These poems each have a set of guided questions, related videos that allow for deeper investigation, and suggested writing activities. We'll be adding more poems here soon! We Wear the Mask We Wear the Mask is a resilient and entrancing tug-of-war with external perceptions of self. Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) Could a vegetable be the antidote to war? This poem thinks so. “Breathe dust…” Nearly punctuation-free, this is a breathless journey through memories of a youth spent in rural Canada. From Red Doc In this poem-as-a-conversation, a man and his mother consider how the past lives on in the present. Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. Thou Poem A poet reveals the happiest and unhappiest parts of their poetry – in conversation with a poem. The Powwow at the End of the World Sherman Alexie slams the environmental destruction of settler-colonialism as we travel on an upstream course towards the powwow at the end of the world. The Swimmer’s Moment Will you choose to observe from the rim of the whirlpool, or its centre? I Am The speaker longs to escape himself and to find freedom from within and without Too Negative Have your friends’ parents ever warned them away from you because they thought you were a bad influence? “Too Negative” is a poem about that experience. Beat! Beat! Drums! With rich bombastic language and Whitman's trademark sprawling lines, this poem rallies troops for war. April 30, 2014 One spring day, dreading an afternoon appointment that will dredge up all kinds of terrible memories, the speaker of the poem focuses on the natural world around her. For My Best Friend One way to grieve is to give tribute, perhaps even before the person you are grieving is completely gone. Cold Solace Even after many months in the freezer, a honey cake calls up strong memories. I Feel the Sun This poem articulates the poet’s intense feeling about the sunlight after going through a long winter. An Innocent Little Girl • Favzieh Rahgozar Barlas captures a snapshot of child marriage, its cultural and economic context, and its physical and emotional aftermath. Sometimes a Voice (1) On a hot summer afternoon, Danny jumped off the boathouse roof without thinking of the consequences. Application Form Identity is elusive. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all. Passing into Storm Through an objective lens, this poem, which could be a trailer for a horror movie, describes a white man deliberately walking into a snow storm. To what end? the ghosts of women once girls Poet Aja Monet reveals both gladness and sadness from a little girl enraptured by literature. Dinosaur Economics In this poem, playful romanticization meets a stark awakening The Fatigue Fatigue is often the first sign something is wrong with one's body. Fatigue looms larger than life in this poem which grapples with meds, family, and coping. Sonoma A dreamlike sense of the uncanny hangs over this poem of an encounter on a coastal highway. Picking Up a Dandelion A short and poignant poem, stretching out a brief moment of beauty. Editing the Prairie If the prairie was a written story, imagine the rejection letter it might get! Marshlands Quietly pause to take in the colours and sounds of a marsh. Dulce et Decorum Est Wilfred Owen brilliantly uses rhyme and meter in this brutal poem about a poison gas attack during WWI. Declaration of Intent Rita Wong invokes the "sacred bond" of water in this poem that invites us to learn from watersheds, and to act in their defense. The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… Planet Earth P.K. Page sings the praises of planet earth through extended metaphor and delightful constraint. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. Plenty Who would have thought a trip to the grocery store could be so full of beauty? Qawanguq with Fox Abigail Chabitnoy’s dreamscape of a poem depicts a coy little fox. Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. grass In his short, funny poem, Ward Maxwell asks us to step on the grass, saying “it deserves it.” But isn’t that the point of grass? Reluctance Even after you’ve jumped all the fences, climbed all the hills, and looked at the world, it can be hard to accept how you feel… Parable of the Eagle In this poem, an unlikely guest in the form of an eagle finds itself in a farmer’s hen house, resulting in an unexpected ending. Two Hours on the Train In this deceptively simple poem, a poet on a journey transcends time. What Is Poetry Using only the letters in the title’s question, Holbrook generates a smorgasbord of weird and delightful answers. Pagination 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English