Poems

Explore a growing archive of the world’s greatest poems, from the classical to the modern age. Each poem is presented in its original text, paired with thoughtful analysis and historical context. Whether you’re rediscovering the familiar or reading a timeless voice for the first time, these works reveal how poetry captures what endures in language — feeling, memory, and the shape of thought.

Channel Firing

War’s rehearsal rattles the dead as Hardy exposes modern militarism’s empty thunder.

Goblin Market

Rossetti’s narrative poem of temptation and sisterly sacrifice, where desire, commerce, and redemption collide in richly musical Victorian verse.

Dover Beach

Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” contrasts beauty and despair, exploring lost faith and the enduring need for love in a changing world.

Remember

A tender sonnet that weighs remembrance against the kindness of letting go.

Ulysses

An aging hero refuses stillness, urging his crew toward one last voyage of meaning.

My Last Duchess

A Duke’s refined monologue reveals jealousy, control, and a chilling confession.