Political Poems

The Political Poems Collection exemplifies the power of poetry to inspire change and challenge injustice. Centering on themes related to politics and governance in a broad range of settings and cultures, these poems interrogate and challenge the systems and people who hold power in society.

An American Sunrise

by Joy Harjo

Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Race, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Politics & Government, Indigenous Identity

Tags Lyric Poem, US History, American Literature, Food, Race & Racism, World History

Joy Harjo is a seminal voice in the US poetry canon, and she has long been an advocate for Native American women in the literary world. Her work has merited tremendous acclaim, such as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas, the Josephine Miles Poetry Award, the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets, the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, and the American... Read An American Sunrise Summary

A Supermarket in California

by Allen Ginsberg

Publication year 1956

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Nation, Sexual Identity, Globalization, Politics & Government, Literature, Nostalgia

Tags Lyric Poem, Love & Sexuality, Arts & Culture, The Beat Generation, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

“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

Barbie Doll

by Marge Piercy

Publication year 1971

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Equality, Politics & Government

Tags Gender & Feminism, Narrative Poem, American Literature

The American writer Marge Piercy wrote “Barbie Doll.” Originally published in Moving Out (1971), the poem also appears in her 1982 collection, Circles on the Water. A highly descriptive poem, “Barbie Doll” offers staunch diction and vivid, stereotypical imagery of a girl who grows up and dies by suicide as an adult. This free verse poem is an example of second-wave feminist thought, also known as the Women’s Liberation Movement, something Piercy explores here through... Read Barbie Doll Summary

Declaration

by Tracy K. Smith

Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Politics & Government, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Memory, Grief, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse

... Read Declaration Summary

Identity

by Julio Noboa

Publication year 1977

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Conflict, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Philosophy, Science & Nature, Latin American Literature, Animals

... Read Identity Summary

London

by William Blake

Publication year 1794

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Lyric Poem, Industrial Revolution, Romanticism, Poverty, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read London Summary

Prayer to the Masks

by Léopold Sédar Senghor

Publication year 1945

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Race, Colonialism, Politics & Government

Tags Lyric Poem, Race & Racism, Arts & Culture, African Literature, Politics & Government

“Prayer to the Masks” is a poem by influential Senegalese poet and politician Léopold Sédar Senghor, published in 1945 in his collection Chants d’ombre (Songs of Shadow). Senghor often used his work to illuminate African history and contemplate the consequences of colonialism. Educated in Paris, Senghor was a founding member of the artistic and political movement Négritude, which emphasized pride in African and Black identity and history, which he practiced through his poetry. With “Prayer... Read Prayer to the Masks Summary

Song of Myself

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1856

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Politics & Government, Nation, Family, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Life-Inspired Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, US History, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary