Our Short Poems Collection highlights the power of poetry through titles that make an impact in few words. These bite-sized selections offer a convenient starting place for readers new to analyzing poetry or anyone who appreciates short-form verse and its ability to move and inspire.
Publication year 8
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Narrative / Epic Poem, Love / Sexuality, Classical Period
“Pyramus and Thisbe” is an episode from Book 4 of the Metamorphoses, an epic poem published by the Roman poet Ovid in 8 AD. In contrast to the epics of Ovid’s contemporaries (like Virgil’s Aeneid), the Metamorphoses does not focus on a single, cohesive narrative. Rather, Ovid takes as his theme “bodies changed to other forms” (Book 1, Line 1) and fittingly, his Metamorphoses is a work in constant state of change. Its 15 books... Read Pyramus and Thisbe Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Race / Racism
Publication year 1862
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Grief / Death
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 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period
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 1897
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Depression / Suicide, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“Richard Cory” (1897), arguably Edwin Arlington Robinson’s most famous poem, is about perspective and realizing that everything is not always what it seems. About 10 years before the poem was published in a collection, entitled Children of the Night, the United States had experienced a series of economic depressions. The consequences of these economic downturns appear throughout this poem in Robinson’s notorious cynicism, which creates a bleak tone of irony. This situates the poem comfortably... Read Richard Cory Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: World, Race / Racism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 2014
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment
Tags Poverty
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1928
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Modernism
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Education, American Literature
Publication year 1966
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Irish Literature
Publication year 1900
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Lyric Poem, Children's Literature, Modernism, Animals
Publication year 1300
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Objects
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Middle Eastern Literature
Publication year 1980
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1987
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, British Literature
Publication year 1965
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism