Allison Joseph’s poem “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person” is a powerful and insightful piece that speaks to the experiences of many black Americans. The poem highlights the ways in which black people are often judged and misunderstood based on their dialect and vernacular. Joseph expertly uses language to convey the … Read more
Susan Griffin is an American poet and essayist. She has written over a dozen books, including the National Book Award-nominated A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War. Her work often focuses on feminism, ecology, and peace. In her poem “Love Should Grow up Like an Wild Iris in the Fields,” Griffin explores the … Read more
Hiroshima is a city in Japan that was destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Welcome to Hiroshima is a poem that commemorates the lives lost in the bombing and encourages people to remember the tragedy so that it may never be repeated. The poem begins with the speaker describing the city of … Read more
Craig Raine is a British poet, best known for his poem “A Martian Sends A Postcard Home.” The poem is a series of short, seemingly unrelated images that cumulatively create a picture of what it might be like to experience Earth from the perspective of a Martian. Craig Raine was born in 1944 in Oxford, … Read more
Thom Gunn’s “The Tamer and the Hawk” is a poem about the relationship between a man and his hawk. The poem describes the hawk as being wild and free, while the man is tame and controlled. The poem argues that the man cannot truly understand the hawk unless he experiences the same freedom. Gunn uses … Read more
On Monsieur’s Departure is a poem written by Queen Elizabeth I of England. The poem is a farewell to her cousin, Henri III of France, who was leaving for his homeland. The poem is notable for its use of rhyme and its expression of Elizabeth’s deep affection for her cousin. The poem begins with Elizabeth … Read more