Editor's note
Ranking is generated by Storgy's classification model, which scores each poem's thematic depth on this subject relative to the rest of the corpus. The list is re-indexed weekly as new poems enter the public-domain corpus.
Best poems about — Storgy
Doubt.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about doubt, ranked by thematic depth. Scored by Storgy's classification model against the rest of the corpus, and re-indexed weekly as new works enter the canon.
The leading three
01
Mont Blanc
Percy Bysshe Shelley · 1817
“Shelley stands before the towering, icy Mont Blanc, pondering one of the most profound questions of existence: is there a hidden power governing the universe, o…”
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02
Good Friday
Christina Rossetti · 1866
“In "Good Friday," Christina Rossetti finds herself at the foot of the cross, feeling ashamed for her inability to cry. While even the sun, the moon, and a harde…”
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03
Cotton-Wool
Alfred Noyes · 1907
“Alfred Noyes advises children to disregard the so-called "clever" individuals in the world — those who twist words, show off, and make genuine goodness seem bor…”
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The complete index
- 04
For Once Then Something
Robert Frost · 1920
A person peers into a well and typically only sees their own reflection staring back. For a brief moment, they think they catch a glimpse of something deeper—something white and my…
- 05
Envoi
Alfred Noyes · 1922
This clever little poem takes a jab at literary fame and the type of clever-sounding nonsense that often pretends to be profound thought. Noyes reminds us that if trendy writers le…
- 06
The Open Door
Alfred Noyes · 1922
A person reflects on the harsh timing of life — how we often learn to truly live just as life is coming to an end — and wonders if that’s really all there is. The poem grapples wit…
- 07
Helios
H. D. · 1924
H. D.'s "Helios" explores the sun god as a dual force—capable of both nurturing life and causing destruction. He can reduce crops to ashes one moment and bring stability the next.…
- 08
Ash Wednesday
T. S. Eliot · 1930
*Ash Wednesday* is T. S. Eliot's lengthy poem exploring the challenge of shifting focus from worldly matters to God, composed following his conversion to Anglican Christianity in 1…
- 09
A Fable
James Russell Lowell
Two friends sneak away on a Sunday to go hunting and end up shooting a goose that belongs to a local deacon. They bicker over whether to eat it fresh or wait, eventually deciding t…
- 10
Amo Ergo Sum
Anna Laetitia Barbauld
Barbauld's "Amo Ergo Sum" ("I love, therefore I am") turns Descartes' well-known proof of existence on its head — replacing *thinking* with *loving* as the essence that affirms our…
- 11
A Mystical Comment on Titian's 'sacred and Profane Love'
James Russell Lowell
Lowell's poem reflects on a painting by Titian depicting two women—one dressed and one nude—symbolizing sacred (spiritual) love and profane (earthly) love. In Part I, the speaker r…
- 12
And There Thou Shalt Serve Other Gods, Which Neither Thou nor Thy
Percy Bysshe Shelley
This text isn't a poem in the traditional sense; it's a fragment of prose-essay by Shelley, likely taken from his early pamphlet *The Necessity of Atheism* or from the notes to *Qu…
- 13
A Spiritual Woman
D. H. Lawrence
A man begs the woman he loves to stop dissecting him so clinically and simply allow herself to experience emotions. She has transformed love into a riddle to be unraveled with her…
- 14
A Village Church
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A village church turns into a battleground of good versus evil: a humble priest struggles with his feelings of inadequacy while caring for his congregation, then steps outside — an…
- 15
By Jean Froissart
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A speaker addresses Love directly, questioning what it seeks from them and acknowledging the lack of stability or predictability in it. The poem revisits its own lines, echoing the…
- 16
By Twilight
Algernon Charles Swinburne
A brief, tightly crafted poem that explores what becomes of us when we cease to be motivated by hope or fear. Swinburne implies that when these two forces diminish, death transform…
- 17
Cathedral, The
James Russell Lowell
The Cathedral is a reflective poem by James Russell Lowell, influenced by his visit to Chartres Cathedral in France. He takes the magnificence of this medieval structure as a start…
- 18
Christus
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This short poem presents Longfellow's take on Christ's response to Satan during the temptation in the wilderness, based on the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus declines to turn stones into…
- 19
Clarin and Moscon as Poor Scholars, with Books
Percy Bysshe Shelley
This is the opening scene of Shelley's translation of Calderón de la Barca's play *El mágico prodigioso*. In it, the scholar Cyprian sends his bumbling servants away to enjoy some…
- 20
Credidimus Jovem Regnare
James Russell Lowell
Lowell reflects nostalgically on a time when people accepted the stories about gods and the universe without question. He acknowledges that modern science has shattered that comfor…
- 21
Creeds
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In just two lines, Longfellow notes that Christianity has divided into various factions — Lutheran, Catholic, and Calvinist — and poses the poignant question: amid all this debate…
- 22
Disciples
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A disciple expresses sorrow that only Christ's word and touch can heal the sick, leaving the disciples feeling powerless. It's a brief, heartfelt poem that highlights the struggle…
- 23
Dover Beach
Matthew Arnold
A man stands by a window, gazing out at the English Channel under the night sky, and calls his lover to listen to the crashing waves. The sound of the sea leads him to reflect on h…
- 24
Dunno
Carl Sandburg
In "Dunno," Carl Sandburg presents a straightforward, working-class speaker who casually dismisses life's big questions — where we come from, where we're headed, and what it all si…
- 25
Endicott
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This brief dramatic passage, delivered by a Puritan authority figure, reveals a moment of uncertainty within a regime of religious persecution. The speaker has already commanded ex…
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