Essays on Poems

Invictus is a short poem written by the Victorian British poet William Ernest Henley. It was written in 1875 and published in the Book of Verses in 1888, under the section Life and Death. Its message is one of self-discipline and fortitude in the face of adversity. While...

"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...

Richard III is a play by William Shakespeare. First performed in 1599 by the conglomerate of Admiral's Men and Lord Strange's Men, it was produced regularly throughout the 1600s. It was subsequently performed at the Globe and at court until 1633. Its first title role was played by Richard Burbage, who...

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...

In this article, I'll analyze the theme of suicide in Sylvia Plath's poem, Lady Lazarus, and the similarities between Lady Lazarus and the biblical figure Lazarus. I'll also explore the imagery of seduction in this piece, and my conclusion is that the poem is a fascinating exploration of female sexuality....

A Poison Tree - A Poem by William Blake A Poison Tree is a poem by William Blake published in Songs of Experience in 1794. It is a story of a narrator whose repressed anger leads him to murder. Read this poem and you'll see why it's an important poem. It's...

The Seafarer The Seafarer is a collection of poetry by Canadian author Bruce Meyer. Meyer is director of the creative writing program at the University of Toronto and teaches at several Canadian universities. In his collection, he argues that "The Seafarer" depicts a harsh, lonely, and fallen world. The seafarer's plight...