To His Coy Mistress
Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress” transforms seduction into philosophy, urging lovers to seize life before time and death prevail.
Eldorado
Edgar Allan Poe’s “Eldorado” tells of a knight’s lifelong search for a mythical city, symbolizing humanity’s eternal quest for meaning.
Sonnet 73
In “Sonnet 73,” Shakespeare reflects on aging, mortality, and the strength of love in the face of time’s decay.
I Heard a Fly Buzz — When I Died
Dickinson’s stark vision of death and consciousness — a study in silence, interruption, and the limits of vision.
To an Athlete Dying Young
A meditation on youth, fame, and mortality, where early death preserves glory from decay.
Loveliest of Trees
A gentle meditation on the fleeting beauty of life and the resolve to see the cherry bloom before time runs out.
Remember
A tender sonnet that weighs remembrance against the kindness of letting go.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Dickinson personifies Death as a courteous suitor on a quiet carriage ride toward eternity.
To Autumn
“To Autumn” praises ripeness and labor, accepting time’s change with a serenity tuned to soft-dying light.
After Apple-Picking
Between labor and dream, “After Apple-Picking” drifts toward sleep, fusing sensuous detail with questions of desire and mortality.