Poetry
Pearl
Written in the 14th century by the Gawain poet, 'Pearl' is an elegiac poem reflecting on the death of a young daughter, pictured as a pearl …
Morning and Evening Thoughts
James Allen was a British philosophical writer known for his inspirational books and poetry and as a pioneer of the self-help movement. Alle…
Peer Gynt
Peer is a dreamer, liar, excellent storyteller and an irresponsible person who avoids all problems. He uses and discards women and looks tow…
Poems on Various Subjects
Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American to publish a book of poetry in 1773. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at age s…
An Essay on Criticism
An Essay on Criticism is a foundational work of literary criticism by Alexander Pope, blending poetry and philosophical reflection. Written …
Twas the Night Before Christmas
'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a beloved poem that captures the magic and anticipation of Christmas Eve. Written by Clement Clarke Moor…
Some Poems of Shakespeare
A selection of Shakespeare's poems from The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. (Summary by Clarica)
Hero and Leander
Two young people, the epitome of young masculine and feminine beauty, fall in love at first sight, but their union is forbidden by the tyran…
The Birth of Propaganda
"The Birth of Propaganda" is poetic adaptation of the essay "Propaganda in a Democratic Society," by Aldous Huxley, whic…
A Personal Anthology of Shakespeare
This personal anthology is my choice of speeches from Shakespeare that I enjoy reading (that I would like to have had by heart years ago!) a…
Poems
In this collection, Emily Dickinson invites listeners into her introspective world, where the profound themes of life, love, and death are e…
Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets
A selection of nonsense poems, songs (not sung!), stories, and miscellaneous strangeness. The work includes the "Owl and the Pussycat&q…
The Farmer's Bride
The Farmer's Bride is a collection of 28 poems by British modernist writer Charlotte Mew. The original edition was published in 1916; this e…
From The Temple
George Herbert was a country minister and a protégé of the great metaphysical poet John Donne. In From The Temple, Herbert com…
Gitanjali
Gitanjali is a collection of 103 poems in English, largely translations by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. This volume became very fam…
Shakespeare's Sonnets
Shakespeare's Sonnets is a profound collection of 154 poems that explore the complexities of love, beauty, and the passage of time. Written …
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is the first epic of English literature written in the classical style. John Milton saw himself as the intellectual heir of Ho…
A Selection of Poems
Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552 – 29 October 1618) was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also wel…
Psalms of David
Isaac Watts was a poet, hymn-writer and musician. He wrote many of what we regard as "classical hymns" such as "Joy to the Wo…
The Freedmen's Book
Lydia Maria Child, an American abolitionist, compiled this collection of short stories and poems by former slaves and noted activists as an …