Bards of Passion and of Mirth
by John Keats
‘Bards of Passion and of Mirth’ by John Keats is one of the poet’s early odes. In it, Keats confirms that bards, or authors, have two souls, with one rising to heaven, and the other staying on earth.
“Venice — Venus?” (#5 from Hermetic Definition: ‘Red Rose and a Beggar’)
by Hilda Doolittle
“Venice — Venus?” by Hilda Doolittle is an insightful poem about Doolittle’s reasons for writing despite critiques. Doolittle reveals that her ultimate source of inspiration is divine.
In Memory of the Utah Stars
by William Matthews
‘In Memory of the Utah Stars’ captures the manner in which memories can provide us with both pleasure and pain.
Often I Am Permitted to Return to a Meadow
by Robert Duncan
‘Often I Am Permitted to Return to a Meadow’ by Robert Duncan is often regarded as the poet’s best work. It analyzes the poet’s dream of a meadow while also exploring the new technique of projective verse.
Because I could not stop for Death
by Emily Dickinson
‘Because I could not stop for death,’ Dickinson’s best-known poem, is a depiction of one speaker’s journey into the afterlife with personified “Death” leading the way.
Character of the Happy Warrior
by William Wordsworth
‘Character of the Happy Warrior’ by William Wordsworth is a poem about what it means to be a “happy warrior” and what the elements of this kind of person’s life would be.
I died for beauty but was scarce
by Emily Dickinson
‘I died for beauty but was scarce’ by Emily Dickinson reflects her fascination for death and the possible life to follow.
Lincoln, Man of the People
by Edwin Markham
‘Lincoln, Man of the People’ by Edwin Markham is a unique poem about Abraham Lincoln that paints him, and his legacy, in idealized, universal terms. The speaker spends the poem describing Lincoln the perfect leader.
A Face
by Robert Browning
Written in response to fellow poet Coventry Patmore’s poem The Angel in the House (1854), ‘A Face’ by Robert Browning explores the poet’s fascination with a lady’s portrait, particularly her facial features depicted in it.
A Woman Waits for Me
by Walt Whitman
Formerly known as ‘Poem of Procreation,’ Whitman’s ‘A Woman Waits for Me’ is all about the power of regeneration, procreation, and creativity.
Constantly Risking Absurdity
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
‘Constantly Risking Absurdity’ was first published in 1958 in his collection A Coney Island of the Mind: Poems. The speaker goes on to say that the poet is a “super realist” while at the same time making his way towards where “Beauty stands and waits”.
Died..
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
‘Died..’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning explores the impact of a man’s death while also exploring the immorality of passing judgements, good or bad.
Flash Crimson
by Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg’s ‘Flash Crimson’ is an emotionally charged, devotional poem where a speaker is eager to ask God for more hardships. It deals with the themes of devotion, morality, legacy, and the afterlife.
For the Fallen
by Laurence Binyon
‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon is a beautiful and powerful war poem. It addresses the losses England suffered in World War I while celebrating the soldier’s patriotism and bravery.
Holy Sonnet IX
by John Donne
‘Holy Sonnet IX’ by John Donne, also known by its first line ‘If poisonous minerals, and if that tree’ is one of several “Holy Sonnets” the poet composed during his lifetime. This particular poem focuses on a dispute between the speaker and God.
I did not reach Thee
by Emily Dickinson
‘I did not reach Thee’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem about a speaker’s journey through life. She expresses both optimism and hesitation in the face of her death and attempts to reach God.
Leda and the Swan
by William Butler Yeats
Published in Yeats’ collection of Later Poems in 1926, ‘Leda and the Swan’ is a sonnet based on a myth from Greek mythology. According to Greek myth, Leda was the mother of mankind.
Love Among the Ruins
by Robert Browning
‘Love Among the Ruins’ by Robert Browning is a Victorian, dramatic poem that uses the metaphor of a destroyed city to speak on love and nature.
Monuments for a Friendly Girl at a Tenth Grade Party
by William Stafford
William Stafford shows his unique style of writing, the use of imagery, and symbolism in his poem ‘Monuments for a Friendly Girl at a Tenth Grade Party.’ He uses flashbacks to his school days when he first met his childhood love, Ruth, and felt “alive.”
My Book
by Robert Service
In writing ‘My Book,’ Robert Service reminds his readers about the importance of avoiding judgement on others and instead focusing on themselves.
My Son, My Executioner
by Donald Hall
Donald Hall’s poem ‘My Son, My Executioner’ centers on how a speaker looks at his child’s innocent face and wishes to die in order to get immortality. It taps on the spiritual bliss of parenting.
Ode on a Grecian Urn
by John Keats
‘Ode on a Grecian Urn,’ an ekphrastic poem, is one of John Keats’ “Great Odes of 1819”.
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all”, have you ever wondered how confident a poet can be to utter these memorable words?
Piteous My Rhyme
by Christina Rossetti
‘Piteous My Rhyme’ contains a speaker’s musings on the nature of love and the different forms, all immortal, that it can take.
Provide, Provide
by Robert Frost
‘Provide, Provide’ by Robert Frost is a powerful depiction of the inevitability of death. Frost spends time talking about the ways one can face the fact that they aren’t going to live forever.
Queenhood
by Simon Armitage
‘Queenhood’ by Simon Armitage was written to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. It celebrates the Queen’s lifetime of service and describes the unique features of her life.
Sonnet 107
by William Shakespeare
Read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 107, ‘Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul,’ with a summary and complete analysis of the poem.
Sonnet 55
by William Shakespeare
Read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 55, ‘Not marble, nor the gilded monuments,’ with a summary and complete analysis of the poem.
Sonnet 75
by Edmund Spenser
‘Sonnet 75′ is part of Amoretti, a sonnet cycle that describes Edmund Spenser’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Boyle.
Teach me your mood, O patient stars!
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘Teach me your mood, O patient stars!’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a beautiful short poem about the nature of life and death. The speaker addresses the stars and discusses their “mood.”