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 -1
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Ancient Rome, History: European
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 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1920
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1926
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Race / Racism, Harlem Renaissance
Publication year 1990
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Lyric Poem, History: U.S., Trauma / Abuse / Violence, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Marilyn Nelson is part of a coterie of writers who published in the late-1970s and 1980s after the revolutionary fervor of the Black Arts Movement. Though the period during which Nelson wrote is less acknowledged than those aforementioned, it was a time when diverse Black poetic talents emerged. Nelson’s contemporaries included Afaa Michael Weaver, Yusef Komunyakaa, Rita Dove, Ntozake Shange, Melvin Dixon, and Essex Hemphill. Their work grappled with the aftermath of the Vietnam War... Read Chosen Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature, LGBTQ
Publication year 1900
Genre Poem, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags History: World, History: U.S.
Publication year 1934
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Free verse, Military / War
Publication year 1932
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism
Tags Lyric Poem, Modernism, Philosophy, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, History: European, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1971
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Nation
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 1956
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, African American Literature
Publication year 1964
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Confessional, Grief / Death, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, American Literature
Publication year 2016
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate
Tags Spoken Word Poetry
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature
Publication year 1933
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Modernism, Animals
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, American Literature