A Time to Talk by Robert Frost

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/593

This poem talks about the value of friends. Even though it was an inconvenient time for Frost to talk, he dropped what he was doing and did so anyway because he realized that a friendship was more important in the long run.

A Question by Robert Frost

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/592

This poem talks about how childbirth is a beautiful and natural thing. Often, people tend to complain about the negatives of pregnancy, such as the toll it takes on the female body, but people need to realize that the ability to reproduce is what keeps the species alive and cannot be taken for granted.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/531

This is one of the best poems I have come across thus far. It talks about the various opinions people have concerning how the world will end. At the end, Frost says however the world ends will suffice, implying that nobody should waste their time worrying about it, since it is out of our control. Once it ends, we won't be here to even give the outcome any thought anyway.

Sunset at Night is Natural by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6789

I like this poem because it is short and to the point. It talks about the routine of the world and how every afternoon leads to evening through a sunset, and that will always be. When sunset occurs in the dawn, that is when God is no longer watching over and taking care of us, in her opinion.

My River Runs To Thee by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6283

This poem uses metaphors interestingly. It compares her heart, soul, and life to a river, saying that her life is dedicated to "thee," whom is compared to a sea. She feels as if their bond is as close and intertwined as that of a river and sea.

The Only Ghost I Ever Saw by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6198

This poem talks about an encounter Dickinson once had with a ghost. While I do not subscribe to the notion that ghosts exist, some people do. Dickinson, having lived in the 19th century, may have been a product of her time, as more people used to believe in ghosts back then.

A Word Is Dead by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6173

I like this poem because of its brevity; it is only 19 words, 6 lines, 2 sentences. While some say that a word is dead once it is uttered for the first time, Dickinson argues that that is actually the moment in which its life begins. I agree with Dickinson, because the word is literally meaningless without its actual usage.

Going to Heaven by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6143

This is a poem in which Emily Dickinson talks about the prospect of heaven. It discusses the ambiguity of what may face us after we die, which is something that everybody wonders on dozens of occasions in their lifetime.

There Is A Word by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6112

This poem is about the power of a spoken word. I like how she uses personification. Can the spoken word actually pierce you like a sword? Of course not. But when somebody says something that really bothers you, it certainly can feel like that.

There Is A Solitude of Space by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/6098

This poem is about how even though the largest things in the world, physically, are things like the sea, our souls are actually what is deepest. I like the final line of this poem: "Finite infinity." I don't quite know exactly what Dickinson means in saying this, but I just found it to be an interesting oxymoron.

If I Should Die by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5394

This poem talks about how even if one person dies, the world and society goes on as if nothing had happened. Given how many people die every day, one person's death does not mean much in the true scheme of things, regardless of how much of an impact it may make to yourself and those who know you.

The Brain Is Wider Than The Sky by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5377

This poem discusses the brilliance of the human brain. It uses exaggeration in saying that the brain is wider than the sky and deeper than the sea. This is an allusion to the power and capabilities of the brain despite its relatively small size.

Nobody Knows This Little Rose by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5215

This poem talks about how even the tiniest little entities, such as a rose amongst a barren field, are appreciated and/or used in some way by something. For example, if she were to pick up the rose, she says that the birds, the bees, the breeze, and the butterflies would notice its absence; whether this is true or not, I do not know.

Because I Could Not Stop For Death by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5214

This poem talks about multiple encounters with death that Emily Dickinson experiences. The title of the poem infers that people who die do so because they "stop for it," meaning that they do something that actually brings the death upon them.

I'm Nobody! Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5213

I interpret this poem two different ways. First, I feel that it can be about how people feel like they are "nobodies" at times, meaning they are unpopular and outcasts. Secondly, I feel that it may be talking about how one person is so insignificant to our society because we live in a world of billions of people.

Justice by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16955

This poem talks about how justice is blind, meaning true fairness does not take skin color or any other physical attribute into account. He says that the blacks are wise to this, meaning they already realize that fact, whereas the whites do not realize this, and thus continue to suppress the blacks.

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16947

Yet another great poem by Langston Hughes, "Dream Deferred" talks about how one can either give up once their dream does not come to fruition immediately, or instead, they can continue to pursue it strongly until it actually happens. It makes one wonder what would have happened had Martin Luther King, Jr. given up on his dream too quickly...

Life is Fine by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16946

This poem talks about how even though one may face adversity and tough times in his or her's respective life, it is necessary to overcome these times and live life to the fullest in spite of them. It can be very easy to let oneself get down, and only the strongest can persevere through hard times, knowing that good times will be arriving shortly.

Democracy by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16957

The most valuable part of this poem, to me, comes in the first verse, in which Hughes states that we will never achieve democracy through compromise and fear. Things will never be truly equal if the blacks let the whites level with them and give in to compromises such as "separate but equal." As time has passed, Hughes' proclamation proved to be 100% correct.

I, Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16945

This poem is one of my favorites because it talks about how black people should have been equal in our society in a time period in which they were not. He says that he is just as much American as anybody, regardless of his skin color or background.

Brown Penny by William Butler Yeats

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_butler_yeats/poems/10173

This poem talks about how love is like a game of chance, riding on the flip of a coin. Some people consider themselves very lucky when it comes to love, while others consider themselves very unlucky. Since flipping a coin is associated with luck, Yeats' analogy is spot on.

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud by William Wordsworth

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_wordsworth/poems/10951

This poem is a nice read because it uses metaphors and imagery so beautifully. Also, it demonstrates personification (waves "dancing"), and the overall quality of writing is simply superb.

This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_carlos_williams/poems/16997

This poem is intriguing because on the outside, it seems as if no point is even being made. It makes me realize that poetry can basically be anything, including something as silly as dialogue concerning eating plums from the refrigerator.

To You by Walt Whitman

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/walt_whitman/poems/17463

This poem is one of my favorites, mainly because of its length and simplicity. It asks why strangers should not converse amongst themselves more often. While I disagree with Whitman's premise, he does, at least, give a different perspective on encounters between people.

A Fairy Song by William Shakespeare

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_shakespeare/poems/1315

This poem describes the journey of a fairy going through her daily activities. It makes one wonder how life would be if fairies did, indeed, exist and really sheds light on the potential existence of other life forms.

Water by Robert Lowell

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_lowell/poems/19839

This poem talks about how the serenity of the beach can be so peaceful and how spending time with somebody at the beach can result in the best moments you ever share with a person, regardless of how barren the atmosphere may be.

Let America be America Again by Langston Hughes

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16944

This poem is very inspirational and political. Langston Hughes is calling on the American government to abolish segregation laws and make "all men created equal." In other words, he is saying let America be what America stands for: liberty and justice for all.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/528

This poem teaches a great lesson: one can either choose to be a follower or a leader in life. It is much easier to blend in with the crowd and be a follower, and on the other hand, much harder and riskier to be a leader. Even though being a leader is riskier, it can also prove to offer more reward in the end.

The Naming of Cats by T.S. Eliot

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/t__s__eliot/poems/15121

This poem tells me that when you give your cat, or really any pet, a name, it is more than just a title. A name can and should represent the personality of your pet and perhaps, it will end up molding what kind of character/personality your pet will have.

There Is Another Sky by Emily Dickinson

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Poem: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5212

This poem tells me that there is more to something than merely what the eye can see. Everything has a hidden meaning beneath what is tangible.