Poem Examples

In “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect Robert Burns included the poem, “To a Mouse” in 1786.  The poem’s title alludes to the speaker’s experience with a mouse, and his expression of remorse to, and admiration of it. The poem shows that generally preparing is not always the best alternative. Now and then, it is smarter to embrace the here...

Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky," published in 1871, is in essence, a bunch of nonsense words strung together in verse. However, a closer look shows that it is about a person facing inner difficulties and fears. It is a tale of conquest, and how good always wins in the end, even when we are taking things very seriously all the time. Jabberwocky...

"Be Gad Your Nose is on Your Face" by American poet Jack Prelutsky, named a U.S. Children's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation in 2006, is yet another of his hilarious poems. Through it, he is spreading the message that we should be grateful for whatever we have without complaining or changing it. Be Glad Your Nose is on Your...

“Seeker of Truth” is one of E. E Cummings’ incredible portfolio of 2900 poems. The great American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright wanted to portray life’s great contradiction in finding the truth in this particular masterpiece. It is one of those short poems that has no clear concise meaning laid out for it. Seeker Of Truth BY E. E....

"The Highwaymen" is a romantic tale of how two lovers cannot be separated even by the impediments of death. Set during the time of King George, the poem seeks to explore the world of love wherein also resides such themes as hope and jealousy and how their deadly combinations may lead to unforeseen tragedies. The Highwayman BY ALFRED NOYES PART...

This is merely a simple story of a weary traveler, who is exhausted from following the path and only wants to sit down for a while. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", Robert Frost explores the complex array of emotions one is forced to undergo as he deals with the expectations thrust onto him. Stopping by Woods on...

The great poet John Donne has given a picturesque description of the powerlessness of Death in this sonnet, and how he considers Death to be the source of an eternal pathway to the gates of the afterlife.  The simple sonnet which has the rhyme scheme of ABBAABBACDCDEE, also has a loose iambic pentameter. Death, Be Not Proud BY JOHN DONNE...

“Romance” is one of the rarest creations of Edgar Allan Poe, where the American writer, poet, and literary critic took a break from his genres of gore and horror, to write about romance, grasping the essence of nature. Romance BY EDGAR ALLAN POE Romance, who loves to nod and sing With drowsy head and folded wing Among the green leaves...

As can be imagined from the title of the poem, "Messy Room" by Shel Silverstein is about a heavily disorganized room, described from the point of view of a speaker who is stunned and horrified at the lack of responsibility of the anonymous owner of the said room. Messy Room BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN Whosever room this is should be ashamed!...

Author of Leaves of Grass and, quite coincidentally along with another great poet Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman was born on May 31st, 1819. He is considered one of the pioneers of American poetry. In this poem, Whitman questions the constraints of life, and leaves out the answers to the readers. To You BY WALT WHITMAN LET us twain walk aside...