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 1843
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender
Tags Social Justice, Poverty
Publication year 1891
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 1998
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Love / Sexuality, American Literature
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Metaphysical, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Lyric Poem, History: U.S., Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Social Justice
“The Tradition” by Jericho Brown is written from the perspective of a collective “we.” This group planted colorful perennial flowers, including aster, nasturtium, and delphinium (Line 1); filmed the flowers they planted blooming; then watched this video on fast forward (“Sped the video to see blossoms / brought in seconds,” Lines 11-12). At the end of the poem, the reader discovers that the collective “we” narrating the poem are Black men, and the sped-up video... Read The Tradition Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Mythology, Confessional, Love / Sexuality, History: U.S., American Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Food
Publication year 1794
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Mythology, Animals, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Children's Literature, History: African , Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Race / Racism
“The Undefeated” (2019) is a free verse children’s poem by poet and novelist Kwame Alexander. The poem, published as a picture book, celebrates Black Americans, highlighting the struggles the Black community has endured and overcome throughout America’s history, with particular attention on great figures from history, including artists, athletes, and civil rights activists. While the poem’s target audience is children, Alexander and the book’s illustrator, Kadir Nelson, address serious topics like slavery and police brutality... Read The Undefeated Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Immigration / Refugee
Publication year 2011
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: The Past
Publication year 1989
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, History: African , American Literature
Publication year 1984
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Lyric Poem, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Race / Racism, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1848
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fireside Poets, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War
Tags Lyric Poem, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem
By any measure—influence, scope, durability, reputation—T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” published in 1922, stands as the defining English-language poem of the 20th century. No other single poem is more widely read, more widely quoted, more widely imitated, or more widely interpreted. The poem itself—notoriously difficult to read given Eliot’s vast erudition and determination to upend all inherited assumptions about the function and form of a poem—is largely a war poem, or more precisely, a... Read The Waste Land Summary
Publication year 1926
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, African American Literature, American Literature, History: World, Music, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1948
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Anthropology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction