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 1820
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1973
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Animals, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1665
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death
Publication year 2000
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature
Publication year 2004
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Animals
Publication year 1681
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, British Literature, Restoration, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell was posthumously published in 1681 as part of the collection Miscellaneous Poems. Marvell, a metaphysical poet, wrote this piece in Restoration England, probably after the English Civil War. Marvell’s canonical lyric works are well-known today but were unheard of during his lifetime. Like Emily Dickinson, none of Marvell's poems were published until after his death. However, some of his satirical and other prose works were published during his... Read To His Coy Mistress Summary
Publication year 1773
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Classic Fiction, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, African American Literature
“To His Excellency General Washington'' was written in 1775 by Phillis Wheatley. The poem addresses George Washington following the commencement of the American Revolutionary War that year. At the time, Wheatley was writing in popular convention with a Victorian form praising poetry’s inherited forms. A striking dimension of the poem is its fealty to a slave owner, George Washington, by a woman who was still a slave at her time of writing and would remain... Read To His Excellency General Washington Summary
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Flora/plants, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Relationships
Publication year 1849
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Science / Nature
Publication year 1616
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Science / Nature
Publication year 1773
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, African American Literature, Colonial America
Publication year 2014
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Harlem Renaissance, Black Arts Movement
Publication year 1825
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Place
Tags Lyric Poem, Animals, Science / Nature
Publication year 1648
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1917
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Imagist poetry
Publication year 2016
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Objects, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1921
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Objects, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism