Best Poems About
Horatius is an inspiring narrative poem that recounts the tale of Horatius Cocles, who bravely defends a bridge over the Tiber River nearly on his own while his city faces an assault, allowing time for Rome to be rescued. Macaulay penned th
A man enduring immense suffering reflects on his life — the pain, the darkness, the looming threat of death — and chooses not to let any of it defeat him. He doesn’t attribute his survival to luck or a higher power; he attributes it to hims
A British cavalry unit is given a disastrous order during the Battle of Balaclava (1854) and charges directly into enemy cannon fire — and every single soldier follows the command. Tennyson honors not the mistake that led them into danger,
This poem serves as a powerful war anthem that honors three legendary Danish naval heroes: King Christian IV, Admiral Nils Juel, and Peter Wessel Tordenskjold, each of whom defeated their foes at sea. Longfellow translated it from Danish to
A massive fire sweeps through Hamburg, but an old church bell-ringer named Herman won’t abandon his tower. Instead of panicking, he rings the church bells in a hymn of praise even as the flames draw near and the tower begins to crumble arou
A Psalm of Life is Longfellow's invitation to stop dwelling on death and begin living with intention. He reminds us that life isn’t just a dream to drift through — it’s a struggle to engage in, and the most important thing we can do is take
A group of nuns bless a crimson battle banner for the Polish-American hero Casimir Pulaski, singing a hymn that sends him off to war with their blessings, prayers for victory, and a request for mercy toward those he defeats. The poem delive
This poem tells the story of Beowulf and his fifteen warriors as they journey from Geatland to Denmark to assist King Hrothgar, whose kingdom is under threat from the monster Grendel. The voyage is depicted vividly — with the ship slicing t
Casabianca tells the tale of a young boy who remains at his post on a burning warship, unwilling to move without his father's permission—a permission that never arrives because his father has already died. This poem explores duty and loyalt
In "Constantly Risking Absurdity," Ferlinghetti likens the poet to a high-wire acrobat making risky jumps over the audience, with the constant threat of falling into a void of meaninglessness. The poem portrays poetry as a daring endeavor:
This is Longfellow's English translation of a scene from the medieval French epic *The Song of Roland*, where the warrior Roland cares for the dying Archbishop Turpin on the battlefield. He mourns his fallen comrades and whispers a farewell
A British soldier reflects on his experiences in colonial India and recalls Gunga Din, the Indian water-carrier who supported his regiment. Even though the soldiers, including the narrator, treated him poorly, Gunga Din put his life on the
Hiawatha embarks on a perilous journey to confront the wicked magician Megissogwon, who is responsible for the death of his grandmother Nokomis's father and has unleashed sickness and despair on their people. He bravely faces fire-breathing
A young American soldier understands that he is likely to die in battle, and instead of fearing this fate, he views it as a romantic appointment — a "rendezvous" — that he feels compelled to honor. The poem shifts between the beauty of spri
A brief poem told from an eyewitness perspective, where Whitman observes an aging general, outnumbered and encircled, as he calls for volunteers to charge through enemy lines on a near-impossible mission. Over a hundred soldiers step forwar
This poem recounts the tale of King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway as he bravely charges into a sea battle against a united fleet of Danes, Swedes, and Norse warriors, determined to fight on despite the odds stacked against him. His ships are ti
*Lays of Ancient Rome* is a set of four ballads by Thomas Babington Macaulay, each recounting a heroic tale from early Roman history through the voice of a Roman bard. The best-known lay, "Horatius," narrates how Horatius Cocles defended a
This poem is James Russell Lowell's tribute to Robert Gould Shaw, the young Union colonel who commanded the renowned 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the first Black regiments during the Civil War, and lost his life at Fort Wagner in 186
Written to honor Florence Nightingale, this poem highlights how one person's bravery and kindness can uplift those around them. Longfellow depicts Nightingale walking through dim hospital wards with a lamp, caring for wounded soldiers, and
This poem narrates the tale of George Castriot, better known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian warrior who turns a devastating military defeat into an opportunity. After his Ottoman army is defeated, he cleverly deceives a royal scribe
This poem narrates the tale of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, an actual English explorer who vanished at sea in 1583 while returning from Newfoundland. Longfellow gives Death the character of a pirate captain commanding a fleet of icebergs that quie
This powerful short poem captures the spirit of a defiant Jewish martyr who stands firm against a tyrannical king. Instead of yielding, the martyr chooses to remain loyal to the ancient Law of Moses rather than obeying any earthly command.
Lowell's poem challenges every American who claims to be free: if you remain silent while others are enslaved, you share in their bondage. He contends that genuine freedom involves not just your own liberty but also the fight for the freedo
This poem opens Longfellow's narrative piece *The Saga of King Olaf*, featuring the Norse god Thor, who brags about his strength and challenges the Christian God—referred to as "the Galilean," or Jesus—to a duel. Meanwhile, the young Viking
This poem recounts the real events surrounding the USS Cumberland, a Union Navy ship that was rammingly attacked and sunk by the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia during the Civil War in 1862. Even as the ship sinks, her crew stands firm an