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! The Bow What flows through a name, and a name, and a name? The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… 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. My Papa’s Waltz The poet writes a complex poem about his relationship with his father. The Blue Guitar In this glosa poem, P.K. Page strums out questions about being an artist and telling the truth. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. 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. An English Speaking Doctor Translates the Concerns of his Patient with Google/Un Docteur Anglophone Traduit Les Inquiétudes De Son Patient Avec Google This bilingual poem expresses the limitations of understanding across languages when experiences become lost in translation. dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. The Trick The body and the mind are intimately linked and cannot be divorced from each other. Where There’s a Wall Both beauty and violence are just on the other side of the wall. From Correspondences Anne Michaels challenges us to find new maps to think about old experiences. The Swimmer’s Moment Will you choose to observe from the rim of the whirlpool, or its centre? These Poems, She Said Can an argument be the foundation of a love poem? Robert Bringhurst certainly thinks so! 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. 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? Guanahani, 11 This bracing ballad (re)considers the beauty and history of the Caribbean island where Christopher Columbus first landed. I’ll Teach You Cree By sharing with us the untranslatable aspects of Cree culture, Scofield immerses the reader with the sensorial experiences that deepen the bonds of community. 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. A Breakfast for Barbarians Come sit at this mythical table where guests eat the world’s mysteries for breakfast. Sonoma A dreamlike sense of the uncanny hangs over this poem of an encounter on a coastal highway. from Cross River . Pick Lotus Sometimes a simple wish granted, especially a final one, can change everything. Money A museum coin collection prompts a reflection on the captivating nature of currency. 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… Dulce et Decorum Est Wilfred Owen brilliantly uses rhyme and meter in this brutal poem about a poison gas attack during WWI. the knowing Connie Fife cryptically combines land and body in this poem exploring connection to place and past. An Innocent Little Girl • Favzieh Rahgozar Barlas captures a snapshot of child marriage, its cultural and economic context, and its physical and emotional aftermath. 400: Coming Home You can’t help thinking about your life on a long stretch of highway. niya A physical encounter with a stranger ignites a fire of emotions about how to express the trauma of settlement and life in a colonial, urban environment. Two Hours on the Train In this deceptively simple poem, a poet on a journey transcends time. Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. Qawanguq with Fox Abigail Chabitnoy’s dreamscape of a poem depicts a coy little fox. people arrived Tracing and traveling with Kaie Kellough’s verse, the people in this poem plead to have their pulses read out loud. Common Magic Do you ever wonder how anything gets done when we’re all swirling in our own galaxies of thought and experience? This poem does too. The Fish A dreamy poem diving into oceanic imagery, exploring time and change. 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? Echolalia Exploring the tension between desire and satisfaction, this is “a poem that you have to kiss your way through without being kissed,” says Williams. Sometimes a Voice (1) On a hot summer afternoon, Danny jumped off the boathouse roof without thinking of the consequences. In Flanders Fields The dead summon us to action in this much-beloved poem of war. Pagination « First First page ‹ Previous Previous page 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English