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
Mortality.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about mortality, 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
Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds
William Shakespeare · 1609
“Sonnet 116 presents Shakespeare's belief that true love remains constant, regardless of life's challenges. If love diminishes in tough times or as people age, t…”
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02
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
William Shakespeare · 1609
“Shakespeare wonders if he should compare his beloved to a summer's day but ultimately concludes that he shouldn’t, since summer has its imperfections and eventu…”
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03
Sonnet 30: When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
William Shakespeare · 1609
“When the speaker sits quietly and lets his mind wander back to the past, he feels all his old losses and grief come rushing back — friends he’s lost, loves that…”
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The complete index
- 04
Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold
William Shakespeare · 1609
Shakespeare's speaker tells the one he loves: look at me and you'll notice I'm aging and running out of time. He uses three images — autumn, twilight, and a dying fire — to illustr…
- 05
Song: To Celia ("Drink to me only with thine eyes")
Ben Jonson · 1616
A man tells the woman he loves that just a look from her or a kiss on his cup means more to him than any wine could. He sends her a wreath of roses, wishing that her presence will…
- 06
No Man Is an Island
John Donne · 1624
John Donne's "No Man Is an Island" (from *Meditation XVII* in *Devotions upon Emergent Occasions*, 1624) expresses that every person is linked to one another — none of us lives in…
- 07
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
John Donne · 1633
John Donne is bidding farewell to his wife before embarking on a lengthy journey, urging her to hold back her tears and avoid making a fuss. He believes their love is profound and…
- 08
Death Be Not Proud
John Donne · 1633
Death Be Not Proud is John Donne's bold challenge to the common belief that death holds great power. He turns the argument on its head: if sleep (essentially a brief taste of death…
- 09
Easter Wings
George Herbert · 1633
Easter Wings is a brief poem by George Herbert where the speaker converses with God about the fall from grace of humanity — including himself — and acknowledges their weakness. He…
- 10
The Canonization
John Donne · 1633
Two lovers face criticism from someone who claims they're squandering their lives on love rather than pursuing something "useful." Donne responds, urging them to mind their own bus…
- 11
The Good-Morrow
John Donne · 1633
Two people wake up side by side, and the speaker wonders: what were we even up to before we fell in love? Everything that came before this moment feels like a dream or childhood, e…
- 12
Ode on Solitude
Alexander Pope · 1726
A man who lives a simple life on his own land, surrounded by enough food, warmth, and tranquility, is the happiest man alive. Pope honors a life devoid of ambition and public commo…
- 13
To a Mouse
Robert Burns · 1785
A Scottish farmer unintentionally destroys a mouse's nest while ploughing a field. Instead of simply moving on, he takes a moment to apologise to the mouse and reflect on their sha…
- 14
Darkness
George Gordon Byron · 1816
Byron envisions a world where the sun extinguishes, leading to a slow demise — every fire flickers out, every person succumbs to starvation, and ultimately, the last two survivors…
- 15
Prometheus
George Gordon Byron · 1816
Byron's "Prometheus" is a retelling of the Greek myth about the Titan who took fire from the gods and shared it with humanity, only to be bound to a rock and tortured for eternity.…
- 16
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, or does the human min…
- 17
Thanatopsis
William Cullen Bryant · 1817
Thanatopsis — Greek for "a view of death" — is Bryant's reflection on death and our feelings about it. He suggests that nature offers a reassuring message: every person who has eve…
- 18
Lamia
John Keats · 1820
Lamia is a long narrative poem that tells the story of a serpent-woman transformed into a beautiful human who falls in love with a young man named Lycius in ancient Corinth. Their…
- 19
Music, When Soft Voices Die
Percy Bysshe Shelley · 1824
This short poem expresses that beautiful things leave behind traces even after they fade away — music remains in your memory, the scent of violets lingers long after the flowers ha…
- 20
So We'll Go No More a Roving
George Gordon Byron · 1830
A speaker shares that while love and the night remain beautiful, he and his companion are finished with their late-night adventures. His body and heart are exhausted and need to re…
- 21
The Kraken
Alfred, Lord Tennyson · 1830
A massive sea creature known as the Kraken lies undisturbed at the ocean's depths, surrounded by bizarre creatures thriving in the darkness. It has rested there for millions of yea…
- 22
Concord Hymn
Ralph Waldo Emerson · 1837
Written to be sung at the dedication of a battle monument in Concord, Massachusetts, this poem honors the colonial farmers who fired the first shots of the American Revolution in 1…
- 23
Break, Break, Break
Alfred, Lord Tennyson · 1842
A grieving speaker stands by the sea, watching the waves crash against the rocks, feeling overwhelmed by a loss he can't articulate. He observes joyful children playing and sailors…
- 24
The Conqueror Worm
Edgar Allan Poe · 1843
Poe envisions human life as a theatrical performance in front of sorrowful angels, with people acting as puppets manipulated by unseen powers. The true main attraction is a monstro…
- 25
A Dream Within a Dream
Edgar Allan Poe · 1849
Poe's speaker bids farewell to a loved one, confessing that his entire life has felt like a fleeting dream—unreal and escaping him. In the second part, he stands on a beach, watchi…
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