Category: Poetry

Part 9: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 9 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow IX. THE WEDDING-DAY   Forth from the curtain of clouds, from the tent of purple and scarlet, Issued the sun, the great High-Priest,[54] in his...

Part 8: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 8 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow VIII. THE SPINNING WHEEL   Month after month passed away, and in, autumn the ships of the merchants      825 Game with kindred and friends, with...

Part 7: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 7 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow VII. THE MARCH OF MILES STANDISH.[44]   Meanwhile the stalwart Miles Standish was marching steadily northward,           725 Winding through forest and swamp, and...

Edgar Allan Poe and his New York cottage, Fordam House, c. 1908.

Silence by Edgar Allan Poe

Silence by Edgar Allan Poe There are some qualities — some incorporate things, That have a double life, which thus is made A type of that twin entity which springs From matter and light,...

Part 6: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 6 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow VI. PRISCILLA   Thus for a while he stood, and mused by the shore of the ocean, Thinking of many things, and most of all...

Part 5: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 5 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow V. THE SAILING OF THE MAYFLOWER   Just in the gray of the dawn, as the mists uprose from the meadows, There was a stir...

Part 4: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 4 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow IV. JOHN ALDEN.   Into the open air John Alden, perplexed and bewildered, Rushed like a man insane, and wandered alone by the sea-side,                              340...

Part 3: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 3 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow III. THE LOVER’S ERRAND.   So the strong will prevailed, and Alden went on his errand,                                      185 Out of the street of the village, and...

Part 2: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 2 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow II. LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP   Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the stripling, Or an occasional sigh from the laboring...

Part 1: The Courtship of Miles Standish

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Part 1 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I. MILES STANDISH [1]   In the Old Colony days, in Plymouth the land of the Pilgrims,[2] To and fro in a room of his...

Richard Austin recites Gerard Manley Hopkins' poetry all over the world.

Richard Austin Recites Hopkins’ Poetry

Richard Austin Recites Hopkins’ Poetry Richard Austin grew up in the same corner of England as Gerard Manley Hopkins. Thus blessed with the correct native accent, he now recites Hopkins’ poetry all over the...

Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins GLORY be to God for dappled things— For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim: Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;...

raven

The Raven Poem by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Raven” by American writer Edgar Allan Poe is a narrative poem that tells the story of a mysterious talking raven’s visit to the narrator, who is mourning the loss of his love, Lenore....

Edgar Allan Poe, from a 1904 daguerrotype.

Edgar Allan Poe Resources

Many writers in the American canon have written both poetry and prose; few, however, are equally known for both. Edgar Allan Poe was one such writer. Indeed, it is almost as difficult to find...

A E Housman Poetry

Alfred Edward Housman (1859 – 1936), usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet. His cycle of poems, A Shropshire Lad evoke the dooms and disappointments of youth in the...

Poems by Emily Dickinson - 12 are set to music by composer Aaron Copeland.

Dickinson and Copland: Poems and Music

Composer Aaron Copeland’s Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson provides a creative musical approach to Emily Dickinson that may help you hear her poems anew. This composition by Aaron Copeland was performed for the recital “For...

Edward Lear Resources

Edward Lear Resources John Cousin tells us that Edward Lear (1812-1888) was an “artist and miscellaneous author [who was born] in London and settled in Rome as a landscape painter. He was an indefatigable...

Illustration for The Owl and the Pussy-cat, by Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear

One of the first poems I recite when trying to soothe a fussy infant is “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat,” a poem I memorized through endless readings when I was a child. Its rollicking...

Alexander Pope

Solitude An Ode by Alexander Pope

Solitude: An Ode by Alexander Pope     I How happy he, who free from care The rage of courts, and noise of towns; Contented breaths his native air, In his own grounds. II...

James Russell Lowell - American Poet

James Russell Lowell Biography (1911)

Family history and childhood Early work and romance Literature, reform, and family life The Biglow Papers Family tragedies Teaching and traveling The Atlantic Monthly Work abroad End of life Overview of writings and influence...

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Biography (1911)

Family history and upbringing Meeting other poets Health troubles Praise and correspondence Browning’s courtship A secret wedding Published poetry Politics and posterity “God took her” Overview of married life and poetry Sources Family history...

Robert Browning Biography (1911)

Robert Browning Biography Family background Early career & personality First major poems (Paracelsus and Sordello) Dramatic works Expanding poetic repertoire Marriage Browning’s masterpiece: The Ring and the Book Growing fame Later writings Beliefs (religious...

Fable for Critics Poe to Lowell

A Fable for Critics [Poe to Lowell] by James Russell Lowell Famous writers mentioned in this section—click on the name to move to that part of the poem: Edgar Allan Poe: a writer famous...

Fable for Critics Whittier to Cooper

A Fable for Critics [Whittier to Cooper] by James Russell Lowell Famous writers mentioned in this section—click on the name to move to that part of the poem: John Greenleaf Whittier: learn more about...