Best Poems About
Longfellow's brief poem "Justice" reinterprets the Fall of Man from Genesis, presenting a pointed moral question: if God put the forbidden tree in the garden, how can it be fair to punish the human who ate from it? In just four concise line
This is the opening scene of Shelley's verse drama *The Cenci*, where we meet Count Cenci, a ruthless Roman nobleman who has just bribed the Pope to hide a murder. Cardinal Camillo attempts to reach out to any conscience Cenci might still h
A New National Anthem is Shelley’s bold reimagining of "God Save the King," where he replaces the monarch with Liberty as the genuine queen deserving of our praise. He argues that true sovereignty lies with freedom and the people, rather th
This brief poem features one speaker who refuses to accept a decision, pointing out that exiled men—those who faced death if they returned—are now living back home without issue. The speaker recognizes a double standard: how can he support
Lowell contends that human laws derive their value from the moral principles that inform them. When these laws uphold injustice—like American slavery, which he specifically addresses—they lose any sacredness, regardless of how fervently pol
*The Revolt of Islam* is an epic poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that tells the story of two heroes, Laon and Cythna, who spearhead a peaceful revolution against tyranny in a fictional Islamic city. Despite their noble efforts, they face defea
*The Cenci* is Shelley's five-act verse tragedy centered on Beatrice Cenci, a young Roman noblewoman who orchestrated the murder of her father, Count Francesco Cenci, in 1599, after enduring years of his violent abuse, including rape. Throu
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
This is a brief, cancelled stanza from Shelley's longer protest poem *The Mask of Anarchy*, created in reaction to the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. It depicts starving workers pouring out of industrial cities like corpses emerging from decaying
This poem portrays the Eumenides — the ancient Greek goddesses of vengeance — cautioning that divine secrets should remain unspoken, as the gods will pursue anyone who dares to break that silence. The punishment is everlasting: the poem con
This brief poem delivers a powerful warning from a character named Christison, who insists that the killing of innocent people must end. The speaker calls on God's justice, declaring that the blood spilled is crying out for retribution. In
This scene from Shelley's verse drama *The Cenci* depicts the monstrous Count Cenci throwing a banquet to celebrate the deaths of two of his own sons, shocking his guests and prompting his daughter Beatrice to plead for protection from the
Aemilia Lanyer's poem contends that Eve shouldn't carry all the blame for the Fall in the Garden of Eden. This perspective suggests that women throughout history have been unjustly held responsible for humanity's issues. Lanyer flips the na
Inferno is the first part of Dante's epic poem, The Divine Comedy, which he wrote in the early 14th century. Dante, the pilgrim, journeys through the nine circles of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. He observes the punishments of the
Langston Hughes urges America to fulfill the dream it promised but has yet to deliver — particularly for Black Americans, poor whites, immigrants, and Native peoples. He shifts between an optimistic vision of what America should be and a ca
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
A speaker highlights the dismissive reasoning of those before us—people who dismissed divine judgment simply because it hadn't affected them yet. In just three lines, Longfellow reveals the risky ease of believing that if punishment hasn’t
Written in anger after the capture and forced return of escaped slaves near Washington D.C., this poem is James Russell Lowell's call for Americans to wake up and take action against slavery. He asserts that loyalty to God and basic human d
This poem serves as both a lament and a rallying cry for Charles Turner Torrey, an abolitionist who died in a Maryland prison in 1846 after being convicted for aiding enslaved individuals in their escape. Lowell holds the state of Maryland
*Poems on Slavery* is a collection of eight brief poems that Longfellow published in 1842, each highlighting the harsh truths of American slavery from unique perspectives—a dreaming captive, a girl sold down the river, the remains of the dr
This two-line poem conveys a strong message: divine justice might take its time, but it is completely comprehensive — nothing can evade it. Longfellow suggests that God's punishment eventually finds everyone, regardless of how much time pas
Shelley poses a straightforward yet passionate question to the working men of England: why are you putting in all the hard work while the wealthy reap the benefits of what you produce? He examines farming, weaving, and weapon forging to ill
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
An angel named Michael balances all of humanity's history on a giant scale — on one side, the brilliant achievements of civilization (empires, art, science), and on the other, the quiet acts of self-sacrifice and suffering for others. The s
A king in the Italian town of Atri hangs a bell in the market square to allow anyone who has been wronged to ring it and seek justice. When the rope eventually rots and is replaced with a vine, an old horse — abandoned by his greedy former