This thematic Collection highlights poems centered on the experiences of perseverance and determination. These titles examine the human drive to overcome personal and social obstacles, such as racism. Representing hundreds of years of literary history, the Collection includes works by authors such as John Donne, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, and Kwame Alexander.
Publication year 1977
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, American Literature
Publication year 1891
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fame, Natural World: Animals
Tags Lyric Poem, American Literature, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1850
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period
Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam AHH explores the cosmic implications of the death of a college friend (his sister’s fiancé), poet Arthur Henry Hallam, who died quite unexpectedly in 1833 at the age of 22 most likely from a cerebral hemorrhage. The poem is among the most ambitiously conceived philosophical poems in the English language and a monument to the dynamics of how Christians themselves grapple with the thorny question of mortality. The work stands... Read In Memoriam Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Lyric Poem, Diversity, Social Justice, History: U.S., Black Lives Matter, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature
Publication year 1988
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture, American Literature
Publication year 1889
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Disability, Inspirational, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1988
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature
Publication year 1949
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, WWII / World War II
Publication year 1871
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Animals
Tags Mythology
Publication year 1980
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1872
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, History: U.S., Race / Racism
Publication year 1990
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Place
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature
Publication year 1900
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Inspirational, African American Literature, American Literature, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S.
Publication year 1773
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide
“Light Shining Out of Darkness,” written by William Cowper, was first published in 1774 by John Newton, a Calvinist pastor, in Twenty-Six Letters on Religious Subjects; to Which Are Added Hymns. Later, the hymn was again collected in Olney Hymns in 1779, a text featuring hymns by both Cowper and Newton (“Light Shining Out of Darkness.” Representative Poetry Online, 1998.). In addition to being a hymn, the text could be labeled as a lyric poem... Read Light Shining Out of Darkness Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1939
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Relationships
Publication year 1959
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, American Literature, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Social Justice, History: U.S.
Publication year 1816
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 1945
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism
Publication year 1976
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature
Simon J. Ortiz originally published “My Father’s Song” in his poetry/story collection entitled A Good Journey (1977). Ortiz is a major writer in the Native American Renaissance, a movement which began in the 1960s and marked a significant increase in the production of literary works by Native Americans in the United States. The poem was written at a time when Ortiz was collecting and recounting stories from Indigenous tribes across the United States, and his... Read My Father's Song Summary