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
Family.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about family, 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
On My First Son
Ben Jonson · 1616
“Ben Jonson penned this poem following the death of his son, Benjamin, on his seventh birthday in 1603. In the poem, Jonson bids farewell to his boy, expressing…”
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02
For Bryher and Perdita
H. D. · 1925
“H.D. writes about two of the most significant people in her life — her lifelong partner Bryher (the writer Annie Winifred Ellerman) and her daughter Perdita — i…”
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03
Walking Away
Cecil Day-Lewis · 1962
“Written for his son Sean, "Walking Away" captures the moment a father watches his child head off on his own for the first time—specifically, the memory of dropp…”
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The complete index
- 04
Follower
Seamus Heaney · 1966
In "Follower," Seamus Heaney reflects on his memories of watching his father work the fields as a master ploughman, a man so skilled and strong that young Heaney could only trail b…
- 05
Catrin
Gillian Clarke · 1978
Catrin is a poem by Gillian Clarke that explores the intense and complex love between a mother and her daughter, spanning from the daughter's birth to a heated argument during her…
- 06
Eden Rock
Charles Causley · 1988
Eden Rock is a brief but deeply affecting poem where Causley envisions his deceased parents awaiting him in a bright, picnic-like afterlife. The scene is filled with everyday items…
- 07
Climbing My Grandfather
Andrew Waterhouse · 2000
Andrew Waterhouse's "Climbing My Grandfather" presents a boy's physical exploration of his grandfather's body as though it were an ascent of a mountain — every wrinkle, scar, and w…
- 08
Singh Song!
Daljit Nagra · 2007
Singh Song! is a charming and heartfelt dramatic monologue by British-Indian poet Daljit Nagra. It features a young Punjabi shopkeeper in Britain who keeps sneaking upstairs to spe…
- 09
Poppies
Jane Weir · 2009
Jane Weir's "Poppies" is a poignant poem that captures a mother’s perspective as she watches her son leave — likely for war — while she fights to stay composed even as he seems unf…
- 10
Kamikaze
Beatrice Garland · 2013
A Japanese kamikaze pilot decides to turn his plane around and return home instead of finishing his suicide mission — and the poem delves into the consequences of that decision. Hi…
- 11
A Baby Asleep After Pain
D. H. Lawrence
A parent cradles their baby after the little one has cried herself to sleep, and the weight of that weary body feels entirely different from the usual lightness of holding her. Law…
- 12
A Chamber in the Vatican
Percy Bysshe Shelley
This is the opening scene of Shelley's verse drama *The Cenci* (1819), set in Renaissance Rome. Giacomo Cenci tells Cardinal Camillo about his cruel father, who has left him broke…
- 13
A Chippewa Legend
James Russell Lowell
A dying Chippewa chief asks his two older children to take care of their little brother Sheemah, but one by one, they leave him to return to their tribe. Sheemah endures a harsh wi…
- 14
A Hall of the Prison
Percy Bysshe Shelley
This is the final scene from Shelley's verse drama *The Cenci*, set in a prison where Beatrice Cenci and her family await execution for killing their abusive father. Beatrice shift…
- 15
Ailsie, My Bairn
Eugene Field
A parent welcomes home their daughter Ailsie, who has obviously been hurt by someone—a "fause lord"—and is now on the brink of death. The parent doesn’t ask questions or pass judgm…
- 16
A Lullaby
Eugene Field
A mother sings her baby to sleep, finding solace in the thought of the moon serenading a star. Yet, in the final stanza, we discover she is mourning a child who has passed away. Th…
- 17
A Mother
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This short poem portrays a mother standing up for her right to bring her children to Jesus for his blessing, resisting those who would turn them away. In just three lines, Longfell…
- 18
An Apartment in the Castle of Petrella
Percy Bysshe Shelley
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 Lu…
- 19
A Parable
James Russell Lowell
A weary prophet ascends a holy mountain, seeking a dramatic sign from God, only to find a small violet pushing through the rock as his answer. He comes to understand, too late, tha…
- 20
Apple-Pie and Cheese
Eugene Field
A man proudly expresses his loyal and humorous attachment to two classic American foods — apple pie and cheese — standing firm against trendy foreign cuisines or fleeting fads. He…
- 21
A Shadow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A parent envisions their own death and feels anxious about their children's future—who will support them, who will continue their life story. Then the poem zooms out, providing rea…
- 22
A Tartar Song
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A father — a strong Khan — begs his son to come back from the wilderness, promising gifts and freedom, but the son turns down every offer. He asserts that he belongs to no one but…
- 23
At Play
Eugene Field
A father engages in a pretend game with his young daughter, but as they play, it transforms into something more profound: he recognizes in her expressions both his wife and a long-…
- 24
At the Door
Eugene Field
A father is at work when his toddler knocks at the door, asking to come in—and he can't say no. That small, sweet moment raises a bigger question: when the speaker himself stands a…
- 25
Ballad of Birmingham
Dudley Randall
A mother doesn't allow her child to participate in a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, believing the church is a safer option — only for a bomb to destroy that church in…
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