Poetry is like really delicious food for our souls and minds, no matter what kind we like. Famous writers write about things that inspire them or that they can connect with in their own lives. This helps us imagine different experiences and feel certain emotions by using special words. In this post, we gathered some most famous English poems for you!
The Most Famous English Poems
Poetry is a special kind of writing that can be read out loud or acted out. It uses words in special ways to create feelings and pictures in your mind. Sometimes, it rhymes and has a nice rhythm. Poets also use tricks like repeating sounds or comparing things to make their poems even more interesting. Poetry is like a beautiful song made out of words. Here are the most famous English poems of all time.
1. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
Sonnet 18 is a really great poem that was written a long time ago by a famous writer named William Shakespeare. In the poem, Shakespeare uses fancy words and pictures to talk about how beautiful his loved one is. He says that their beauty is even more amazing than a sunny day in the summer. The main idea of the poem is that love is really strong and can make someone live on forever.
2. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
The narrative poem “The Raven” by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. Because of its melody, style, language and mysterious mood, it is a popular poem that has references from folklore, mythology and classical literature. It also describes a heartbroken lover who receives an inexplicable visit from a talking raven. The lover, often described as a student, mourns Lenore. Meanwhile, the raven seems to sharpen his character by constantly repeating the word “Nevermore.”
3. Invictus by William Ernest Henley
The poem “Invictus” was written by a man named Henley when he was in the hospital because he was very sick. He wanted to write something that would inspire people and make them feel better. The poem is about being brave even when things are really hard, and staying strong and proud no matter what happens. Henley wrote the poem for his friend Robert, who sold flour.
4. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
There is a poem called “The Road Not Taken” by a writer named Robert Frost. He wrote it because he wanted to make fun of his friend Edward Thomas, who was an English poet. In the poem, Edward Thomas regretted not choosing a different path when they were walking together in England. But the poem also has a bigger meaning about the choices we make in life and the chances we have. It wants to teach us something important.
5. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
Another really cool poem to read is called “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. It’s all about feeling good about yourself and believing in yourself, even when things are tough. Maya Angelou was an African-American woman who saw that people like her were treated unfairly because of their race and their appearance. But she didn’t let that bring her down. Instead, she wrote this poem to inspire others to be proud of who they are and to love themselves, no matter what their race or skin color is.
6. On His Blindness by John Milton
One of the really great poems you can read is called “On His Blindness” by John Milton. It’s a famous poem where Milton talks about how he still believes in God even though he can’t see anymore. The poem has two parts. In the first part, Milton is really sad and upset about not being able to see. But in the second part, he shows that he still trusts God and believes that everything happens for a reason.
7. Daffodils by William Wordsworth
In 1802, a man named William Wordsworth wrote a poem called “Daffodils”. Like other famous poems, it’s about something that happened to the person who wrote it. In this poem, Wordsworth feels very sad because his brother died. But then he sees lots of pretty yellow flowers called daffodils in a field by a lake. When he thinks about it, he starts to feel happy again.
8. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
A long time ago, a writer named Lewis Carroll wrote a really silly poem called “Jabberwocky.” He put the poem in a book called Through the Looking Glass, which is about a girl named Alice who goes on adventures in a strange world. The poem is special because it uses made-up words and doesn’t make much sense, but it tells a story about a brave person who defeats a scary creature called the Jabberwock. People really like the poem because it’s very creative and is thought to be one of the greatest poems ever written.
9. How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
There was a poet named Elizabeth Barrett Browning who lived a long time ago. She wrote a special poem called “How Do I Love Thee?” for her husband, Robert Browning. Their love story wasn’t always easy because Elizabeth’s dad didn’t want them to get married. So, they had to leave and run away together. Elizabeth’s dad was very upset and never forgave her for leaving. But Elizabeth and Robert knew that their love was real and strong.
10. Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson
One of the famous poems we have is called “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. In this poem, she talks about a time when she almost met Death and Immortality. She makes Death and Immortality seem like they are real people by giving them human qualities. At first, the poem makes the reader feel calm because they are already familiar with death. But as the poem goes on, the tone changes suddenly and it becomes clear that the poem is actually very scary and intense.
Short English Poems
Here are some really good and short poems that are old and famous for you to have fun reading and listening to.
1. “No Man Is An Island” by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
2. “Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
3. “There Will Come Soft Rain” by Sara Teasdale
There will come soft rain and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
4. “Fire And Ice” by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
5. “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
6. “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
7. “So Tired Blues” by Langston Hughes
With the sun in my hand
Gonna throw the sun
Way across the land-
Cause I’m tired,
Tired as I can be
8. “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud” by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed- and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
9. “A Poison Tree” by William Blake
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
10. “I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You” by Pablo Neruda
I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.
I love you only because it’s you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.
Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.
In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.
English Poems about Life
Sometimes life can be confusing and difficult, and that’s when poetry can help. Poetry can make us feel understood and give us hope and inspiration. In this post, we have a list of the best 40 poems about life, from famous poets like Robert Frost to modern ones like Rupi Kaur. You’re sure to find something that speaks to you and how you’re feeling.
1. “Risk”, by Anaïs Nin
And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.
2. “The Peace of Wild Things”, by Wendell Berry
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
3. “The Guest House”, by Rumi
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
4. “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”, by Maya Angelou
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
5. “Opportunity,” by Berton Braley
With doubt and dismay you are smitten
You think there’s no chance for you, son?
Why, the best books haven’t been written
The best race hasn’t been run,
The best score hasn’t been made yet,
The best song hasn’t been sung,
The best tune hasn’t been played yet,
Cheer up, for the world is young!
English Poems about Love
There is an undeniable allure and enchantment in the realm of exquisite love poetry. Fortunately, for those of us who are captivated by the tender sentiments of romance, an abundant tapestry of such poetic masterpieces has gracefully unfolded throughout the time. From the illustrious musings of Rumi during the resplendent era of Islamic Golden Age, to the timeless verses penned by the legendary playwright William Shakespeare, and even to the contemporary wordsmiths known as “Instapoets” exemplified by the likes of Rupi Kaur, the exploration of love has remained an enduring and cherished theme that poets and writers have fervently embraced for countless centuries. Here are few most romantics poems of all times!
1. “Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no, it is an ever-fixèd mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his heighth be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
2.”No Man Is An Island” by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
3. “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
4. “There Will Come Soft Rain” by Sara Teasdale
There will come soft rain and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
5. “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Frequently Asked Questions About English Poems
Who is the most famous English poet?
The most famous English poet is probably William Shakespeare.
What is the most famous piece of poetry?
The most famous poem is Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare.
What famous poem has 6 stanzas?
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe is a six-stanza poem.
Who is the father of English poetry?
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