These poetry picks highlight the emotional and nature-focused spirit of Romanticism, a movement that originated in the 18th century. The Collection features selections from Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth, William Blake, and other exemplars of the Romantic poetry genre.
Publication year 1807
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 1816
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Philosophy, Mythology, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1595
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Elizabethan Era
Publication year 1865
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Realism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Transcendentalism
Publication year 1849
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Gothic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction
The last poem Edgar Allan Poe—infamous poet and fiction author of the macabre—completed during his tumultuous life, “Annabel Lee,” was first published in the New York Tribune in 1849, two days after Poe’s death. Displaying the melodic lyricism, gothic overtones, and memorable imagery which informed so much of Poe’s work, “Annabel Lee” is considered one of the defining entries in his canon, and a classic of 19th century American poetry.The poem concerns the death of... Read Annabel Lee Summary
Publication year 1940
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Modernism, The Lost Generation, Relationships
Publication year 1794
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Lyric Poem, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1863
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags British Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1890
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Classic Fiction, Realism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy
Emily Dickinson holds a special place in the firmament of American writers. Although she lived in the 19th century and seldom left her home region in Massachusetts, her poetry speaks to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Dickinson possessed a singular poetic style, characterized by inventive punctuation, powerful efficiency, and deep inquiry of the human experience. Her poem “Because I could not stop for Death” has become a touchstone for readers encountering Dickinson for the... Read Because I Could Not Stop for Death Summary
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 1816
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Place, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary
Publication year 1751
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Classical Period, Education, Education, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1818
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Mythology, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1792
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Age of Enlightenment
Publication year 1860
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Transcendentalism
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Transcendentalism, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1929
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death
Publication year 1807
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 1816
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1819
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Gothic Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction