01
Daddy
Written in 1962, "Daddy" is Sylvia Plath's intense confrontation with her memories of her father, Otto Plath, who passed away when she was just eight. The speaker navigates through years of grief, fear, and anger, employing the imagery of N
Best Poems About
anger
- 02
Lady Lazarus
Lady Lazarus is Sylvia Plath's bold and theatrical poem about a woman who has survived several suicide attempts, viewing her death and resurrection as a grotesque public spectacle. The speaker takes control over her own destruction, turning
- 03
Black Art
Written in 1965 during the peak of the Black Arts Movement, "Black Art" is Amiri Baraka's passionate manifesto-poem urging Black poetry to move beyond decoration and become a tool for change. He demands poems that engage with the world — th
- 04
The General
A soldier angrily recounts how a cheerful, oblivious general sent his men to their deaths, all while smiling and greeting them. The general's friendly demeanor starkly contrasts with the harsh truth that his orders led to the deaths of "Har
- 05
AGAINST MAEVIUS.
Horace unleashes a fierce storm upon a ship that’s transporting a man named Maevius, whom he clearly loathes. He hurls one curse after another—raging winds, shattered oars, terrified sailors—and concludes by vowing to make a sacrifice to th
- 06
A HATE-SONG.
A bitter man sits by a ditch, strumming a broken lute and letting out a song — or more like a screech — filled with pure hatred for a woman he sees as cruel. It’s a brief, biting, darkly humorous piece that flips the romantic image of a lov
- 07
AN APARTMENT IN THE CASTLE OF PETRELLA.
This scene from Shelley’s verse drama *The Cenci* depicts the monstrous Count Cenci as he schemes to ruin his daughter Beatrice—physically, mentally, and socially—while his wife Lucretia tries unsuccessfully to intervene. Driven by a deep h
- 08
ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST BOOK.
This is the prose "Argument" — a brief plot summary — that introduces Book One of Homer's *Iliad*. It explains that a plague has struck the Greek army, that Achilles and Agamemnon have a fierce argument over a captive woman named Brisëis, a
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ARGUMENT OF THE NINTH BOOK.
This is the argument (a short prose summary) for Book Nine of Homer's *Iliad*, which tells the story of the Greek embassy sent to convince the warrior Achilles to return to battle against Troy. Agamemnon, feeling the pressure from the heavy
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ARGUMENT OF THE TWENTY-SECOND BOOK.
This is the argument (a short prose summary) for Book 22 of Homer's *Iliad*, which details a crucial moment in the epic: Achilles confronts and kills Hector outside the walls of Troy. This scene serves as the climax of the poem — marking th
- 11
Ballad of the Landlord
A Black tenant confronts his landlord, insisting on repairs for a leaking roof and broken steps, even threatening to withhold rent. In response, he finds himself arrested, jailed, and portrayed in the newspaper as a dangerous criminal. The
- 12
CALIBAN ON ARIEL
This is a Shakespearean-style sonnet where Swinburne adopts the voice of Caliban — the brutish, resentful slave from *The Tempest* — and uses Caliban's own harsh words against him. Caliban hails the drunken fool Stephano as a "god of song"
- 13
CANIDIA'S ANSWER.
A witch named Canidia gives an angry, triumphant speech to a man who ridiculed her dark rituals and exposed her secrets to the people of Rome. She informs him that no amount of pleading will help him — she has cursed him to endure a life of
- 14
LINES WRITTEN DURING THE CASTLEREAGH ADMINISTRATION.
Shelley penned this intense, brief poem as a sharp critique of the British government led by Viscount Castlereagh, whose policies he believed were suffocating the freedom of everyday people. He uses vivid imagery of corpses, stones, and sti
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London
Blake walks through London and sees suffering all around him — in the faces of passersby, in the cries of children, and in the weary sighs of soldiers. He contends that the city's misery isn't merely a matter of bad luck; it’s embedded in t
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SIMILES FOR TWO POLITICAL CHARACTERS OF 1819.
Shelley delivers two biting, concise comparisons that target two influential political figures of 1819 England — likely the Prince Regent and his chief minister Castlereagh. Each "simile" reduces its subject to a single harsh image, illustr
- 17
THE MASK OF ANARCHY.
Written in intense anger after soldiers killed peaceful protesters at St Peter's Field in Manchester in 1819, "The Mask of Anarchy" is Shelley’s plea for the English working class to rise against tyranny—not through violence, but with the u
- 18
TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR.
Shelley unleashes a furious curse aimed at the Lord Chancellor — the judge responsible for taking his children away — wishing every kind of grief and ruin upon him. He enumerates the joys of fatherhood he has lost, transforming each into a
- 19
Witch Burning
In "Witch Burning," Sylvia Plath channels the voice of a woman facing execution by fire, transforming the grim reality of witch trials into a poignant examination of female identity, pain, and an oddly defiant strength. The flames that cons
- 20
WRITTEN ON THE OCCASION OF THE MASSACRE AT MANCHESTER.
Written in a surge of anger after cavalry charged a peaceful crowd in Manchester in 1819, this poem by Shelley urges the working people of England to stand up against their oppressors—not through violence, but by harnessing the unstoppable
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ARGUMENT OF THE TWENTY-FIRST BOOK.
This is a brief summary of Book 21 of Homer's *Iliad*, outlining the events leading up to the full text. Achilles divides the Trojan army, takes twelve prisoners to sacrifice at Patroclus's funeral, battles the river god Scamander, and is u
- 22
THE REVENGE OF RAIN-IN-THE-FACE
This poem recounts the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876), where Sioux warriors under Sitting Bull surprised and defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and his cavalry. Rain-in-the-Face, a Sioux warrior, is depicted as the avenger who takes
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93, 94.
Shelley contends that true wealth lies not in gold or silver but in human labor. He believes that the economic system of his era compels the poor to toil not for sustenance or warmth but to satisfy the vanity of the wealthy. He outlines a c
- 24
AGAINST CASSIUS SEVERUS.
Horace confronts a critic named Cassius Severus, labeling him a coward for going after easy targets rather than facing someone who can push back. He likens himself to a fierce guard dog, warning that he has sharp teeth of his own—his satiri
- 25
America
Claude McKay's "America" is crafted as a Shakespearean sonnet where the speaker grapples with two conflicting emotions toward the United States: he despises how the country treats him as a Black man, yet he loves it passionately regardless.