Romantic Poetry

These poetry picks highlight the emotional and nature-focused spirit of Romanticism, a movement that originated in the 18th century. The Collection features selections from Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth, William Blake, and other exemplars of the Romantic poetry genre.

Annabel Lee

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1849

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, Community

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Gothic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction

The last poem Edgar Allan Poe—infamous poet and fiction author of the macabre—completed during his tumultuous life, “Annabel Lee,” was first published in the New York Tribune in 1849, two days after Poe’s death. Displaying the melodic lyricism, gothic overtones, and memorable imagery which informed so much of Poe’s work, “Annabel Lee” is considered one of the defining entries in his canon, and a classic of 19th century American poetry.The poem concerns the death of... Read Annabel Lee Summary

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

by Emily Dickinson

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Realism, Romanticism, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy

Emily Dickinson holds a special place in the firmament of American writers. Although she lived in the 19th century and seldom left her home region in Massachusetts, her poetry speaks to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Dickinson possessed a singular poetic style, characterized by inventive punctuation, powerful efficiency, and deep inquiry of the human experience. Her poem “Because I could not stop for Death” has become a touchstone for readers encountering Dickinson for the... Read Because I Could Not Stop for Death Summary

Channel Firing

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1914

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes War, Religion & Spirituality, Conflict

Tags Lyric Poem, Satirical Literature, Military & War, Victorian Period, Christian

English poet and novelist Thomas Hardy wrote “Channel Firing” in May of 1914, only three months before the beginning of WWI. Eerily prophetic, the poem depicts the global chaos and destruction that soon followed. Overlaid by tones of satire and irony, the poem details the violence of war and humanity’s age-old proclivity toward it through a conversation between God and the dead. Hardy, although best known for his earlier novels, received positive reception concerning war... Read Channel Firing Summary

Christabel

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Place, Sexual Identity, Safety & Danger, Mothers, Beauty

Tags Narrative Poem, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, Romanticism, British Literature, Science Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of... Read Christabel Summary

Endymion

by John Keats

Publication year 1818

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Plants, Place, Appearance & Reality

Tags Narrative Poem, Mythology, Romanticism, British Literature, World History, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction

... Read Endymion Summary

Highland Mary

by Robert Burns

Publication year 1792

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Memory, Death, Place

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, British Literature, Romanticism, Age of Enlightenment

... Read Highland Mary Summary