poem for college essay

Best Poems for College Students To Read and Analyze

• Poems about life
• Poems about hope
• Social justice poems
• Feminist poetry
• Ghostwriting services for college students

With the rising popularity of spoken word poetry and modern poets like Rupi Kapur and Lang Leav and Instagram poets like Atticus, it is appropriate to say that poetry is making a comeback—rising from the ashes, if we consider its long sleep in the previous decades. More and more college students are dipping their toes into the ocean of poetry. Yes, there is an ocean of poetry—it is only the oldest literary form, after all. There is more than enough to read and explore for a lifetime and another. 

If you are a budding poetry buff looking to establish your knowledge and taste in poetry, here are the best poems for college students. These are deemed the best poems for college students as they have helped cultivate older generations of college students’ love for poetry. These are poems that tackle universal themes and experiences of college students, while some simply play on language . We also added some poems tackling contemporary issues that are bound to be classics in a few years.

These are some of the most famous poems about life. College life can be a confusing and trying time for many. The existential dread comes down in the most inopportune times—the night before the deadline of a paper or during finals week —and is carried over to the next months. Poets have also wrestled with existential dread, some even came out with life lessons. 

To Those of You Alive in the Future by Dean Young

Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka

Starfish by Eleanor Lerman

The Rolling Saint by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Making a Fist by Naomi Shihab Nye

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick

Dust by Dorianne Laux

The best professors embolden their students to look at every thing that is happening in the world around them. It is an overwhelming endeavor, and it risks killing the idealistic fire inside every student, but it is necessary. For times when hopelessness abounds, get inspiration from these poets. 

The Journey by Mary Oliver 

Making Peace by Denise Levertov

When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be by John Keats

Work Without Hope by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas

Politics affects everyone. If you ask these poets, it is everyone’s duty to be aware of what is happening in their country and in the world, and to try and change it. History and politics are intertwined, and together they shaped the present we live in. College students can benefit from reading about the experiences of people who lived through the history they only read about in class. Although, unfortunately, many will likely forget the specific historical events, these social justice poems can provide a perspective that will leave a lasting imprint on anyone.

A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats

The Diameter of the Bomb by Yehuda Amichai

Who Said It Was Simple by Audre Lorde

America by Allen Ginsberg

10-Year-Old Shot Three Times, But She’s Fine by Patricia Smith

The women’s movement has been ongoing even before the first wave of the feminist movement. The fight for equality among sexes continues to this day, and has even expanded to include the fight of all minorities. It is worth a while to listen to the voices of some of the pioneers of the women’s movement, as well as to the voices of those who continue the fight, such as poems by Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde.

No, Thank You, John by Christina Rossetti

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (poems by Maya Angelou)

Diving into the wreck by Adrienne Rich

Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros

For Women Who Are Difficult to Love by Warsan Shire

A Litany for Survival by Audre Lorde 

The college experience is not quite complete without falling in love and a few heartaches. Fall in love with these poets—you might even find a poem to read to your date—or soothe a broken heart.

First Memory by Louise Glück

Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines by Pablo Neruda

Having a Coke With You by Frank O’Hara

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

You are tired, (I think) by E. E. Cummings

Movement Song by Audre Lorde

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

Postcard from the Heartbreak Hotel by John Brehm

These poems are truly wonderful to read for pleasure. Explore worlds and language. Maybe you might even be inspired to write a poem of your own or analyze one (even if it is for class). Reading poetry is not just for pleasure. It can even improve your writing style without you noticing and help you get A+ essays . So, keep reading!

In the face of the youth's inundation by mundane things not concerned with literature, modern poets who use Instagram and other social media platforms are indicative that things are looking up for the arts. It is these young artists whose works indirectly urge today's youths to read poetry in the age of hashtag and digital stories. These youngsters should be delighted as here is a wealth of literature indeed; the aforementioned poems are only the tip of the iceberg.  

With passion, time, and skill, writing poems can be a very good outlet, a meaningful exercise for your mind and vocabulary. Today, evidenced by the advent of social media poets, it is clear that technology, despite its many distractions, can be an instrument in shaping the young minds and direct to the beauty that is the arts. However, this does not controvert the sad truth that students today hardly have time due to overwhelming academic workload on top of the tons of writing that they are required to produce, making it hard for them to hone their writing skills and to a certain extent, lead healthier and productive college lives. CustomEssayMeister recognizes this trend and offers custom essay services, custom research paper writing services, custom term paper writing, and yes, even custom poem writing. All kinds of academic papers (essays, research papers, presentations, term papers, theses, dissertations) across all fields and academic levels, our experts at CustomEssayMeister can write them. If you have any questions, send us a message. If that essay or poem can no longer wait, feel free to place an order. We are more than glad to give academic help.

more in Writing Guides / Poem

• How to analyze a poem Aug 21, 2018
• The Elements and Types of Poetry Aug 15, 2018
• Examples of a 3-Stanza Poem Aug 13, 2018
• Free Example of a Poem: "April 30, 1945" Aug 7, 2018

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Writing About Poetry

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This section covers the basics of how to write about poetry, including why it is done, what you should know, and what you can write about.

Writing about poetry can be one of the most demanding tasks that many students face in a literature class. Poetry, by its very nature, makes demands on a writer who attempts to analyze it that other forms of literature do not. So how can you write a clear, confident, well-supported essay about poetry? This handout offers answers to some common questions about writing about poetry.

What's the Point?

In order to write effectively about poetry, one needs a clear idea of what the point of writing about poetry is. When you are assigned an analytical essay about a poem in an English class, the goal of the assignment is usually to argue a specific thesis about the poem, using your analysis of specific elements in the poem and how those elements relate to each other to support your thesis.

So why would your teacher give you such an assignment? What are the benefits of learning to write analytic essays about poetry? Several important reasons suggest themselves:

• To help you learn to make a text-based argument. That is, to help you to defend ideas based on a text that is available to you and other readers. This sharpens your reasoning skills by forcing you to formulate an interpretation of something someone else has written and to support that interpretation by providing logically valid reasons why someone else who has read the poem should agree with your argument. This isn't a skill that is just important in academics, by the way. Lawyers, politicians, and journalists often find that they need to make use of similar skills.
• To help you to understand what you are reading more fully. Nothing causes a person to make an extra effort to understand difficult material like the task of writing about it. Also, writing has a way of helping you to see things that you may have otherwise missed simply by causing you to think about how to frame your own analysis.
• To help you enjoy poetry more! This may sound unlikely, but one of the real pleasures of poetry is the opportunity to wrestle with the text and co-create meaning with the author. When you put together a well-constructed analysis of the poem, you are not only showing that you understand what is there, you are also contributing to an ongoing conversation about the poem. If your reading is convincing enough, everyone who has read your essay will get a little more out of the poem because of your analysis.

What Should I Know about Writing about Poetry?

Most importantly, you should realize that a paper that you write about a poem or poems is an argument. Make sure that you have something specific that you want to say about the poem that you are discussing. This specific argument that you want to make about the poem will be your thesis. You will support this thesis by drawing examples and evidence from the poem itself. In order to make a credible argument about the poem, you will want to analyze how the poem works—what genre the poem fits into, what its themes are, and what poetic techniques and figures of speech are used.

What Can I Write About?

Theme: One place to start when writing about poetry is to look at any significant themes that emerge in the poetry. Does the poetry deal with themes related to love, death, war, or peace? What other themes show up in the poem? Are there particular historical events that are mentioned in the poem? What are the most important concepts that are addressed in the poem?

Genre: What kind of poem are you looking at? Is it an epic (a long poem on a heroic subject)? Is it a sonnet (a brief poem, usually consisting of fourteen lines)? Is it an ode? A satire? An elegy? A lyric? Does it fit into a specific literary movement such as Modernism, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, or Renaissance poetry? This is another place where you may need to do some research in an introductory poetry text or encyclopedia to find out what distinguishes specific genres and movements.

Versification: Look closely at the poem's rhyme and meter. Is there an identifiable rhyme scheme? Is there a set number of syllables in each line? The most common meter for poetry in English is iambic pentameter, which has five feet of two syllables each (thus the name "pentameter") in each of which the strongly stressed syllable follows the unstressed syllable. You can learn more about rhyme and meter by consulting our handout on sound and meter in poetry or the introduction to a standard textbook for poetry such as the Norton Anthology of Poetry . Also relevant to this category of concerns are techniques such as caesura (a pause in the middle of a line) and enjambment (continuing a grammatical sentence or clause from one line to the next). Is there anything that you can tell about the poem from the choices that the author has made in this area? For more information about important literary terms, see our handout on the subject.

Figures of speech: Are there literary devices being used that affect how you read the poem? Here are some examples of commonly discussed figures of speech:

• metaphor: comparison between two unlike things
• simile: comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
• metonymy: one thing stands for something else that is closely related to it (For example, using the phrase "the crown" to refer to the king would be an example of metonymy.)
• synecdoche: a part stands in for a whole (For example, in the phrase "all hands on deck," "hands" stands in for the people in the ship's crew.)
• personification: a non-human thing is endowed with human characteristics
• litotes: a double negative is used for poetic effect (example: not unlike, not displeased)
• irony: a difference between the surface meaning of the words and the implications that may be drawn from them

Cultural Context: How does the poem you are looking at relate to the historical context in which it was written? For example, what's the cultural significance of Walt Whitman's famous elegy for Lincoln "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed" in light of post-Civil War cultural trends in the U.S.A? How does John Donne's devotional poetry relate to the contentious religious climate in seventeenth-century England? These questions may take you out of the literature section of your library altogether and involve finding out about philosophy, history, religion, economics, music, or the visual arts.

What Style Should I Use?

It is useful to follow some standard conventions when writing about poetry. First, when you analyze a poem, it is best to use present tense rather than past tense for your verbs. Second, you will want to make use of numerous quotations from the poem and explain their meaning and their significance to your argument. After all, if you do not quote the poem itself when you are making an argument about it, you damage your credibility. If your teacher asks for outside criticism of the poem as well, you should also cite points made by other critics that are relevant to your argument. A third point to remember is that there are various citation formats for citing both the material you get from the poems themselves and the information you get from other critical sources. The most common citation format for writing about poetry is the Modern Language Association (MLA) format .

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How to Write the AP Lit Poetry Essay

What’s covered:.

• How to Write the AP Literature Poetry Essay
• Tips for Writing The AP Lit Poetry Essay

To strengthen your AP Literature Poetry Essay essay, make sure you prepare ahead of time by knowing how the test is structured, and how to prepare. In this post, we’ll cover the structure of the test and show you how you can write a great AP Literature Poetry Essay.

What is the AP Lit Poetry Essay? 

The AP Literature exam has two sections. Section I contains 55 multiple choice questions, with 1 hour time allotted. This includes at least two prose fiction passages and two poetry passages. 

Section II, on the other hand, is a free response section. Here, students write essays to 3 prompts. These prompts include a literary analysis of a poem, prose fiction, or in a work selected by the student. Because the AP Literature Exam is structured in a specific, predictable manner, it’s helpful to prepare yourself for the types of questions you’ll encounter on test day. 

The Poetry Essay counts for one-third of the total essay section score, so it’s important to know how to approach this section. You’ll want to plan for about 40 minutes on this question, which is plenty of time to read and dissect the prompt, read and markup the poem, write a brief outline, and write a concise, well-thought out essay with a compelling analysis. 

Tips for Writing the AP Lit Poetry Essay

1. focus on the process.

Writing is a process, and so is literary analysis. Think less about finding the right answer, or uncovering the correct meaning of the poem (there isn’t one, most of the time). Read the prompt over at least twice, asking yourself carefully what you need to look for as you read. Then, read the poem three times. Once, to get an overall sense of the poem. Second, start to get at nuance; circle anything that’s recurring, underline important language and diction , and note important images or metaphors. In your annotations, you want to think about figurative language , and poetic structure and form . Third, pay attention to subtle shifts in the poem: does the form break, is there an interruption of some sort? When analyzing poetry, it’s important to get a sense of the big picture first, and then zoom in on the details. 

2. Craft a Compelling Thesis

No matter the prompt, you will always need to respond with a substantive thesis. A meaty thesis contains complexity rather than broad generalizations , and points to specifics in the poem.

By examining the colloquial language in Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem, “We Real Cool”, we can see the tension of choosing to be “cool”. This raises important ideas about education, structure, and routine, and the consequences of living to be “real cool”.

Notice how the thesis provides a roadmap of what is to follow in the essay , and identifies key ideas that the essay will explore. It is specific, and not vague. The thesis provides a bigger picture of the text, while zooming in the colloquial language the speaker uses. 

A good thesis points out the why as much as the what . Notice how in the above example, the thesis discusses language in the poem as it connects to a bigger message about the poem. For example, it’s not enough to discuss Emily Dickinson’s enjambment and hyphens. A good thesis will make a compelling argument about why those infamous Dickinson hyphens are so widely questioned and examined. Perhaps a good thesis might suggest that this unique literary device is more about self-examination and the lapse in our own judgement. 

3. Use Textual Evidence 

To support your thesis, always use textual evidence . When you are creating an outline, choose a handful of lines in the poem that will help illuminate your argument. Make sure each claim in your essay is followed by textual evidence, either in the form of a paraphrase, or direct quote . Then, explain exactly how the textual evidence supports your argument . Using this structure will help keep you on track as you write, so that your argument follows a clear narrative that a reader will be able to follow. 

Your essay will need to contain both description of the poem, and analysis . Remember that your job isn’t to describe or paraphrase every aspect of the poem. You also need lots of rich analysis, so be sure to balance your writing by moving from explicit description to deeper analysis. 

4. Strong Organization and Grammar

A great essay for the AP Literature Exam will contain an introduction with a thesis (not necessarily always the last sentence of the paragraph), body paragraphs that contain clear topic sentences, and a conclusion . Be sure to spend time thinking about your organization before you write the paper. Once you start writing, you only want to think about content. It’s helpful to write a quick outline before writing your essay. 

There’s nothing worse than a strong argument with awkward sentences, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Make sure to proofread your work before submitting it. Carefully edit your work, paying attention to any run-on sentences, subject-verb agreement, commas, and spelling. You’d be surprised how many mistakes you’ll catch just by rereading your work. 

Common Mistakes on the AP Literature Poetry Essay 

It can be helpful to know what not to do when it comes time to prepare for the AP Literature Poetry Essay. Here are some common mistakes students make on the AP Literature Poetry Essay:

1. Thesis is not arguable and is too general 

Your thesis should be arguable, and indicate the central ideas you will discuss in your essay. Read the prompt carefully and craft your thesis in light of what the prompt asks you to do. If the prompt mentions specific literary devices, find a way to tie those into your thesis. In your thesis, you want to connect to the meaning of the poem itself and what you feel the poet intended when using those particular literary devices.

2. Using vague, general statements rather than focusing on analysis of the poem

Always stay close to the text when writing the AP Literature Poetry Essay. Remember that your job is not to paraphrase but to analyze. Keep explicit descriptions of the poem concise, and spend the majority of your time writing strong analysis backed up by textual evidence.

3. Not using transitions to connect between paragraphs

Make sure it’s not jarring to the reader when you switch to a new idea in a new paragraph. Use transitions and strong topic sentences to seamlessly blend your ideas together into a cohesive essay that flows well and is easy to follow. 

4. Textual evidence is lacking or not fully explained 

Always include quotes from the text and reference specifics whenever you can. Introduce your quote briefly, and then explain how the quote connects back to the topic sentence after. Think about why the quotes connect back to the poet’s central ideas. 

5. Not writing an outline

Of course, to write a fully developed essay you’ll need to spend a few minutes planning out your essay. Write a quick outline with a thesis, paragraph topics and a list of quotes that support your central ideas before getting started.

To improve your writing, take a look at these essay samples from the College Board, with scoring guidelines and commentary. 

How Will AP Scores Affect My College Chances?

While you can self-report AP scores, they don’t really affect your admissions chances . Schools are more interested in how you performed in the actual class, as your grades impact your GPA. To understand how your GPA impacts your college chances, use our free chancing engine . We’ll let you know your personal chance of acceptance at over 1500 schools, plus give you tips for improving your profile.

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Writing Studio

Writing about poetry: questions and answers, frequently asked questions on writing about poetry.

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Writing about Poetry Q&A Return to Writing Studio Handouts

Question 1: So what is a poetry paper, and how is it different from summary papers or compare-and-contrast essays?

Answer: A poetry paper is actually called an explication , or a close reading of a poem. It is a line-by-line commentary about what is happening there.

However, when writing an explication, is it important to remember that it is more than just a long summary. Although you may have to summarize the poem in certain parts of your paper (like in the introduction or conclusion), or you may choose to paraphrase a few lines that don’t contain things related to the focus of your paper, an explication is far more complex.

It is, in fact, a close reading of a poem based on a claim that you have made about it. Generally, good explications go line by line, picking out every detail in the poem that supports your argument .

Question 2: Whoa, you just said “argument.” Do poetry papers have those?

Answer: Yes, they do. Poetry explications should have a central argument or thesis that guides your analysis. And remember, thesis statements often start by asking general questions like:

• What does this poem “mean”? What is the author (or speaker) trying to say in it?
• What is the major “theme” of the poem: loneliness, love, racism, or what?
• How will my explication help my readers understand the poem in a fresh, interesting way?

Once you have chosen a theme, try to shape your observation into a more developed statement.

For example, John Donne’s sonnet “Death Be Not Proud” is certainly about death, but it is also doing something else: the speaker is arguing that, because Death is only the end of a life on earth, it is not something to be afraid of, since, according to the Christian beliefs of the speaker, it is only temporary, and will no longer exist when God returns to earth.

Be sure to ask the big questions , but always allow them to lead you to a specific argument about the poem.

Question 3: Okay, I have an argument and I think I’m ready to write. So how do I prove it?

Answer: The key thing to remember about explications is to analyze . Pick apart the language of the poem. Look for things such as symbolism, imagery, metaphor, tone, syntax, irony, allusion , etc. Show how the language of the poem is connected to its content and/or theme.

For example, don’t just stop at the observation that Hughes uses a metaphor—make an argument about how that metaphor helps him do what he does in his poem.

Also, if applicable, attend to the form of the poem ( identify the type of poem, line-breaks, rhythm, stanza breaks, rhyme scheme, etc.). Again, connect your observations about form to your interpretations of the content or theme.

Question 4: Cool. Thanks for your help. Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

Answer: Sure. Here are some general tips for about writing about poetry:

General Tips for Writing About Poetry

Let’s start with the “don’ts” (or “avoids”):.

• AVOID talking about the poem in terms of “today’s society.” If you feel that the social, cultural, and/or historical context discussions are important, or that the author is trying to say something really cool to or about society, then meet the poem on its own turf: Ask yourself: What was happening in society the country, or in a specific community when the poem was written? Why are those facts important to my explication of the poem? Also, avoid using words like “timeless” or “universal” —every poem has its own context, and words like that often make your reader wonder if you’re trying to avoid the work of discussing that poem on its own terms.
• AVOID saying things that are meaningless or obviously true : “Countee Cullen’s poem makes use of diction and syntax.” Of course—a lot of poems do. Instead, ask yourself if there is something distinctive or unusual about his use of diction. If so, then what purpose does it serve in this poem?
• AVOID evaluating the poem in simple terms like “good” and “bad.” This also includes statements like “Brooks’ poem is a realistic example of a guilty mother.” Lots of poets might like to do that, but why is that “realism” important? Try to find something unique or interesting about her portrayal of the mother that makes the poem different from other poems about mothers.

And Now for the “DO”:

Organize the essay in a purposeful manner. You don’t have to write a standard five-paragraph essay, but you do need to give your reader a sense that your paper is headed somewhere. Here are a couple of conventional ways to organize poetry explications:

• The poem begins….
• In the next/following line…
• The speaker immediately adds….
• She then introduces….
• The next stanza begins by saying….
• By formal/stylistic device. For instance, you might have one paragraph on syntax, one on meter, and so on. Again, the key is to show how these different devices illuminate different aspects of the argument. Don’t just repeat, “Cullen’s use of diction [insert thesis here]”; “Cullen’s use of imagery [insert thesis here]”; “Cullen’s use of meter [insert thesis here again].” Show how each of them proves your argument in different ways , or how they illuminate certain complexities in your argument.
• By thematic element. A poem will have several thematic elements going on (sometimes even seemingly contradictory ones), with each contributing to the meaning in a different way, and you can definitely write about them in the same paper. Just remember, be specific . Even two poems written by the same author on the same theme probably present that theme in different ways each time.

Last revised: 8/2008 | Adapted for web delivery: 12/2021 

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A Full Guide to Writing a Perfect Poem Analysis Essay

01 October, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Poem analysis is one of the most complicated essay types. It requires the utmost creativity and dedication. Even those who regularly attend a literary class and have enough experience in poem analysis essay elaboration may face considerable difficulties while dealing with the particular poem. The given article aims to provide the detailed guidelines on how to write a poem analysis, elucidate the main principles of writing the essay of the given type, and share with you the handy tips that will help you get the highest score for your poetry analysis. In addition to developing analysis skills, you would be able to take advantage of the poetry analysis essay example to base your poetry analysis essay on, as well as learn how to find a way out in case you have no motivation and your creative assignment must be presented on time.

What Is a Poetry Analysis Essay?

A poetry analysis essay is a type of creative write-up that implies reviewing a poem from different perspectives by dealing with its structural, artistic, and functional pieces. Since the poetry expresses very complicated feelings that may have different meanings depending on the backgrounds of both author and reader, it would not be enough just to focus on the text of the poem you are going to analyze. Poetry has a lot more complex structure and cannot be considered without its special rhythm, images, as well as implied and obvious sense.

While analyzing the poem, the students need to do in-depth research as to its content, taking into account the effect the poetry has or may have on the readers.

Preparing for the Poetry Analysis Writing

The process of preparation for the poem analysis essay writing is almost as important as writing itself. Without completing these stages, you may be at risk of failing your creative assignment. Learn them carefully to remember once and for good.

Thoroughly read the poem several times

The rereading of the poem assigned for analysis will help to catch its concepts and ideas. You will have a possibility to define the rhythm of the poem, its type, and list the techniques applied by the author.

While identifying the type of the poem, you need to define whether you are dealing with:

• Lyric poem – the one that elucidates feelings, experiences, and the emotional state of the author. It is usually short and doesn’t contain any narration;
• Limerick – consists of 5 lines, the first, second, and fifth of which rhyme with one another;
• Sonnet – a poem consisting of 14 lines characterized by an iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare wrote sonnets which have made him famous;
• Ode – 10-line poem aimed at praising someone or something;
• Haiku – a short 3-line poem originated from Japan. It reflects the deep sense hidden behind the ordinary phenomena and events of the physical world;
• Free-verse – poetry with no rhyme.

The type of the poem usually affects its structure and content, so it is important to be aware of all the recognized kinds to set a proper beginning to your poetry analysis.

Find out more about the poem background

Find as much information as possible about the author of the poem, the cultural background of the period it was written in, preludes to its creation, etc. All these data will help you get a better understanding of the poem’s sense and explain much to you in terms of the concepts the poem contains.

Define a subject matter of the poem

This is one of the most challenging tasks since as a rule, the subject matter of the poem isn’t clearly stated by the poets. They don’t want the readers to know immediately what their piece of writing is about and suggest everyone find something different between the lines.

What is the subject matter? In a nutshell, it is the main idea of the poem. Usually, a poem may have a couple of subjects, that is why it is important to list each of them.

In order to correctly identify the goals of a definite poem, you would need to dive into the in-depth research.

Check the historical background of the poetry. The author might have been inspired to write a poem based on some events that occurred in those times or people he met. The lines you analyze may be generated by his reaction to some epoch events. All this information can be easily found online.

Choose poem theories you will support

In the variety of ideas the poem may convey, it is important to stick to only several most important messages you think the author wanted to share with the readers. Each of the listed ideas must be supported by the corresponding evidence as proof of your opinion.

The poetry analysis essay format allows elaborating on several theses that have the most value and weight. Try to build your writing not only on the pure facts that are obvious from the context but also your emotions and feelings the analyzed lines provoke in you.

How to Choose a Poem to Analyze?

If you are free to choose the piece of writing you will base your poem analysis essay on, it is better to select the one you are already familiar with. This may be your favorite poem or one that you have read and analyzed before. In case you face difficulties choosing the subject area of a particular poem, then the best way will be to focus on the idea you feel most confident about. In such a way, you would be able to elaborate on the topic and describe it more precisely.

Now, when you are familiar with the notion of the poetry analysis essay, it’s high time to proceed to poem analysis essay outline. Follow the steps mentioned below to ensure a brilliant structure to your creative assignment.

Best Poem Analysis Essay Topics

• Mother To Son Poem Analysis
• We Real Cool Poem Analysis
• Invictus Poem Analysis
• Richard Cory Poem Analysis
• Ozymandias Poem Analysis
• Barbie Doll Poem Analysis
• Caged Bird Poem Analysis
• Ulysses Poem Analysis
• Dover Beach Poem Analysis
• Annabelle Lee Poem Analysis
• Daddy Poem Analysis
• The Raven Poem Analysis
• The Second Coming Poem Analysis
• Still I Rise Poem Analysis
• If Poem Analysis
• Fire And Ice Poem Analysis
• My Papa’S Waltz Poem Analysis
• Harlem Poem Analysis
• Kubla Khan Poem Analysis
• I Too Poem Analysis
• The Juggler Poem Analysis
• The Fish Poem Analysis
• Jabberwocky Poem Analysis
• Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem Analysis
• The Road Not Taken Poem Analysis
• Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus Poem Analysis
• The History Teacher Poem Analysis
• One Art Poem Analysis
• The Wanderer Poem Analysis
• We Wear The Mask Poem Analysis
• There Will Come Soft Rains Poem Analysis
• Digging Poem Analysis
• The Highwayman Poem Analysis
• The Tyger Poem Analysis
• London Poem Analysis
• Sympathy Poem Analysis
• I Am Joaquin Poem Analysis
• This Is Just To Say Poem Analysis
• Sex Without Love Poem Analysis
• Strange Fruit Poem Analysis
• Dulce Et Decorum Est Poem Analysis
• Emily Dickinson Poem Analysis
• The Flea Poem Analysis
• The Lamb Poem Analysis
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Poem Analysis
• My Last Duchess Poetry Analysis

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

As has already been stated, a poetry analysis essay is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the students. Despite the difficulties you may face while dealing with it, the structure of the given type of essay is quite simple. It consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In order to get a better understanding of the poem analysis essay structure, check the brief guidelines below.

Introduction

This will be the first section of your essay. The main purpose of the introductory paragraph is to give a reader an idea of what the essay is about and what theses it conveys. The introduction should start with the title of the essay and end with the thesis statement.

The main goal of the introduction is to make readers feel intrigued about the whole concept of the essay and serve as a hook to grab their attention. Include some interesting information about the author, the historical background of the poem, some poem trivia, etc. There is no need to make the introduction too extensive. On the contrary, it should be brief and logical.

Body Paragraphs

The body section should form the main part of poetry analysis. Make sure you have determined a clear focus for your analysis and are ready to elaborate on the main message and meaning of the poem. Mention the tone of the poetry, its speaker, try to describe the recipient of the poem’s idea. Don’t forget to identify the poetic devices and language the author uses to reach the main goals. Describe the imagery and symbolism of the poem, its sound and rhythm.

Try not to stick to too many ideas in your body section, since it may make your essay difficult to understand and too chaotic to perceive. Generalization, however, is also not welcomed. Try to be specific in the description of your perspective.

Make sure the transitions between your paragraphs are smooth and logical to make your essay flow coherent and easy to catch.

In a nutshell, the essay conclusion is a paraphrased thesis statement. Mention it again but in different words to remind the readers of the main purpose of your essay. Sum up the key claims and stress the most important information. The conclusion cannot contain any new ideas and should be used to create a strong impact on the reader. This is your last chance to share your opinion with the audience and convince them your essay is worth readers’ attention.

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Poem Analysis Essay Examples 

A good poem analysis essay example may serve as a real magic wand to your creative assignment. You may take a look at the structure the other essay authors have used, follow their tone, and get a great share of inspiration and motivation.

Check several poetry analysis essay examples that may be of great assistance:

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/poetry-analysis-essay-example-for-english-literature.html
• https://www.slideshare.net/mariefincher/poetry-analysis-essay

Writing Tips for a Poetry Analysis Essay

If you read carefully all the instructions on how to write a poetry analysis essay provided above, you have probably realized that this is not the easiest assignment on Earth. However, you cannot fail and should try your best to present a brilliant essay to get the highest score. To make your life even easier, check these handy tips on how to analysis poetry with a few little steps.

• In case you have a chance to choose a poem for analysis by yourself, try to focus on one you are familiar with, you are interested in, or your favorite one. The writing process will be smooth and easy in case you are working on the task you truly enjoy.
• Before you proceed to the analysis itself, read the poem out loud to your colleague or just to yourself. It will help you find out some hidden details and senses that may result in new ideas.
• Always check the meaning of words you don’t know. Poetry is quite a tricky phenomenon where a single word or phrase can completely change the meaning of the whole piece. 
• Bother to double check if the conclusion of your essay is based on a single idea and is logically linked to the main body. Such an approach will demonstrate your certain focus and clearly elucidate your views. 
• Read between the lines. Poetry is about senses and emotions – it rarely contains one clearly stated subject matter. Describe the hidden meanings and mention the feelings this has provoked in you. Try to elaborate a full picture that would be based on what is said and what is meant.

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Writing About Poetry

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I. Reading Strategies

• Get to know the poem. Critically consider all aspects of the poem: the meanings of individual words, the way the words sound, the amount of syllables per line, how many sentences there are, the shape of the poem on the page, etc. Pay attention to the connection between the form and content: What is significant about the relationship between what the speaker says and how they say it?
• Read and reread. Read the poem several times, both silently and aloud. Your ears will notice things your eyes miss. Look up words you don’t know, and even words you do that may have multiple meanings! The Oxford English Dictionary is a great resource for this research. 
• Annotate! Find a note-taking system that you can easily follow, such as Post-Its/flags, highlighting, and/or writing on a separate paper. Use your system to note repetitions of, and patterns in, meter, rhyme, images, phrases, themes, and ideas. 

II. Defining Argument

Your goal is to identify and discuss a relationship between the literary devices of the poem and their thematic implications. Ask yourself: How do the poem’s elements work together? Do they complement each other? Do they create tension? Both? What does that show? The thesis develops out of questions like these. 

Example Questions: What is Seamus Heaney describing in the poem “Digging”? Why does he use the metaphor of digging? How does it relate to his concept of identity? Why do you think so? What evidence supports that idea? 

To turn your thoughts into a thesis, try breaking them down into: (1) what the literary device is; (2) how it demonstrates your claim; and (3) so what if it does—what does the relationship show about the poem as a whole?

Example Thesis: In “Digging” by Seamus Heaney, the act of digging serves as the poem’s central extended metaphor, paralleling the act of writing as a creative excavation of the speaker’s familial and cultural history with the manual labor of his forebears, to highlight writing as a process of coming to self-knowledge and the imperative role that memory and inheritance play in the negotiation of his identity. 

III. Determining Organization

• Argument progression: Choose an organizational structure that fits your argument; for example, don’t organize the paper by the poem’s progression unless it contributes to your argument.
• Topic sentences: These clearly explain the paragraph’s argument. Their order should show a logical sequence of thought that reflects the structure of your thesis/argument. 
• Evidence: Evidence concerns who, what, and when: the facts. Quotes are the main form of evidence to prove your claim. Integrate quotes with context from text.

Example: The speaker illustrates the distinct mastery of his father, a potato farmer, and his grandfather, a peat farmer, through two flashbacks into their respective drill and bog where they serve as experts “root[ing] tall tops” and “nicking and slicing [peat] neatly” (Heaney 12, 22).

• Analyzing evidence: Quotes don’t speak for themselves; use your analysis to argue how and why your evidence supports your claim and to explain your claim’s implications for the text. 

Example: The use of flashback underscores the necessary role of memory in the speaker’s ability to understand his sense of self. Moreover, using two flashbacks into memories of his father and grandfather emphasizes the inescapability of his agricultural inheritance. The images presented in the flashbacks employ technical diction, such as “rooting” and “nicking and slicing,” related to the respective crops his ancestors cultivated. The consonance of “tall tops” and internal rhyme of the latter phrase, however, demonstrate the speaker’s poetic expertise and precision in turn. He admits, “I’ve no spade to follow men like them” (27). He highlights the spade as the tool which defines his ancestors’ expertise and shows that the way he digs contrasts theirs. He digs by writing. 

• Tense: Use present tense to refer to events that occur in a poem. Use past tense to refer to historical events that happen outside of the text. 

Example of present tense: The simile of the pen as the gun shows the pen to be a symbol of power. 

Example of past tense: Seamus Heaney published the autobiographical collection Death of a Naturalist in 1966. 

IV. Citations: When citing poetry, refer to line numbers. If your poem is not numbered, take the time to do that. When referring to multiple lines, indicate where lines end by separating them with a slash “/”.

Example: He begins with a corporeal image of a hand and a pen: “between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests; snug as a gun” (Heaney 1-2).

V. Key Terms in Poetry

• Speaker vs. Poet: The speaker of the poem is often not the same as the poet themselves, so when you write, use language like “the speaker states.”
• Lines, Sentences, and Stanzas: A line is a single row of words, which does not have to be a full sentence. For analysis, it is worth counting the syllables in each line to see if there is a pattern. Lines end in line breaks , which can be end-stopped or enjambed; end-stopped lines have a period, whereas enjambed lines don’t end with punctuation. Some, but not all, poems have full sentences , which can end at any point in the line. A stanza is a group of lines visually separated from other groups; blank lines between stanzas are stanza breaks . Stanzas can also be called verses.

Thanks to Gabriela de Mendonça Gomes ‘24 for a thorough rewrite. Thanks also to Seth DuCharme, '92. Thanks always to Jennifer Ambrose, Director of the Writing Center. 

Copyright 2024, Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center, Hamilton College 

Hamilton.edu/writing

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13.4: Sample essay on a poem

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Example: Sample essay written on a Langston Hughes' poem

The following essay is a student’s analysis of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” (poem published in 1926) I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed — I, too, am America.

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English 110

Creating Change by Changing Minds

When I log onto Facebook nowadays and scroll through my feed, if it's not advertisements, it's posts talking about the injustices of the world, primarily from racism. These posts are filled with anger and strong hostility. I'm not saying anger is the wrong emotion to feel when faced with injustice, but when that hostility is channeled into violence, this does not bring about justice or change. Long lasting and effective change can only be made through non-violent methods, which is demonstrated by Langston Huges in his poem, "I, Too." In this short poem, Hughes gives many examples of how to effectively and on-violently address and combat racism.

Huges first uses people's religious morality to enlist his readers to resist racism. He starts the poem with his black narrator asserting, "I am the darker brother" (2). Brother to whom? In the Christian religion, a predominate religion during the times of slavery in the U.S and beyond, the terms brother and sister are used to show equality and kinship, and this human connection transcends race. Everyone is equal as children of God, and are all heirs to the promises of divine love and salvation. Simply by the black narrator calling himself a brother, Hughes is attempting to appeal to white Christian Americans, and to deny this connection is to go against the teachings in the Bible about brotherhood. This is very powerful in multiple ways. Firstly, establishing a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie should make anyone who tarnishes that unity feel ashamed. Secondly if anyone truly wishes to receive God's mercy, they would have to treat everyone as equals, or be punished by God, or even be denied eternal life in heaven all together. This technique is effective and long-lasting because the fear or violence inflicted on a person is temporary, but damnation is eternal.

Hughes further combats racism, not through threats of uprisings or reprisals, but rather by transforming hatred into humor and positivity. In response to his segregation, the narrator says, "They send me to eat in the kitchen/When company comes,/But I laugh,/And eat well/And grow strong" (3-7). With this, Hughes rises about racial exclusion and asks his reader to see it for what it is, ridiculous. He also shows how to effectively combat this injustice which is to learn from it and to feel empowered by not letting racists treatment from others hurt, define or hold you back. Additionally, this approach is an invitation to Hughes' white readers to be "in on the joke" and laugh at the mindless and unwarranted exclusion of this appealing and relatable person who is full of confidence and self-worth. Through his narrator, Hughes diffuses racial tensions in an inclusive and non-threatening way, but the underlying message is clear: equality is coming soon. We know he believes this when the poem's speaker states, "Tomorrow,/I'll be at the table/When company comes" (8-10). There is a strong assertion here that racism will not be permitted to continue, but the assertion is not a threat. Hughes carefully navigates the charged issue of racial unity here, particularly at the time he wrote this poem when segregation was in many places in the U.S. the law. The different forms of segregation-emotional, physical, financial, social-that blacks have suffered has and continues to result in violence, but Hughes here shows another path. Highes shows that despite it all, we can still make amends and site down at a table together. As a human family, we can overcome our shameful past by simply choosing to peacefully come together.

Finally Hughes uses American patriotism as a powerful non-violent method to unite his readers to combat racism. The poem concludes, "Besides,/They'll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed-/I, too, am American" (15-18). Notice how he uses the word American and not American. He is not simply just an inhabitant of America he IS American in that he represents the promise, the overcoming of struggle, and the complicated beauty that makes up this country. He is integral to America's past, present and future. He is, as equally as anyone else, a critical piece in America's very existence and pivotal to its future. As Hughes united his readers through religion and the use of "brother," here he widens the net beyond religion and appeals to all Americans. As we say in our pledge of allegiance, we stand "indivisible with liberty and justice for all." To hate or exclude someone based on race, therefore, is to violate the foundational and inspirational tenants of this country. Hughes does not force or attack in his poem, and he does not promise retribution for all the harms done to blacks. He simple shows that racism in incompatible and contradictory to being truly American, and this realization, this change of heart, is what can bring about enduring change.

It has been shown over and over that violence leads to more violence. Violence might bring about change temporarily, but when people are stripped of choice, violence will reassert itself. Some of the most dramatic social movements that have brought about real change have used non-violent means as seen in Martin Luther King Jr's non-violent protests helping to change U.S. laws and ensure Civil Rights for all, as seen in Gandhi's use of non-violent methods to rid India of centuries of oppressive British rule, and as seen in Nelson Mandela's persistent and non-violent approaches of finally removing Apartheid from South Africa. However, we are not these men. Mos tof us are not leaders of movements, but we are each important and influential. We as individuals can be immensely powerful if we choose to be. We can choose to apply the examples and advice from enlightened minds like Hughes, King, Gandhi, and Mandela. When we see on Facebook or in the news on in-person people targeting or excluding others, or inciting violence againist a person or group based on race, or sexual orientation, or religion, or any other arbitrary difference selected to divide and pit us against one another, we can choose instead to respond with kindness, with humor, with positivity, and with empathy because this leads to the only kind of change that matters.

Works Cited

Hughes, Langston. "I, Too." African-American Poetry: An Anthology 1773-1927 , edited by Joan R.

Sherman, Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 1997, p. 74.

Writing the college Essay in Poetry?

<p>My daughter is a strong humanties student. She is applying to various colleges that have art programs such as CMU, WAsh U, RISD, etc. All colleges have essays. My daughter is a published poet and is reasonbly good at writing poetry. </p>

<p>What do you think of the quicky idea which is to write her essay in poetry? It would answer the topic presented but be in poetry. I can’t imagine admissions offices getting this type of essay.</p>

<p>Do you think that this would be too quirky?</p>

<p>I have seen lots of things by adcoms saying they loathe getting essays like that. They really want to see examples of students’ essay writing, not poetry, song lyrics, rap, etc.</p>

<p>Agree with Northstarmom…conventional wisdom from all sources I have seen align with that.</p>

<p>It will work if it is amazingly wonderful. But a mediocre-good essay will serve her much better than a mediocre-good poem.</p>

<p>it won’t work at all. If you’re good at poetry, send in a supplemental poetry package. Writing your essay in poetry could potentially irritate the adcom.</p>

<p>My son started his essay with 4 lines of verse, not really poetry, that flowed directly into his essay. I think it worked amazingly well but was nearly impossible to format with the commonapp software!!! This was very different from writing an entire essay in poetry. I read an example in one of those books, (Was it “50 essays that worked”?) It was a funny poem and I was very surprised that it “worked.”</p>

<p>My attitude is that the student applying should FOLLOW the DIRECTIONS of the application to a “T.” If it requests an ESSAY, then the student should submit same, and not deviate from what is requested. If they want something in addition, say a portfolio of artwork, or poetry, that is another thing. I agree with Davidrune, have her submit it in addition to an essay.</p>

<p>if you ARE a serious poet, that is. you can’t just decide that you are a poet for this essay. my friend wrote a poem for college and she got into yale. she’s also a presidential scholar for the arts and very published. you make the judgment for yourself–no one else is fit to do it–poetry’s strength lies in the writer’s own conviction.</p>

<p>it can’t be corny and it definitely shouldn’t have an obvious rhyme scheme. what do you mean when you say she’s published? you mean she has a collection that I could buy if I went to barnes and noble?</p>

<p>i would say too gimmicky-- but thats just my .02</p>

<p>This idea is not quirky–it comes up often enough to be addressed in many college essay books. The common wisdom says do not do it. However, in The Gatekeepers, the central admissions officer delights in telling the kids they can break all the ‘rules’, and gives examples of students admitted who did the ‘wrong’ thing, including one who wrote poetry. </p>

<p>It’s highly risky.</p>

<p>The reason that I posed this question is that my mom, many years ago, applied for a graduate program in administration and supervision. At that time, they didn’t take woman into the program, and my mom’s grades from NYU weren’t the most sterling. She was told to write an essay as to why she wanted to study at Columbia and why administration; and they would consider it.However, she was told that she probably had almost zero chance. She wrote the essey in prose. </p>

<p>Well, it was so well recieved that they circulated to many of the professors, and my mom got admitted the following week. </p>

<p>I don’t know if my daughter is as talented as my mom was (which is, frankly, the crucial question),but I do know that the idea worked very well.</p>

<p>Who was it who said, “I woke up one morning and realized I’d been writing prose all my life?” :-)</p>

<p>umm prose is regular speech without metrical structure. Did you mean she wrote it as poetry? plus it may be a lot different applying as a grad school applicant than an undergrad</p>

<p>also, things are different now. what was novel then has become cliche in many cases.</p>

<p>I’m in favor of the straight forward, heartfelt essay that reveals something about the personality and character of the writer. Having said that most How To essay books that I pick up include something off the wall, like a comic strip or drama script. The main point to remember is who’s going to read it. The AdCom is trained to evaluate essays, not poetry. They do however appreciate poetic prose and a beautifully written, compelling essay can be creative without being in iambic pentameter.</p>

<p>Many colleges encourage supplemental materials, so your daughter could certainly include some of her poems with her application. Usually the AdCom passes them along to the English/Creative Writing department for feed back.</p>

<p>My son included poetry in some applications. One school – and this was an artsy one – told him specifically “Don’t send it! We wouldn’t know what to do with it.” They said it was better to include a recommendation from a teacher who could talk to his talent than to include the actual work.</p>

<p>Searchingavalon:</p>

<p>Probably a variation on Moliere’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670):</p>

<p>Mr. Jourdain to his private tutor:</p>

<p>There once was a man from Nantucket,</p>

<p>Ah…</p>

<p>The Nantucket one is rated G compared to “There was a young lady from Dallas…”</p>

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Easter Wings

George Herbert’s “Easter Wings” is a witty, surprising, and smart poem, which teaches a profound theological truth: Created with perfect blessings, it is man’s foolishness and fall that is to blame for his ending up poor and thin.

The attractive George Herbert was born into an artistic, religious, and wealthy family. He enrolled as a student of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1609 and shone in languages, rhetoric and music. Although he intended to take holy orders, his brilliance attracted men in high places. As the University’s Public Orator, Herbert drew the attention of King James I. He left Cambridge to serve in the government and as a member of parliament, but on the king’s death he turned away from worldly affairs, was ordained, and retired to serve humbly in his country parish. The poet Henry Vaughan called him “a most glorious saint and seer.” Herbert died of consumption just thirty-nine years of age. When you visit the cathedral city of Salisbury, take a short detour to visit Herbert’s grave in Bemerton Church.

Like the other metaphysical poets, Herbert’s verse is full of sparkling wordplay, a great musical sense, and clever conceits taken from the natural and ecclesiastical world. His witty, surprising, and smart poem Easter Wings is a treasure of English poetry, and a fitting inspiration on Easter week.

Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store, Though foolishly he lost the same, Decaying more and more,                   Till he became                         Most poore:                         With thee                   O let me rise             As larks, harmoniously,       And sing this day thy victories: Then shall the fall further the flight in me. My tender age in sorrow did beginne       And still with sicknesses and shame.             Thou didst so punish sinne,                   That I became                         Most thinne.                         With thee                   Let me combine,             And feel thy victorie:          For, if I imp my wing on thine, Affliction shall advance the flight in me.

The charming success of the poem is linked with Herbert’s own suffering. As a country priest he was “most poor” and his poverty, sickly nature, and consumption would certainly have rendered him “most thinne.”

Within his personal witness to Easter, the country parson teaches a profound theological truth: Created with perfect blessings, it is man’s foolishness and fall that is to blame for his ending up poor and thin.

Paradoxically ( O felix culpa), it is this very fall and affliction that “furthers flight” and lifts us up to share the Easter victory. The poem’s typographically witty wordplay is unique, and the structure of the poem echoes the theological truths it teaches perfectly. The sin and affliction narrow down the poem, then at the poorest and thinnest point the grace of God reaches down and restores the poet’s flight so that he wears the white wings of Easter.

Which brings us to Herbert’s brother, poet-priest Gerard Manley Hopkins. Three hundred years later this brilliant Oxford man, also from a wealthy, religious, and artistic family, decides to forsake his world and (in his case) to convert to the Catholic faith. His poetry is also innovative, risky, clever, and fresh. He also dies young—just forty-five years of age.

Like Herbert, Hopkins deals with the surge of resurrection after the fall. However, his scope is cosmic more than personal. In God’s Grandeur , it is the whole of nature that groans for redemption. Industrial Britain has seared with trade and smeared with toil the natural world. Mankind under the curse has grown poor and thin.

But as Herbert’s poem surges, so surges Hopkins’ because nature is never spent, and like his metaphysical friend, Hopkins’ heart is lifted in flight bearing “Ah, bright wings!”

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.     It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;     It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;     And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;     And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent;     There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went     Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs — Because the Holy Ghost over the bent     World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

This essay was first published here in March 2016.

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Great minds think alike. I too posted Herbert’s “Easter Wings” for Resurrection Sunday on my blog. I’m going to link it here since you put together such a nice essay.

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Celebrate National Poetry Month with the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once wrote that April “comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.”

As true as that may be, the month has something else going for it, as well: It’s National Poetry Month. And we’re here for it.

All month long, Poetry@Tech, a unit of the School of Literature, Media, and Communication , and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts will be celebrating verse in all its forms with exhibitions, poetry readings, and more.

“Poetry has been around for thousands of years and there’s a reason why,” said Victoria Chang, the Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne Jr. Chair in Poetry, and director of Poetry@Tech. “Poems can get at our emotions in different ways from other art forms. Plus, poetry writing is really fun — sometimes it feels like solving a puzzle that is ultimately unsolvable, but fun to try solving.”

In addition to teaching poetry to students across campus, Chang and her colleagues at Poetry@Tech put on poetry readings, publish the Terminus literary magazine, and promote the value of poetry to the community. Poetry@Tech was founded in 2001 by luminary poet Thomas Lux .

This month’s celebration begins with something you've probably already noticed, if you've been out and about on campus: yard signs bearing snippets of poems and quotes from writers such as Ada Limón, Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, and Chang .

Starting Monday, you can also swing by the Library to check out readings of poems by some of Poetry@Tech’s guest readers this year — Chang, Jessica Tanck, Sam Sax, James Davis May, Sasha Stiles, and others — on the Media Bridge . The Library also will display a curated selection of poetry books near the Library’s Popular Reading area on the first floor of Price Gilbert.

We’ll also celebrate throughout the month on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram , and other social media channels with posts featuring students discussing some of their favorite poems and what poetry means.

On Thursday evening, you can attend “Poetry@Tech: Then and Now,” hosted by former Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough and Bruce McEver, a businessperson and poet whose generous donations to Poetry@Tech have helped the program thrive over its 24 years of existence.

We round out the celebration on April 18 with two events. First, join Sax for a poetry performance workshop , part of the Arts@Tech Festival, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Fest Center for the Arts.

That evening, Sax, Tanck, and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Philips will read selections from their work during our National Poetry Month Poetry Reading. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring light snacks and drinks, followed by the reading at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“I hope our students walking around campus will see the yard signs with these lines of verse, and it gives them a moment to pause, not thinking about this test or that project, and reflect on their own creative impulse,” said Travis Denton, associate director of Poetry@Tech.

“We hope, too, that celebrating National Poetry Month at Georgia Tech will raise awareness of Poetry@Tech across campus and let students, faculty, and staff know a world-class poetry reading series is available to them, as well as poetry and poetry writing classes, and that everyone is welcome to take part,” Denton said.

You can find details on these happenings and more on the Poetry@Tech National Poetry Month page.

Now, get your National Poetry Month off to a great start and go write a poem . You can do it!

Michael Pearson Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

News room topics

Professor Rachel Conrad and Alum Casey Zella Andrews 08F Coauthor Paper on Collaborative Learning in Poetry Education

Their findings challenge the merit of traditionally individualistic and hierarchical classroom environments and suggest that fostering opportunities for students to partner with each other significantly enriches their learning experiences.

Hampshire College Professor of Childhood Studies Rachel Conrad and alum Casey Zella Andrews 08F coauthored the essay “Collaborative Agency and Relationality in a High School/College Poetry Partnership,” which outlines their findings from a years-long project. Their work was published in Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research in 2023.   Conrad teaches courses on critical childhood and youth studies, 20th- and 21st-century poetry of childhood, and youth-authored texts; Andrews, a poet, teaches English in the Watertown (Mass.) Public School system. The two met when Andrews took one of Conrad’s courses at Hampshire and their work is rooted in interdisciplinary insights, weaving their interests and expertise in social studies of childhood, developmental psychology, educational studies, critical literacy studies, and literary studies.   “Our project spanned three successive years of two-month collaborations between students in a high school senior English language arts class and students in a college class on poetry and childhood studies,” they write in the essay. “While substantially different in content, the high school and college course shared an interest in supporting students’ direct engagement in the creative writing process, with minimal adult intervention.”   Participants in the project were generally 17–20 years old. The class with the younger students, learning in a high-poverty urban school, had as its theme authorship and critical theory within a framework of strict government standards, whereas the college course offered a more open exploration of societal views on youth, authorship, and literary privilege, encouraging students to think about their roles as readers, writers, and community partners.   Central to Conrad and Andrews’s research was supporting collaboration and community within the context of poetry, an art form that is often characterized as a personal enterprise. One vehicle they utilized was “response poems” — a practice of private poetic conversations and creative exchanges within a structured partnership between participants of both classes.   “We . . . made it clear that while as teacher-facilitators we would ask participants to engage with the process of creating poems, we would be guided by their desire for the products of their creative process — the poems themselves — to remain in the shared creative space between the poem partners,” they write. “The collaborative agency pursued through this project provides an alternative to traditional pedagogical methods that center authoritative adult decision-making and the products, rather than experiences, of learning.”   True to the project’s mission, Andrews and Conrad prompted participants to design and conduct a post-project survey to help them understand its impact. Through democratic brainstorming, they asked such questions as: What was it like sharing your work with someone you don’t know or doesn’t know your experience? Did that have some impact or effect on how you wrote or your writing itself? How much does poetry influence you in your day-to-day life? Did this experience change or alter that at all?   In their responses, students reported feeling a sense of connection with their partners and a greater understanding of themselves as writers and of the process of writing poetry.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, is it possible to write a poem for my college essay.

Hi all, I'm a really passionate about poetry and I thought it might be unique to write a poem for my college essay instead of a traditional narrative. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or if it would come off as too unconventional. Has anyone done this before or have any advice?

Hi there! It's great to hear that you're passionate about poetry, and I can understand why you'd want to showcase your talent in your college essay. While it might be unconventional, I believe it's possible to write a poem for your college essay if done correctly.

Keep in mind that the main purpose of your essay is to provide insight into your personality, values, and experiences. As long as your poem can effectively communicate these aspects, it can be a unique and memorable submission. However, writing a poem can be limiting in terms of conveying your message, so it's important to make sure that your poem is clear and easy to understand.

When my child was applying to college, they included a poem as part of their supplementary materials in addition to their traditional essay. This allowed them to showcase their creative side while still adhering to the general expectations of the college essay. You could consider a similar approach if you're concerned about being too unconventional. Good luck!

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Guest Essay

Elite College Admissions Have Turned Students Into Brands

By Sarah Bernstein

Ms. Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist in Brooklyn.

“I just can’t think of anything,” my student said.

After 10 years of teaching college essay writing, I was familiar with this reply. For some reason, when you’re asked to recount an important experience from your life, it is common to forget everything that has ever happened to you. It’s a long-form version of the anxiety that takes hold at a corporate retreat when you’re invited to say “one interesting thing about yourself,” and you suddenly believe that you are the most boring person in the entire world. Once during a version of this icebreaker, a man volunteered that he had only one kidney, and I remember feeling incredibly jealous of him.

I tried to jog this student’s memory. What about his love of music? Or his experience learning English? Or that time on a summer camping trip when he and his friends had nearly drowned? “I don’t know,” he said with a sigh. “That all seems kind of cliché.”

Applying to college has always been about standing out. When I teach college essay workshops and coach applicants one on one, I see my role as helping students to capture their voice and their way of processing the world, things that are, by definition, unique to each individual. Still, many of my students (and their parents) worry that as getting into college becomes increasingly competitive, this won’t be enough to set them apart.

Their anxiety is understandable. On Thursday, in a tradition known as “Ivy Day,” all eight Ivy League schools released their regular admission decisions. Top colleges often issue statements about how impressive (and competitive) their applicant pools were this cycle. The intention is to flatter accepted students and assuage rejected ones, but for those who have not yet applied to college, these statements reinforce the fear that there is an ever-expanding cohort of applicants with straight A’s and perfect SATs and harrowing camping trip stories all competing with one another for a vanishingly small number of spots.

This scarcity has led to a boom in the college consulting industry, now estimated to be a $2.9 billion business. In recent years, many of these advisers and companies have begun to promote the idea of personal branding — a way for teenagers to distinguish themselves by becoming as clear and memorable as a good tagline.

While this approach often leads to a strong application, students who brand themselves too early or too definitively risk missing out on the kind of exploration that will prepare them for adult life.

Like a corporate brand, the personal brand is meant to distill everything you stand for (honesty, integrity, high quality, low prices) into a cohesive identity that can be grasped at a glance. On its website, a college prep and advising company called Dallas Admissions explains the benefits of branding this way: “Each person is complex, yet admissions officers only have a small amount of time to spend learning about each prospective student. The smart student boils down key aspects of himself or herself into their personal ‘brand’ and sells that to the college admissions officer.”

Identifying the key aspects of yourself may seem like a lifelong project, but unfortunately, college applicants don’t have that kind of time. Online, there are dozens of lesson plans and seminars promising to walk students through the process of branding themselves in five to 10 easy steps. The majority begin with questions I would have found panic-inducing as a teenager, such as, “What is the story you want people to tell about you when you’re not in the room?”

Where I hoped others would describe me as “normal” or, in my wildest dreams, “cool,” today’s teenagers are expected to leave this exercise with labels like, Committed Athlete and Compassionate Leader or Environmentally Conscious Musician. Once students have a draft of their ideal self, they’re offered instructions for manifesting it (or at least, the appearance of it) in person and online. These range from common-sense tips (not posting illegal activity on social media) to more drastic recommendations (getting different friends).

It’s not just that these courses cut corners on self-discovery; it’s that they get the process backward. A personal brand is effective only if you can support it with action, so instead of finding their passion and values through experience, students are encouraged to select a passion as early as possible and then rack up the experience to substantiate it. Many college consultants suggest beginning to align your activities with your college ambitions by ninth grade, while the National Institute of Certified College Planners recommends students “talk with parents, guardians, and/or an academic adviser to create a clear plan for your education and career-related goals” in junior high.

The idea of a group of middle schoolers soberly mapping out their careers is both comical and depressing, but when I read student essays today, I can see that this advice is getting through. Over the past few years, I have been struck by how many high school seniors already have defined career goals as well as a C.V. of relevant extracurriculars to go with them. This widens the gap between wealthy students and those who lack the resources to secure a fancy research gig or start their own small business. (A shocking number of college applicants claim to have started a small business.) It also puts pressure on all students to define themselves at a moment when they are anxious to fit in and yet changing all the time.

In the world of branding, a word that appears again and again is “consistency.” If you are Charmin, that makes sense. People opening a roll of toilet paper do not want to be surprised. If you are a teenage human being, however, that is an unreasonable expectation. Changing one’s interests, opinions and presentation is a natural part of adolescence and an instructive one. I find that my students with scattershot résumés are often the most confident. They’re not afraid to push back against suggestions that ring false and will insist on revising their essay until it actually “feels like me.” On the other hand, many of my most accomplished students are so quick to accept feedback that I am wary of offering it, lest I become one more adult trying to shape them into an admission-worthy ideal.

I understand that for parents, prioritizing exploration can feel like a risky bet. Self-insight is hard to quantify and to communicate in a college application. When it comes to building a life, however, this kind of knowledge has more value than any accolade, and it cannot be generated through a brainstorming exercise in a six-step personal branding course online. To equip kids for the world, we need to provide them not just with opportunities for achievement, but with opportunities to fail, to learn, to wander and to change their minds.

In some ways, the college essay is a microcosm of modern adolescence. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a forum for self-discovery or a high-stakes test you need to ace. I try to assure my students that it is the former. I tell them that it’s a chance to take stock of everything you’ve experienced and learned over the past 18 years and everything you have to offer as a result.

That can be a profound process. But to embark on it, students have to believe that colleges really want to see the person behind the brand. And they have to have the chance to know who that person is.

Sarah Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist.

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