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
Happiness.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about happiness, 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
L'Allegro
John Milton
“L'Allegro is Milton's joyful tribute to an energetic life — a day spent wandering through a vibrant English countryside filled with laughter, music, and the war…”
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02
The Happiest Land
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Four men sipping wine at a tavern along the Rhine each claim their home region is the best place on earth. They bicker and boast until the landlord's daughter c…”
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03
Laugh and Be Merry
John Masefield · 1910
“This poem passionately urges us to embrace life while we can. Masefield reminds us that joy is woven into the essence of creation — God crafted the world from d…”
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The complete index
- 04
Ode to Joy
Friedrich Schiller
Written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785, "Ode to Joy" celebrates the idea of universal brotherhood, emphasizing how all humans are connected through joy and love. Schiller envisions…
- 05
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
William Wordsworth · 1807
A speaker recalls a moment when he unexpectedly came across a vast field of daffodils next to a lake, and the scene was so joyful it seemed nearly surreal. Years later, whenever he…
- 06
A Birthday
Christina Rossetti
A Birthday is Christina Rossetti's exuberant celebration of a love that feels transformative, almost like a rebirth. The speaker uses vivid images from nature—a singing bird, a hea…
- 07
A Day of Sunshine
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A sunny day brings such joy that the speaker can hardly hold back — he isn't focused on any tasks, just wanting to be present and enjoy every moment. Nature turns into a complete s…
- 08
A Drinking Song
Eugene Field
A group of friends raises their glasses in a toast, honoring both the great memories they've shared and the wonderful moments yet to come. The poem reads like a lively party song —…
- 09
Homage to My Hips
Lucille Clifton
Lucille Clifton embraces her hips as strong, liberated, and proudly hers—rejecting the notion that a Black woman's body ought to be small, restricted, or ashamed. The poem reads li…
- 10
In Praise of Contentment
Eugene Field
This poem is Eugene Field's lighthearted and relaxed translation of Horace's well-known Ode III.1, where the speaker contends that genuine happiness arises from living simply and b…
- 11
I Thank You God
E. E. Cummings
In this jubilant poem, E. E. Cummings expresses heartfelt gratitude to God for the simple yet profound joy of being alive and experiencing the world through his senses. He is in aw…
- 12
Jubilate Agno
Christopher Smart
*Jubilate Agno* ("Rejoice in the Lamb") is a lengthy, fragmented poem by Christopher Smart, composed during his time in a mental asylum in the 1750s and 60s. It joyfully celebrates…
- 13
Kissing Time
Eugene Field
A father cherishes the simple daily ritual of kissing his little one, letting the sights and sounds of a summer morning — larks, bees, and gentle breezes — create the perfect atmos…
- 14
Le Bonheur Dans La Richesse
Sappho
This short poem suggests that gold and wealth are indeed wonderful — but only when accompanied by virtue and noble character. Lacking good values, riches lead to shame instead of h…
- 15
My Heart Leaps Up
William Wordsworth
A brief poem where Wordsworth expresses that witnessing a rainbow brings him joy—a feeling he's had since childhood and continues to have into old age, with hopes it never fades. H…
- 16
Ode to Happiness
James Russell Lowell
Lowell writes a letter to Happiness, wondering why it abandoned him and if it can return. He realizes that the carefree joy of childhood is lost forever, but there’s a quieter, mor…
- 17
Thank You God for Most This Amazing
E. E. Cummings
In this poem, Cummings expresses his gratitude for the sheer joy of being alive amidst a world filled with sensory delights — sunlight, air, trees, and the human body. He speaks to…
- 18
The Children's Hour
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Every evening, as the day begins to fade, a father finds himself "invaded" by his three daughters — Alice, Allegra, and Edith — who come rushing down from upstairs to shower him wi…
- 19
The Happy Household
Eugene Field
A father shares how the arrival of a new baby has transformed his entire household — grandma, grandpa, his wife, and himself — into a bunch of helpless, laughing (and sometimes cry…
- 20
The Ride to Bumpville
Eugene Field
A father pretends his knee is a horse and bounces his child on it, telling a story of a wild, bumpy imaginary ride to a place called "Bumpville." The poem captures all the giggles,…
- 21
The Song of Luddy-Dud
Eugene Field
A parent celebrates a baby affectionately named "Luddy-Dud," envisioning that everything around — sunbeams, birds, bees, and the night wind — joins together in singing the child's…
- 22
The Stork
Eugene Field
A new baby has arrived, and the poet couldn't be happier. He draws on the old folk tale of the stork delivering babies to depict the birth in a gentle, awe-filled manner, celebrati…
- 23
The Sweetness of Life
Archibald Lampman
A man experiences a sudden wave of happiness one day and turns to the natural world around him — the meadow, the roses, the shadow, the brook — asking why everything feels so joyfu…
- 24
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
W. B. Yeats · 1890
A man in a bustling city yearns to escape to a small Irish island named Innisfree. There, he envisions constructing a modest cabin, cultivating beans, and ultimately discovering tr…
- 25
Euphrosyne
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Longfellow's "Euphrosyne" is a brief tribute poem where the speaker gives a woman the name Pandora, celebrating her gifts, beauty, and mastery of the arts. The title references one…
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