The poems in this curated Collection center the theme of conflict within society, families, and relationships. Spanning hundreds of years of literary history, these titles examine the emotions and motivations behind conflict, as well as subthemes of peace and resolution, through settings that range from the battlefield to the kitchen table.
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: War, Identity: Language, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, History: African , Afro-Caribbean Literature
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Auto/Biographical Fiction, American Literature
Publication year 1921
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, Race / Racism
Publication year 2009
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Economics, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community, Society: Nation
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth
Publication year 1998
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Metaphysical, Science / Nature, British Literature
Publication year 1914
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Satire, Military / War, Victorian Period, Christian literature
English poet and novelist Thomas Hardy wrote “Channel Firing” in May of 1914, only three months before the beginning of WWI. Eerily prophetic, the poem depicts the global chaos and destruction that soon followed. Overlaid by tones of satire and irony, the poem details the violence of war and humanity’s age-old proclivity toward it through a conversation between God and the dead. Hardy, although best known for his earlier novels, received positive reception concerning war... Read Channel Firing Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1968
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Satire, Lyric Poem, Race / Racism
Publication year 1717
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Age of Enlightenment, British Literature, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Gothic Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Classic Fiction
“Eloisa to Abelard” is a poem published in 1717 by Alexander Pope. The poem discusses the ill-fated love affair of a real-life couple from 12th-century France: Heloïse d’Argenteuil, a gifted 18-year-old student, and Peter Abelard, a renowned French scholar, philosopher, and poet of the Medieval era who was 20 years older than Heloïse. The poem is a heroic verse epistle, which is a genre first made famous in Ovid’s Heroides. Pope adopts Eloisa’s persona and... Read Eloisa to Abelard Summary
Publication year 1920
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Lyric Poem, Natural Disaster, Relationships, Climate Change, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Lyric Poem, Post Modernism, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1860
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Lyric Poem, Free verse
Publication year 1941
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, The Lost Generation
Four Quartets is a collection of four poems by T.S. Eliot. The four pieces were originally published between 1934 and 1942, during a period of time in which Eliot’s life was disrupted by the events of World War II. They were then collected into a single volume in 1943. The poems are linked loosely by theme; all of them are about the relationship between people and the divine. At the time of its publication, several of... Read Four Quartets Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S.
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Existentialism, Harlem Renaissance
Publication year 2016
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family
Tags Free verse, Parenting, Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1956
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction
American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags War On Terrorism / Iraq War