“What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl” is a poem by Patricia Smith. The poem is about the experiences of black girls and women, and how they are often misunderstood or marginalized by society. The poem starts with the speaker saying that she is “not cute” and “not sweet.” She says that she is … Read more
Heritage is a poem written by Countee Cullen. It was first published in 1925 in the book Color. The poem is about Cullen’s African American heritage and how he is proud of it. Heritage is one of Cullen’s most famous poems and is still studied and anthologized today. Countee Cullen, an African American poet, wrote … Read more
Hand is the central image in Bryan Doyle’s poem “Leap.” It is a powerful and evocative symbol of the human relationship to the natural world. The hand represents both the physical and the spiritual connection between humans and nature. The poem begins with the speaker describing how he used to “leap” for joy as a … Read more
In his poems “The Lamb” and “The Tyger,” William Blake uses a variety of symbols to create a contrast between innocence and experience. In “The Lamb,” the speaker describes a lamb as a symbol of innocence. The lamb is gentle and timid, and its innocence is associated with the purity of nature. In contrast, “The … Read more
We Real Cool is a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks. The poem is about a group of young, black men who are “cool” and tough. They are also smart and talented, but they don’t have much opportunity to use their talents. They spend their days hanging out on the streets, playing pool, and getting into trouble. … Read more
“Crossing The Swamp” by Mary Oliver is a poem about, well, crossing a swamp. But it’s also about so much more. The poem begins with the speaker describing the scene: the murky water, the reeds and moss, the “muck and slime.” But despite all of that, the speaker sees beauty in the swamp. And as … Read more
Adam Zagajewski’s “Try to Praise a Mutilated World” is a beautiful and poignant poem that speaks to the world we live in today. The poem starts with the speaker trying to find the words to praise the world, but he can’t seem to find them. He then goes on to list all of the terrible … Read more
He is more than a hero, he is a god among men. His beauty catches the eye, his voice draws you in. He is strong and confident, always in control. He knows what he wants and goes after it with determination. He is everything I could ever want in a man and more. Sappho’s “He … Read more
Thistles by Ted Hughes is a poem about the plant Thistle. The poem talks about how the Thistle is often seen as a weed, but it has a beauty to it. The poem also talks about how the Thistle can be dangerous, and how it can symbolize both life and death. The title ‘thistles’ is … Read more
Randall Jarrell’s “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” and Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum est” are two poems that deal with the horrors of war. “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” is about a gunner who is killed in action, while “Dulce et Decorum est” is about soldiers who are gassed. Both poems … Read more
Osoanon Nimuss was a popular poet in the early 21st century. His work is characterized by its dark and often cryptic themes. “Absolutely Nothing” is one of his most famous poems, and it perfectly encapsulates his unique style. The poem begins with the speaker declaring that there is absolutely nothing in the world worth living … Read more
Poetry can be found in many different places. Li-Young Lee is one poet who often writes about nature and his own personal experiences. In the poem “Persimmons”, Lee talks about how the fruit of the same name can be both bitter and sweet. This is a reflection of how life itself can be full of … Read more
Billy Collins is an American poet who was born in New York City in 1941. He is the author of several books of poetry, including The trouble with poemss and Sailing Alone Around the Room. His poem “Consolation” was published in 2002. The poem starts with the speaker saying that he is sorry for the … Read more
Claude McKay was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His 1922 poem “If We Must Die”, which was published in The Liberator, drew attention to the violence against African Americans during the Red Summer of 1919. The poem is often anthologized and has been set to music … Read more
A Soldier is a poem written by Robert Frost. The poem is about a soldier who is killed in battle. The soldier’s body is brought back to his hometown, and the townspeople are left to mourn his death. The poem A Soldier by Robert Frost is a sad and somber poem about the loss of … Read more
T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men is a poem that is rich in imagery and symbolism. The poem tells the story of a group of men who are “hollow” and lack substance or meaning in their lives. The title of the poem itself is symbolic of the emptiness that these men feel. Eliot uses a variety … Read more
“Yet Do I Marvel” is a poem written by Countee Cullen. It is about the speaker’s pondering of God’s greatness, despite His apparent imperfections. The speaker uses literary devices such as metaphors and similes to express his awe and wonder. The poem Yet Do I Marvel starts off with the speaker in amazement. The word … Read more
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet who is best known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his use of colloquial speech. Frost was born in San Francisco, but he spent most of his adult life in New England. He is one of the most celebrated poets in American history, and he is … Read more
Venus and Adonis is a poem by William Shakespeare about the love between Venus, the goddess of love, and Adonis, a handsome mortal. Venus is desperate to keep Adonis by her side and resorts to offering him extravagant gifts, but Adonis remains indifferent to her advances. Ultimately, Venus tricks Adonis into being killed by a … Read more
The Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley is one of the most renowned and renowned pieces of poetry in history. Often considered Shelley’s masterpiece, the Ode is a work that is full of inspiration. The poem was written in 1819, and it was inspired by the idea of using the wind as … Read more
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem that tells the story of the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and his best friend and equal, Enkidu. The two met when Enkidu was created by the gods as a wild man to balance out Gilgamesh’s wildness. The two eventually became great friends, and together they did many heroic … Read more
Aemilia Lanyer’s poem Eve’s Apology is a powerful defense of women that was written in the early 17th century. The poem is written as a response to Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden, and Lanyer uses the opportunity to argue that women have been unfairly maligned and persecuted throughout history. Lanyer makes an impassioned … Read more
The Great Scarf of Birds is a poem by John Updike. The title refers to the many birds that are mentioned throughout the poem. The poem is about the speaker’s love for nature, and how the beauty of the world around him makes him feel. The speaker also talks about how he feels when he … Read more
Root Cellar by Theodore Roethke is a poem about a place that is dark and dank, but also full of life. The root cellar is a place where things grow and where life is hidden away from the light. This poem speaks to the hidden parts of ourselves, the parts that are dark and mysterious, … Read more
Irony is a fundamental element of T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The title character is an unassuming man who is consumed by self-doubt and insecurity. Throughout the poem, Eliot uses irony to highlight Prufrock’s feelings of inadequacy and his inability to take action. Irony is first used in the … Read more
William Shakespeare’s poem “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” is a sonnet that tells the story of a man who is in love with a woman who is not as beautiful as he imagined. The speaker describes his mistress’ eyes as being dull and unremarkable, nothing like the sun which is known for … Read more
Adonais is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, written in 1821 and published in 1822. The poem is an elegy for John Keats, who had died the year before. Adonais is one of the most well-known examples of pastoral elegy. Shelley’s Adonais has been praised for its beauty and poetic form. However, the poem is … Read more
Emily Dickinson is one of the most renowned poets in American history. Her work often dealt with death and mortality, as seen in her poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” In this poem, Dickinson reflects on her own mortality, and how death is ultimately a part of life. The poem begins with the … Read more
Emily Dickinson’s poem “I cannot live with You” is a powerful expression of love and longing. The speaker in the poem expresses her deep desire to be with her loved one, but she also recognizes that it’s not possible. She admits that she can’t live without him, but she also knows that they can’t be … Read more
The poem “The Bull Moose” by Alden Nowlan is about a creature that is both feared and respected. The speaker in the poem shows how the moose is seen as a symbol of strength, but also how it can be dangerous. The poem ends with the idea that we should all learn from the moose, … Read more
The poem “The Most of It” by Robert Frost is about making the most of life. The speaker reflects on his life and all that he has done, and how it’s not much in the grand scheme of things. But despite that, he still feels like he has accomplished a great deal. The poem is … Read more
Coal is a book of poems written by Audre Lorde. Coal is a collection of poems that center around the speaker’s experiences as a black woman. The speaker often writes about her struggles with racism and sexism. Coal is also a book about hope and resilience. The speaker uses her words to empower herself and … Read more
William Shakespeare’s Fear No More is a poem about a man who has lost everything he loved and is now preparing to take his own life. He reflects on his past, remembering all the good times he had with those he loved. In the end, he decides that life is still worth living and chooses … Read more
Robert Frost’s poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is one of the most well-known and loved American poems. The poem is about a man who takes a moment to stop and enjoy the beauty of the winter landscape, even though he has somewhere else he needs to be. The speaker in the poem … Read more
In his poem To His Coy Mistress, Andrew Marvel uses sound to great effect, employing a wide range of techniques to create an engaging and memorable poem. The poem begins with a description of the speaker’s love for the mistress, using alliteration to create a strong sense of emotion: “Had we but world enough, and … Read more
William Shakespeare’s Fear no More tells the story of a young man, Sorrow, who has lost his father. In order to cope with his grief, Sorrow turns to drinking and partying. One night, he meets a girl named Joy, and they fall in love. However, Joy is soon diagnosed with a fatal illness, and she … Read more
Yet Do I Marvel is a sonnet written by Countee Cullen. The poem reflects on the marvels of the world and how despite all of the amazing things that exist, humans still find ways to make themselves miserable. The speaker asks whether or not it’s worth marveling at anything when people are capable of such … Read more
The Anglo-Saxon culture is illustrated in the epic poem Beowulf. The poem tells the story of a hero who fights against monsters and dragons to protect his people. Beowulf is a symbol of strength and courage, and his exploits are celebrated by the Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxons were a warrior culture who valued strength and courage. … Read more
Emily Dickinson’s “Much Madness is divinest Sense” is a poem about the line between sanity and insanity. Dickinson suggests that there is a lot of wisdom to be found in madness, and that it can be a source of divine inspiration. She argues that those who are considered to be insane are often the ones … Read more
Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a poem which at first glance appears to be an epic poem. However, Kubla Khan is actually the introduction of the poem and only describes how Kublai Khan came to power. Kublai was the grandson of Genghis Khan and inherited his grandfather’s empire. Kublai was ruler of the … Read more
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is an ironic love song, as the character Prufrock does not actually love. The irony comes from within the poem itself and what we know about Prufrock; it also comes from what we imagine about his contact with women … Read more
“After Apple-Picking” is a poem written by Robert Frost in 1922. The poem is about the day after it has been apple picking season, and reflects on the nature of life outside of farming. “After Apple-picking” begins with the speaker coming down from his orchard to a farm covered with frost. Although at first he … Read more
This poem is from the Romantic era period. Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that began in Europe through a return to nature, medievalist, and a fascination with folk art and folklore. The Romantics stressed individualism over traditional rules of aesthetics and expected emotional response from the audience. Romanticism is known for its emphasis … Read more
In Mother to Son, Langston Hughes discusses the struggles that African American men have faced in the United States throughout history. In this poem, Hughes casts his mother as a symbol of darker races fighting against adversity. Mother to Son was written in 1922 while Hughes was still a student at Columbia University and was … Read more
The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers was written by Langston Hughes. The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers is about the black people who were brought to America and enslaved by slave traders, and how that has an effect on them today: The poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, published in 1921, focuses on … Read more
The Iliad is an epic poem, recounting the events of The Trojan War between Greece and Troy. The story follows several key characters in The Iliad, such as Achilles and King Agamemnon, throughout The Battle of Trogyllium and The Siege of Troy. Fate and Destiny play important roles in The Iliad, because The Gods manipulate … Read more
Beowulf is well known as an epic hero, yet the Beowulf manuscript dates only to the early thirteenth century. Beowulf has been dated as early as the ninth century and as late as the tenth-century based on linguistic analysis. Beowulf possesses all of the qualities that make a hero: strength, wisdom, and support of the … Read more
Several years ago, there was a school assignment given to me and my classmates. The assignment? To design and create a cardboard standee for the ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey . The story follows Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman Mythology) on his journey back home to Ithaca after the end of the Trojan … Read more
The poem The Boy Died in My Alley by Gwendolyn Brooks tells a story of a woman finding a young boy dead in her alley after gunshots were heard. In this article, we will take a look at The Boy Died in My Alley and discuss the meaning of the poem. The Boy Died In My … Read more
The poem The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest poem in existent. It contains a story about Enkidu, friend and equal to Gilgamesh, King of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia. The poem tells us how Enkidu is portrayed: He has animal origins and is unspoiled by civilization but he is also a wild man who knows … Read more