Nostalgic Poems

This selection of Nostalgic Poems examines themes of sentimentality and longing for days gone by. Representing perspectives from a diverse selection of poets, these titles interrogate the idea of yearning for the past, as well as themes of growth, change, and loss.

Publication year 2020Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, American Literature

Publication year 1919Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Parenting, Mythology

“A Prayer for my Daughter” by William Butler (W.B.) Yeats was originally published in his collection Michael Robartes and the Dancer in 1921. This book also includes one of Yeats’s most famous poems—“the Second Coming”—and was Yeats’s eighth collection of lyrical poems. “A Prayer for my daughter” was written in 1919, a year that marked the beginning of the Irish War of Independence. The war lasted until 1921 and heavily influenced Yeats. The poem’s location... Read A Prayer for My Daughter Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, The Beat Generation, LGBTQ

“A Supermarket in California” is a prose poem by the American poet Allen Ginsberg. Written in 1955, it appears alongside Ginsberg’s most well-known work, “Howl,” in his book Howl and Other Poems. Published November 1, 1956 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Books as part of their Pocket Poets Series, Howl and Other Poems was subject to an obscenity trial in 1957 due to its use of sexually explicit language. The trial eventually ruled in the... Read A Supermarket in California Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community, Society: NationTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 1996Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Food, Identity: RaceTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1920Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1971Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: NationTags Narrative / Epic Poem

Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Relationships, Agriculture, Lyric Poem

Publication year 1979Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death

Publication year 1986Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Free verse, Relationships

Publication year 1986Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, American Literature, Food

Publication year 2000Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The PastTags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S.

Publication year 1986Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Mythology

Publication year 1891Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Business / Economics

Publication year 1850Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam AHH explores the cosmic implications of the death of a college friend (his sister’s fiancé), poet Arthur Henry Hallam, who died quite unexpectedly in 1833 at the age of 22 most likely from a cerebral hemorrhage. The poem is among the most ambitiously conceived philosophical poems in the English language and a monument to the dynamics of how Christians themselves grapple with the thorny question of mortality. The work stands... Read In Memoriam Summary


Publication year 1939Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1916Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Language, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Science / Nature, Modernism

Publication year 1807Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 2001Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Publication year 1987Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Free verse, Confessional, WWII / World War II, Relationships

Publication year 1976Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature

Simon J. Ortiz originally published “My Father’s Song” in his poetry/story collection entitled A Good Journey (1977). Ortiz is a major writer in the Native American Renaissance, a movement which began in the 1960s and marked a significant increase in the production of literary works by Native Americans in the United States. The poem was written at a time when Ortiz was collecting and recounting stories from Indigenous tribes across the United States, and his... Read My Father's Song Summary


Publication year 1686Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Asian Literature, Lyric Poem, Japanese Literature, Animals

Many scholars agree that “Old Pond” (1686) by Matsuo Bashō is one of the most—if not the most—famous haiku of all time. The term “haiku” translates as “play verse,” and though “Old Pond” appears whimsical and simple—a frog jumping into water and the subsequent splash—Bashō utilizes various literary devices such as key words and onomatopoeia to ensure this three-line poem is both didactic and enjoyable. “Old Pond” is instructional, especially for its use of common... Read Old Pond Summary


Publication year 1980Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Relationships

Publication year 1991Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Immigration / Refugee

Publication year 2007Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Lyric Poem, Relationships

Publication year 1991Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 1865Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Transcendentalism

Publication year 1921Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 2003Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Narrative / Epic Poem

Publication year 1983Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Objects, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Free verse, American Literature, Grief / Death

Publication year 2001Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Military / War

Publication year 1794Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2011Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Lyric Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 1855Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Love / Sexuality, Victorian Period

“The Last Ride Together” is a poem by the Victorian poet Robert Browning (1812-1889), first published in his 1855 collection Men and Women. It is an example of the poetic genre for which Browning is most famous: the dramatic monologue. Such a poem consists of words uttered by a speaker who is different from the author and whose personality is gradually revealed through his/her own words. This genre appealed to Browning because it allowed him... Read The Last Ride Together Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 2006Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Free verse, Southern Literature

Publication year 1922Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Food

Publication year 1998Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem, Parenting, American Literature

Publication year 1959Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Social Justice

Publication year 1985Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Love / Sexuality

Publication year 1998Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, American Literature