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! La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad What would you ask a knight if you found him alone and palely loitering along a barren path? Letters In this tender poem tracing a lost love, the speaker holds on by letting things go… Guanahani, 11 This bracing ballad (re)considers the beauty and history of the Caribbean island where Christopher Columbus first landed. The Lonely Land In this free verse poem, snapshots of a wild landscape show that beauty and conflict are not mutually exclusive — and that one may be derived from the other. The Bull Moose A moose's final, tortured moments unfold in a series of brutal images. Opus 75, Sestina in B-flat for the Glockenspiel A silent glockenspiel plays out a teenage girl’s anxieties about growing up and fitting in. Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. 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. The Visions of Stone Carrier In this dreamlike piece exploring memory and primogeniture, N. Scott Momaday casts a haunting spell that transports the reader through mystery and reminiscence. The Days of the Unicorns Phyllis Webb beautifully writes an ode to the majestic unicorn. Weed Killer Fiona Tinwei Lam moves from personal to universal and back to the personal in this chilling poem about the ecological destruction bequeathed from one generation to the next. people arrived Tracing and traveling with Kaie Kellough’s verse, the people in this poem plead to have their pulses read out loud. Northern Light A poem about belonging when one doesn't feel like they are completely at home The Fish A dreamy poem diving into oceanic imagery, exploring time and change. susiya Music binds and refreshes community World Town Layers of memory paint a moving, vibrant portrait of one man’s time spent in a seaside town with his father. Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. fluorine Rita Wong uncovers the poisons in everyday life to teach us about our relationship to the natural world. Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. From Correspondences Anne Michaels challenges us to find new maps to think about old experiences. My Papa’s Waltz The poet writes a complex poem about his relationship with his father. Plenty Who would have thought a trip to the grocery store could be so full of beauty? The ABG (Able-Bodied Gaze) The abled-bodied gaze is an intrusive force in this poem, making a spectacle of a disabled body and attempting to reduce them to their impairment. Jesse’s Farm Sadiqa de Meijer reckons with environmental degradation and motherhood in this poem that asks whether showing our children “the beloved world” is enough. Money A museum coin collection prompts a reflection on the captivating nature of currency. Journey of the Magi One of the three wise men who travelled to Bethlehem upon the birth of Jesus Christ describes his version of the story and the emotional upheaval he experiences from witnessing a miracle that shatters his previous beliefs and way of life. The Problem With Being a Box Too Small for Its Contents Misch expounds the unbearable work needed after a breakup: to separate from your lost love and “rejoin yourselves…even when you don’t want to.” I saw a perfect tree today Lillian Allen praises the rampant diversity of trees in Northern Ontario and asks us to see perfection in difference. These Poems, She Said Can an argument be the foundation of a love poem? Robert Bringhurst certainly thinks so! 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… The Dead This sonnet considers the fragmented, elusive way the dead resurface in our lives. Regardless This vibrant list poem celebrates the right to just Be. Qawanguq with Fox Abigail Chabitnoy’s dreamscape of a poem depicts a coy little fox. The Swimmer’s Moment Will you choose to observe from the rim of the whirlpool, or its centre? 400: Coming Home You can’t help thinking about your life on a long stretch of highway. But I’m No One But I’m No one is a reflection on our tendency to fear death and the manifestation of this fear through uncanny beliefs. the ghosts of women once girls Poet Aja Monet reveals both gladness and sadness from a little girl enraptured by literature. Thou Poem A poet reveals the happiest and unhappiest parts of their poetry – in conversation with a poem. Fast Commute Laurie Graham weathers an incongruous ice storm in this poem-excerpt that asks us to pause and understand that we are present here, “and with this understanding to start to hear.” From One and Half of You Trying on traditional clothing and finding how it fits. Or not. Pagination 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English