Léonie Adams describes the freedom a speaker sees in the joyful stars and how she aches to live as they do.
Prairie Spring by Willa Cather
‘Prairie Spring’ by Willa Cather is a list poem which describes what it is like to experience one’s youth on the vibrant and “sombre” prairies.
Translation by Anne Spencer
“Translation” describes a spiritual journey undertaken by the speaker and her companion. She wonders at the transcence they encounter.
Silence by Thomas Hood
‘Silence’ by Thomas Hood describes the ways in which Silence exists in the world and the places that one can find it.