Listed below are a few examples of famous list poems. Each list poem begins with an item. Some poems start with a number, like O Captain! My Captain!, others begin with a sentence, like Sonnet 29. Some poems end with a question. You can use a list poem as a prompt to get students thinking about the subject. If you want to write a list poem, there are a variety of resources for teachers. These include fill-in-the-blank template, author commentary, brainstorming worksheets, and student examples.
O Captain! My Captain!
There are many examples of famous list poetry. In the list below, you will find famous poems in various genres. These poems were written by many famous people. The poets used different techniques in creating a list poem, and you will find some famous examples of this form on this list. The following poems are a few of the most famous. If you are in the market for a list poem, you should consider one of these famous poems.
Sonnet 29
Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet’ is one of the most famous examples of famous list poems. This fourteen-line poem is written in the standard sonnet form and uses iambic pentameter. The first twelve lines form three quatrains, while the last two are in the form of a couplet. The poem has two distinct parts: the octave, which begins the poem, and the sestet, which is the last six lines of the poem. In ‘Sonnet 29,’ the speaker describes his love for the lover, who is now gone. While he still misses her lover, he has begun to think about other forms of value, and is now grateful for the love of his life.
Black Ice and Rain
‘Black Ice and Rain’ is a poem by Irish poet Michael Donaghy, which takes a dramatic monologue form and explores themes of faith and personal tragedy. Donaghy used the image of a car crash caused by black ice and rain to express the underlying themes of life. Other famous black ice and rain list poems include ‘The Secret Library’ by Dr Oliver Tearle, a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and the Modernist Long Poem.
Imtiaz Dharker
Imtiaz Dharker is a well-known poet, artist, and documentary filmmaker. His works examine cultural displacement, gender politics, and the power of language. As a result, Dharker is considered a truly global poet. His poems are included on the UK national curriculum. He is a prolific poet whose works have been translated into over thirty languages. To learn more about Imtiaz Dharker, check out the following interview.
Imtiaz Dharker’s ‘A Century Later’
The poet Imtiaz Dharker is a well-known figure of contemporary English literature. His poems often deal with issues of identity. Born in Pakistan, Dharker grew up in Glasgow and lives between India and the UK. He has published several collections of poetry and has had eleven solo exhibitions. His acclaimed debut novel, ‘Glasshouse’, was also the recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for English Poetry in 2014.
Charlotte Mew’s A Quoi bon Dire
A Quoi bon Dire is a French poem by Charlotte Mew that deals with the nature of love. The title of this poem is a question, which implies that love will survive death and the lovers will be reunited in the next life. The poem’s ambiguous tone makes it a perfect choice for a love letter, as it is a tender and heartbreaking look at a relationship that has ended.
John Keats’ A Quoi bon Dire
This poem by John Keats is an examination of love and loss, and its structure allows for many interpretations. The subject matter is love, which is presented as a painful, intense, and complicated emotion. While this poem is a classic example of Romanticism, it also has universal relevance. It is a work of art, yet it is not yet fully ripe. A close reading of this work will reveal the complexities and subtleties of Keats’ thoughts on love and loss.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29
A popular form of list poem, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 focuses on the complexities of love and desire. The sonnet is composed of a long sentence broken into smaller clauses; only line eleven continues directly into the next line. Commas give the reader pauses to reflect. Some lines, such as lines 6, 7, and 10, include extra commas to create a natural caesura.
A. E. Stallings’ ‘The Dollhouse’
A. E. Stallings’ ‘The Dollhouse’ is a famous list poem written in iambic pentameter. It uses heroic couplets to create a meditative lyric about the speaker’s memories of an old dollhouse. In ‘The Dollhouse,’ Stallings reminisces about his childhood and the memories it evokes. Alice Oswald’s ‘Dunt’ poem is another classic example.
Donaghy’s ‘Rain’
Michael Donaghy’s ‘Rai’ is a luminous, brilliant poem, the best of its kind in the modern age. Written in a rich, evocative language, ‘Rain’ displays Donaghy’s trademark wit and tenderness, and was praised by both the critics and the literary elite. Donaghy’s erudition is never sacrificed for humanity. This poem, a dazzling tour de force, makes the reader wonder what it was that made him so popular and admired.