Poetry: Family & Home

In this Collection, we've gathered a selection of poems focused on themes related to Family & Home. Through rhyme and verse, the poets represented in this Collection muse and lament upon themes that include the complexities of familial relationships and love, childhood nostalgia, and the concept of home.

Publication year 2014

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Immigration / Refugee, Vietnam War


Publication year 2013

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family

Tags Race / Racism


Publication year 1968

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Lyric Poem, Food, Religion / Spirituality, African American Literature


Publication year 1923

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Free verse, Grief / Death


Publication year 1966

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Irish Literature


Publication year 2004

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Relationships


Publication year 2001

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Lyric Poem, African American Literature


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


Publication year 2016

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Space & The Universe


Publication year 1980

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships


Publication year 1994

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family

Tags Free verse


Publication year 1982

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Science / Nature


Publication year 1991

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 1994

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Parenting


Publication year 1865

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Transcendentalism, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1856

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary


Publication year 1963

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Race / Racism, Social Justice


Publication year 1949

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Relationships


Publication year 2005

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature, Animals


Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Language

Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Diversity, Social Justice