The Map by Elizabeth Bishop
‘The Map,’ written in 1934, is the signature poem of Elizabeth Bishop that transcends the boundaries of the real and imaginatively inspects the topographical features within a map.
Hard Times by John Ashbery
Published in Shadow Train (1981), John Ashbery’s ‘Hard Times’ is about the poet’s take on the modern world and its future. It showcases people’s ignorance of the issues that troubles Ashbery the most.
To My Excellent Lucasia, on Our Friendship by Katherine Philips
‘To My Excellent Lucasia, on Our Friendship’ by Katherine Philips describes the relationship that existed between the poet and her friend Anne Owens.
Recuerdo by Edna St. Vincent Millay
‘Recuerdo’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay tells of a night the speaker spent sailing back and forth on a ferry, eating fruit and watching the sky.
Of Mere Being by Wallace Stevens
‘Of Mere Being’ by Wallace Stevens describes the world beyond one’s last thought and speaks to the elemental purity of existence.
The Good-Morrow by John Donne
‘The Good-Morrow’ by John Donne is a sonnet that describes the perfect relationship in which a speaker and his lover exist.
A Postcard from a Volcano by Wallace Stevens
storming in blank walls, The seventh stanza presents what the speaker believes will be the thoughts of the wandering children of the future.
The Perfect World by Kahlil Gibran
‘The Perfect World’ describes what a speaker sees as an ideal way to live in order to take advantage of all that God has created.
In Her Splendor Islanded by Octavio Paz
‘In Her Splendor Islanded’ by Octavio Paz describes a woman through various images of water and land that are separated from the rest of the world.
I am Vertical by Sylvia Plath
‘I am Vertical’ by Sylvia Plath discusses the purpose of life and the value of beauty. The speaker is desperate for a worthwhile role in the world.
The Animals by Edwin Muir
‘The Animals’ by Edwin Muir describes the creation of non-human animals and the vulnerability that stems from their inability to speak for themselves.
Fortuna by Thomas Carlyle
’Fortuna’ by Thomas Carlyle describes how no single person can change the world, and that one must not mourn that which is beyond their ability to control.
Stormcock in Elder by Ruth Pitter
‘Stormcock in Elder’ by Ruth Pitter describes the nature of a mistle thrush which sings in close proximity to the speaker.
The Yellowhammer’s Nest by John Clare
‘The Yellowhammer’s Nest’ by John Clare describes the beautiful and brutal world in which a yellowhammer makes its nest and lays its eggs.
Of Many Worlds in This World by Margaret Cavendish
‘Of Many Worlds in This World’ by Margaret Cavendish describes the state of the world and how it contains an infinite number of smaller worlds.
God’s World by Edna St. Vincent Millay
‘God’s World’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay describes the wonders of nature and the value a speaker places on the sights she observes.
Sympathy by Edith Franklin Wyatt
‘Sympathy’ describes a speaker’s expanding view of the world and how a new ability to see has brought her closer to civilization.
The Old Year by Henry Kendall
‘The Old Year’ by Henry Kendall is an optimistic piece that deals with how time passes and the intangible impact it leaves on the present.
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
‘Fire and Ice’ by Robert Frost explores a universal interest in the apocalypse. It has always been a phenomenon capable of capturing people’s minds.