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
Sorrow.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about sorrow, 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
They Flee From Me
Thomas Wyatt · 1557
“A man reflects on the women who once chose to be with him, especially one who held him close and kissed him — but has now moved on to someone else. He feels hur…”
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02
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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03
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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The complete index
- 04
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…
- 05
On Being Brought from Africa to America
Phillis Wheatley · 1773
A young enslaved woman contemplates her journey from Africa to America, viewing it as a spiritual path toward Christianity. At the same time, she firmly confronts white Christians…
- 06
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…
- 07
The Schoolboy
William Blake · 1789
A young boy cherishes summer mornings filled with birdsong and freedom, but heading to school snatches that joy away. Blake uses the boy's perspective to argue that pushing childre…
- 08
A Red, Red Rose
Robert Burns · 1794
A speaker shares with the person he loves that his feelings are as vibrant and lovely as a blooming rose and as sweet as a well-played melody. He vows that his love will endure bey…
- 09
London, 1802
William Wordsworth · 1807
Wordsworth surveys England in 1802 and concludes that it has lost its moral compass—its churches, armies, writers, and homes have become weak and self-centered. He reaches out to t…
- 10
The Solitary Reaper
William Wordsworth · 1807
A traveler strolling through the Scottish Highlands pauses to hear a young woman singing softly while she harvests grain. Though he can't grasp the words, the beauty and haunting q…
- 11
When We Two Parted
George Gordon Byron · 1816
Byron's poem is actually two distinct pieces often published together. "When We Two Parted" is a heartfelt, subdued expression of sorrow over a secret love affair that ended poorly…
- 12
Isabella; or, the Pot of Basil
John Keats · 1820
Isabella is a young woman from Florence who falls head over heels for Lorenzo, a servant in her wealthy brothers' household. To safeguard their social standing, her brothers murder…
- 13
Sonnet to Science
Edgar Allan Poe · 1829
Poe's speaker confronts Science, blaming it for destroying the magic of the world—removing myths, gods, and daydreams in favor of cold, hard facts. He questions how any poet could…
- 14
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…
- 15
To Helen
Edgar Allan Poe · 1831
A man recalls a brief, enchanting meeting with a mysterious woman in a moonlit garden, realizing her gaze has lingered on him ever since. That night, everything else faded into the…
- 16
Porphyria's Lover
Robert Browning · 1836
A man waits alone in a stormy cottage for Porphyria, the woman he loves but who hesitates to fully commit to him. When she finally arrives and expresses her tender affection, he re…
- 17
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…
- 18
Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister
Robert Browning · 1842
A monk in a Spanish monastery is filled with an almost absurd hatred for his fellow brother, Lawrence, who appears to be nothing but kind and devout. Throughout the poem, the speak…
- 19
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…
- 20
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…
- 21
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning · 1850
A woman shares her deepest feelings with her beloved, just as he has given her flowers throughout the year. Just as his blooms flourished in her small, sunless room, her thoughts h…
- 22
Cousin Kate
Christina Rossetti · 1862
A young woman from the village is seduced and then left by a powerful lord, who goes on to marry her cousin Kate. The narrator finds herself cast out by society, but she concludes…
- 23
Remember
Christina Rossetti · 1862
A dying speaker asks her loved one to remember her after she’s gone. Yet, in a surprising twist, she says it’s okay to forget if that leads to happiness. The poem acts as a farewel…
- 24
Success is counted sweetest
Emily Dickinson · 1864
This poem suggests that those who truly grasp the concept of success are often the ones who have never experienced it. Dickinson employs the image of a dying soldier who has lost t…
- 25
O Captain! My Captain!
Walt Whitman · 1865
A sailor celebrates the end of a long, perilous voyage — but the captain who guided them through it has died just as the ship arrives at port. The crowd on shore is cheering, compl…
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