Poems

‘O Captain! My Captain!’ by Walt Whitman is a popular poem written in honour of President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. The poet uses ‘O Captain! My Captain’ as a metaphor for remembering the death of the President. The poem was first written and published in 1865 as a sequel to Drum-Traps. Born in 1819, […]

John Donne’s “Death, be not proud” is a poetic consideration on death, exploring its ultimate lack of power in the face of God. The poet challenges the fear of death by questioning its power in the sonnet. Donne also encourages us to cherish the power of God’s love and eternal life in Heaven. Death, be […]

Born in 1757, William Blake’s “The Lamb” is a poem about innocence and faith in the goodness of God. It is written from the perspective of a child who is asking questions about a little lamb. In the poem, the poet uses the image of the lamb to symbolize Jesus and the child’s faith in […]

Born in 1887 and died in 1915, Rupert Brooke was an English poet and literary figure who is remembered for his idealistic war sonnets written during World War I. He is best known for his war sonnets, especially ‘The Soldier’, which expresses his belief that death in war is a noble and glorious thing. Written […]

Born in 1874, Robert Frost was an American poet and four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Frost is celebrated for his detailed depictions of rural life and his use of language to create a sense of familiarity and comfort. Mending Wall is one of Frost’s most famous poems. The poem describes the idea of boundaries, […]

One of the most famous modern Indo-Anglian poets, Nissim Ezekiel was an Indian-Jewish poet, actor, playwright, art critic and editor. He is often considered the father of Modern Indian English poetry by many critics. His poem ‘Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher’ talks about the importance of patience and perseverance to create poetry, court a woman or watch […]

Born in 1965, William Butler Yeats is considered one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century. His poetry is known for symbols from ordinary life. “Leda and the Swan” retells the classic Greek myth in which Leda is raped and impregnated by the god Zeus. Later on, she gives birth to Helen of […]

Hanuman Chalisa was written by Tulsidas, a 16th-century poet and saint in India. Tulsidas was a prolific writer and composer, best known for his works in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi, and his devotion to Lord Rama, a Hindu deity. Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn consisting of 40 verses that praise and invoke the […]

“My Heart Leaps Up” is one of the most famous poems by William Wordsworth. The poem focuses on the rainbow, which is a symbol of nature. The poet tries to say that he wishes to keep his childlike self alive in the poem. The poem expresses the speaker’s appreciation for the natural world, and for […]

Written in 1859 and first published anonymously in the Brooklyn Daily Union on April 27, 1864, Emily Dickinson’s ‘Success is Counted Sweetest’ is a lyric poem. The poem talks about the importance of defeat as only those who have defeated understand the value of winning. This poem by Emily Dickinson reflects on the idea that success is […]