Essays on Poems

Dylan Thomas' poem "Fern Hill" In "Fern Hill," Dylan Thomas uses his childhood memories to explore the theme of the journey from innocence to experience. This theme is based on William Blake's division of the world into experience and innocence, and it is reinforced through Wordsworth's idea of double consciousness. The...

This article examines Billy Collins poem Introduction to Poetry, Wallace Stevens influence, and how to adapt to the way your poem takes shape. It also touches on the importance of a light switch and metaphors of a room. And, lastly, it examines some of the most common...

If you have been pondering the beauty and meaning of a century quilt, you are not alone. Millions of Americans have chosen to create these works of art. There are a variety of techniques that you can use to enhance the beauty of your quilt. These techniques include Structure, Tone, and...

Maya Angelou's Third Volume of Poetry: And Still I Rise Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, And Still I Rise, was published in 1978 by Random House. It came during a particularly prolific period in Angelou's life. She had already written three autobiographies and two previous poetry collections. She wrote about...

Lycidas is a pastoral elegy written by John Milton in 1637. It first appeared in a collection of elegies in 1638. It was dedicated to Edward King, a Cambridge friend who drowned in the Irish Sea off Wales in August 1637. Milton wrote this poem for King, a close friend...

"The Emperor of Ice-Cream" is a poem by Wallace Stevens from his first collection of poetry, Harmonium. It was published in 1922, and is now public domain. The poem has been translated into several languages, and has become a classic in poetry. The poem contains many metaphors that are a...

Gwendolyn Brooks and We Real Cool Gwendolyn Brooks wrote the poem We Real Cool in 1959 and published it in 1960 in her collection The Bean Eaters. The poem has been reprinted and featured on broadsides and is widely studied in literature classes. Read the poem below...

Marvell's Style and Metaphysical Wit Marvell's style is a combination of the traditional neoclassical tradition and metaphysical wit. He often infused familiar forms with conceits, reflections, and analogies that reflect larger questions about life. In this vein, he was described by T.S. Eliot as a "witter" and a "witterish genius." Metaphysical Wit Andrew...

A Place to Stand follows the path of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca from his childhood abandonment on a New Mexico ranch to his incarceration in the United States federal prison system. Although illiterate at the time of his arrest, he learned to read and write in order to survive his...

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is an historical fiction novel that is set during World War II. Set in France, the novel follows two sisters who try to resist German occupation. Their struggles are both inspiring and heartbreaking. The novel was published by St. Martin's Press...

One Art One Art is a poem by Elizabeth Bishop that was first published in The New Yorker in 1976. It later appeared in a collection of Bishop s work entitled Geography III. The poem is a good example of a work that exemplifies the beauty of poetry. Bishop was the...

T.S. Eliot's Poetry T.S. Eliot's poetry is famous for its self-subsistent structure and musicality. Many readers considered the collection of poems to be a single work. Despite its musicality, Eliot's poetry made an indelible impression on its audience. Even those who disavowed Christian beliefs recognized Eliot's intellectual integrity. Eliot received the...