Rainbows by Olive Custance

Olive was a bisexual woman known for her poetry. She later became the wife of Lord Alfred Douglass, and he was once the lover of famous poet, Oscar Wilde.

Love Poems

Romance, passion, infatuation, and devotion are all captured by the classic works in this volume of poetry. These poems intensify feelings of love.

Black Men’s Poetry

This classic poetry collection features the work of well-known writers and some you may not have heard of. Read along as over 75 Black Men share parts of their lives, the intricacies of their emotions, and unforgettable moments in Black History.

Thoughts of Idle Hours by Myra Viola Wilds

Myra was blind when she wrote these poems. In her work, she expresses gratitude and reveals details about her life as a Black Woman in 1915.

Atlanta Offering: Poems by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Born free, Frances helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. In this book, she writes poems about struggle, hope, and Dixie.

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

These poems tell the story of a forbidden love. Two wild hearts are drawn together by a force only begotten within the soul.

The Ghetto by Lola Ridge

Lola lived in poverty on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Her poems are radical, individualistic, and share vivid imagery of New York City ghettos.

Poems of Passion by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella’s poetry is heartfelt and vulnerable. In the book, she writes: “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.”

Poems of Life by Katharine Forrest Hamill

Katharine writes about heartache, breakups, and everyday life. She shares her struggle to let go of someone she loves but knows she should not be with.

Poems 1817 by John Keats

Queen Victoria and her Poet Laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, were fans of John’s work. His poems are spirited, personal, and speak to British life during the Victorian era.

Petunia Blossoms by Dorothea Auguste Gunhilde

Dorothea writes about small moments in her life and in her community. She pleasantly shares advice for living a good life.

Gitanjali By Rabindranath Tagore

Gītāñjali, a book of prayers, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Rabindranath’s writing brings readers closer to faith, gratitude, and benevolence through a series of short prose poems.

Enough Rope by Dorothy Parker

Dorothy writes with authenticity and candor. In the book, she says: “Four be the things I'd been better without: Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.”

Are women people? by Alice Duer Miller

Alice’s poetry is filled with political satire and feminist ideals. Her poetry was popular during the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Yon-Doo-Shah-We-Ah by Bertrand N.O. Walker, Hentoh

In 1924, Hentoh dedicated this book to those he considered “True Americans” by heritage and blood: the Native American tribes.

The Wind Among the Reeds by William Butler Yeats

W. B. Yeats wrote this book of poems in 1899. It contains one of his most famous poems: Aedh wishes for the Cloths of Heaven.

The White Wampum by Emily Pauline Johnson, Tekahionwake

Tekahionwake, of the Mohawk tribe, writes about life in the wetlands. Her poems speak of expeditions and Indigenous women’s traditions.

The War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon by Siegfried Sassoon

With this book, Siegfried revealed the horrors of World War I to British society. He shares the sorrows of a soldier, and moments of powerlessness felt while in the throes of battle.

Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics by Bliss Carman

Sandhya, Songs of Twilight by Dhan Gopal Mukerji

Dhan was a man of letters and a prolific writer. He won the Newbery Medal in 1928. His poems speak of longling and loneliness.

Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley

Phillis was put on trial to prove she wrote her incredible poetry. In this book, she incorporates Greek mythology and Christian values into a series of elegies.

Poems of Nature by Henry David Thoreau

Henry believed people needed to be allowed to pursue their individuality without being constrained by society and its institutions. In this book, he shares his observations and thoughts.

Oak and Ivy by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul’s genius shows in his tactful use of rhyme, classic poetical form, and 19th-century African American Vernacular English.

New York Nocturnes by Charles G. D. Roberts

Charles writes about the bustle of New York City, what life was like there for a Canadian, and he adds a few poems about love.