Category: Poem Analysis

Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think…

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

Welcome, dear readers, to an exploration of one of English literature’s most enchanting and enduring poems, Christopher Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” This timeless piece invites us into a world of idyllic beauty and heartfelt persuasion, a journey…

Alone

Alone by Edgar Allan Poe From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were, I have not seen As others saw, I could not bring My passions from a common spring, From the same source I have not taken…

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow; And everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go. It followed her to school one day, Which was against the rule; It made the children laugh and…

Daddy

Daddy, I have had to kill you. You died before I had time–– Marble-heavy, a bag full of God, Ghastly statue with one gray toe Big as a Frisco seal And a head in the freakish Atlantic Where it pours…

Those Winter Sundays

Welcome to a deep exploration of Robert Hayden’s profound poem, “Those Winter Sundays.” This piece of literature invites readers into a world of quiet reflection, revealing the often-unseen sacrifices of love and the poignant journey of belated understanding. Prepare to…

Dover Beach

Welcome, fellow explorers of literature, to a journey into one of English poetry’s most profound and evocative works: Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach.” This poem, a masterpiece of Victorian introspection, invites us to gaze upon a seemingly tranquil scene only to…

Home Burial

Welcome, dear readers, to an exploration of one of Robert Frost’s most poignant and psychologically rich poems, “Home Burial.” This powerful work invites us to witness a deeply personal and heartbreaking moment between a husband and wife, revealing the complex…

Thanatopsis

Welcome to a fascinating exploration of one of America’s most profound and enduring poems, “Thanatopsis.” This masterpiece invites us to contemplate life’s ultimate journey, not with fear, but with a sense of peace and connection to the vast, beautiful world…

The Flea

Welcome, inquisitive minds, to a journey into one of English literature’s most audacious and intellectually playful poems, John Donne’s “The Flea.” Prepare to be captivated by a speaker whose wit is as sharp as his argument is bold, all centered…

My Parents

My Parents by Stephen Spender My parents kept me from children who were rough Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes Their thighs showed through rags as they ran in the street And climbed cliffs, stripped by the…

Auguries of Innocence

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour A Robin Red breast in a Cage Puts all Heaven in…

Not Waving but Drowning

Not Waving but Drowning by Stevie Smith Nobody heard him, the dead man, But still he lay moaning: I was much further out than you thought And not waving but drowning. Poor chap, he always loved larking And now he’s…

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The tide rises, the tide falls, The twilight darkens, the curlew calls; Along the sea sands damp and brown The traveler hastens toward the town, And the tide rises, the…

When You Are Old

When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look Your eyes had once,…

Silence

The world is often filled with noise, a constant hum of activity and sound. Yet, there are moments, places, and even states of being where sound recedes, giving way to something far more profound. Thomas Hood’s evocative poem, “Silence,” invites…

The Voice

Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me, Saying that now you are not as you were When you had changed from the one who was all to me, But as at first, when our day was…

Old Ironsides

Welcome, aspiring wordsmiths and history enthusiasts, to an exploration of one of America’s most stirring poems, “Old Ironsides.” Penned by the brilliant Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., this poem is not merely a collection of verses; it is a passionate cry,…

Miniver Cheevy

Welcome, young scholars, to a fascinating journey into the world of poetry! Today, we delve into a classic American poem that offers a vivid portrait of a man caught between his dreams of the past and the realities of his…

Ode to the West Wind

Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being, Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, Yellow, and black, and pale, and…