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Whether poetry is a ‘criticism’ of life, poems about life itself – about the business of living, about what it means to live a full life, and about what ‘lived experience’ might be – abound. Here are ten of the greatest poems about life and living.
- "Risk", by Anaïs Nin
- "Stopping by Woods on A Snowy Evening", by Robert Frost
- “Hope Is The Thing with Feathers", by Emily Dickinson
- "The Peace of Wild Things", by Wendell Berry
- "The Summer Day", by Mary Oliver
- "The Guest House", by Rumi
- "From Milk and Honey", by Rupi Kaur
- "Sonnet 29", by William Shakespeare
- "I Took My Power in My Hand", by Emily Dickinson
- "O Me! O Life!", by Walt Whitman
And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. A single sentence broken up into 8 small lines, Anaïs Nin’s “Risk” uses a flower as a metaphor, to remind us that there will come a day when the pain of complacency will exceed the pain of actually daring to make a change. The poem serve...
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. Reading out like a heartbeat, Frost's most famous work draws from nature to explore the human conflict of being torn between life’s beauty and its responsibilities. With the repetition of ‘and miles to go before I sleep’...
I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me. The evocative extended metaphor at the heart of this work has helped to cement "Hope is a thing with feathers" as perhaps the best-loved of Dickinson's 1,800 poems. In the last stanza, Dickinson beautifully captures the ever-giving,...
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. Written in free verse, "The Peace of Wild Things” intentionally slips the shackles of a standa...
Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Reflecting on the futility of life, Oliver’s “The Summer Day” shakes the reader by the shoulder, offering a jolt of inspiration. As everything dies ‘at last’ and ‘too soon’, the poem encourage...
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. Written by the great 13th-century Persian poet, "The Guest House" is a call for acceptance — one that is, unsurprisingly, often invoked in mindfulness circles. Rumi uses the m...
what is stronger than the human heart which shatters over and over and still lives Inward-looking in style, Rupi Kaur’s collection of poems, from Milk and Honey, centers around the theme of self-love (which is also a form of introspection). Kaur’s poems ironically remind us that the emotional attention and love that we crave and desire is not somet...
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings "Sonnet 29" is a single sentence, divided into two: a conditional clause an...
I aimed by Pebble—but Myself Was all the one that fell— Was it Goliath—was too large— Or was myself—too small Whilst not particularly uplifting, Dickinson’s “I took my power in my hand” brings out a harsh reality many of us struggle with — accepting failure. The poem is populated with unorthodox punctuation (particularly a liberal use of dashes) an...
O Me! O life! of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish, Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?) Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d, Of the poor results of all, of the plodding...
- Reedsy
As we journey through life, let us find inspiration in these poems and embrace the transformative power of personal growth. Poetry, with its power to express profound emotions and capture the essence of the human experience, often explores themes of growth and transformation.
- There is a life-force within your soul, by Rumi. There is a life-force within your soul, seek that life. There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that.
- Change, by Mary Love. Count me among. the weird, the odd, the unruly. Stare if you must. then kindly step out of the way. I am here to change the world. and I have a lot to do.
- When I Rise Up, by Georgia Douglas Johnson. When I rise up above the earth, And look down on the things that fetter me, I beat my wings upon the air, Or tranquil lie,
- Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver. You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees. For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body.
- A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This rhyming poem is the spark that can reignite the fires within you. It challenges you to go out and live your life in the present moment as a “hero” and leave your mark on this world.
- The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. Life is made up of a succession of choices. This famous poem begins at a fork in a wooded path and ushers the reader along one “road” as a means of explaining that we must choose one way or another and not dilly-dally in life.
- If— by Rudyard Kipling. Life will challenge you – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This poem calls out for you to endure, keep going through, and rise above the adversity you will face.
- Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas. Death is inevitable, and as this poem states (‘death’ being ‘dark’), it is right. But the author urges us not to yield to death too easily and to fight for life ‘til our last breath.
Mar 25, 2020 · Below, we introduce ten of the greatest poems about change of various kinds. 1. William Shakespeare, Sonnet 123. No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change: Thy pyramids built up with newer might. To me are nothing novel, nothing strange; They are but dressings of a former sight ….
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Poetry beautifully captures the intricacies of this growth, offering solace, guidance, and inspiration along the way. In this article, we explore a selection of remarkable poems that delve into the themes of growth and maturity, reminding us of the beauty and significance of personal development.
