20 American Poems Every Student Should Know

October 4th, 2011

Like all the literary, visual and performing arts, great poetry simultaneously reflects deeply personal and staggeringly universal themes and images. And, of course, also remains firmly rooted in the creators’ time and place, despite often possessing a transcendent nature. A delicate balance, to be certain, but understanding the balance results in influential, lasting works. Small shards of history for studying and sharing. Obviously, the entirety of the American poetry scene can’t be distilled into only 20 works, and the Internet masses should probably check themselves before they wreck themselves over inclusions and exclusions. Creative pieces are always subjective, but this happens to be one writer’s opinion of a few worth exploring because of their historical, cultural, and/or technical merit.

1. "The Raven" (1845) by Edgar Allen Poe

   One of the most popular American poems of all time earned such prestige for its sinister imagery. Renowned horror maestro Edgar Allen Poe first printed his eerie masterpiece in The New York Evening Mirror never realizing he launched a pop culture phenomenon persisting even into today.

2. "Evangeline" (1847) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

   Although not historically accurate, the haunting epic poem "Evenagline"nevertheless captures the emotional desperation behind the previous century’s Acadian Expulsion. The eponymous heroine spends almost her entire life almost madly searching for her missing love Gabriel.

3. "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" (1865) by Walt Whitman

   American history buffs should know this poem as the laudable transcendentalist’s elegy for the assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Along with such memorable works as "This Dust Was Once the Man" and "Oh Captain! My Captain!," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" was first published in Walt Whitman’s classic collection Leaves of Grass.

4. "The New Colossus" (1883) by Emma Lazarus

   While no one poem can truly capture America’s rich diversity of races, ethnicities, religions and perspectives,"The New Colossus" still possesses significant symbolism for the nation’s peoples. It is, after all, featured inside the Statue of Liberty, meant to greet and embrace new immigrants upon arriving.

5. "Because I could not stop for Death"(1890) by Emily Dickinson

   The staggering majority of venerable hermit Emily Dickinson’s poems received posthumous publication, including this lyrical interpretation of an everyday phenomenon: death. Here, she imagines heading to her grave escorted by a dapper chap in a swanky horse-drawn carriage.

6. "Ode to Ethiopia" (1896) by Paul Laurence Dunbar

   Paul Laurence Dunbar penned "Ode to Ethiopia" as a means of rallying brutally, unjustly marginalized African-Americans behind a hopeful, inspiring message. The titular nation offers up a motherly embrace and instills pride in her peoples forced into the diaspora.

7. "The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:(1915) by T.S. Eliot

   Negative emotions pour into a poetic narrative of creative stagnation and frustration, relayed as a stream-of-consciousness monologue. Poetry aficionados consider this the famous writer’s first significant work, as it adroitly bottles up the era’s attitudes and approaches.

8. "The Road Not Taken" (1915) by Robert Frost

   Every English class ever reads this poem, and every English class ever interprets it in its own special and unique snowflake way. By this point, the only reason to even bother is not feeling left out when a classmate or coworker drops a reference.

9. "Hugh Selwyn Mauberley" (1920) by Ezra Pound

   A large poem actually constructed of 18 smaller poems, "Hugh Selwyn Mauberley" satirizes both the art and its ardent practitioners. Even Ezra Pound himself used the work as a platform to comment on the aesthetics of his earlier oeuvre.

10. "The Red Wheelbarrow" (1923) by William Carlos Williams

    "The Red Wheelbarrow" perfectly encapsulates Imagist philosophy and aesthetics and currently stands as William Carlos Williams’ most widely re-published poem. It initially appeared in his anthology Spring and All and changes meaning when read alone and alongside other printed pieces.

11. "anyone lived in a pretty how town"(1940) by e.e. cummings

    This poem actually possesses no title (along with most of e.e. cummings’ other works), so critics and fans typically refer to it by the first line. A narrative piece experimenting with rigid English structure rules, it centers on reflecting small-town life.

12. "Theme for English B" (1951) by Langston Hughes

    Race, class and age form the crux of this fascinating poem responding to a college assignment instructing participants to "let that page come out of you." One student, isolated because of his African-American heritage, struggles to write something compelling and honest.

13. "Howl" (1956) by Allen Ginsberg

    Undoubtedly the quintessential poem from the beat movement, "Howl"evocatively illustrates how those on society’s fringes — either on their own accord or forced aside: live, feel and process mainstream mockery. Considering its ultimately reassuring tone, one can easily see how multiple demographic saw themselves within its jazz-inspired lines.

14. "Mexico City Blues" (1959) by Jack Kerouac

    Penned by the beats’ other poster child (though Jack Kerouac actually quite loathed the movement), the massive 242-chorus (stanza) masterpiece reflects the author’s desire to be considered a great jazz poet. "Mexico City Blues" meanders through different nations and perspectives, lamenting and celebrating humanity’s never-ending quest for meaning and enlightenment.

15. "Ariel" (1965) by Sylvia Plath

    Written shortly before the poet’s grisly suicide, "Ariel" literally involves riding a horse at dawn, but the actual figurative interpretation remains entirely obscured. Both its haunting beauty and the enveloping mystery earned it the honor of titling one of Sylvia Plath’s most well-received collections.

16. "Wanting to Die" (1966) by Anne Sexton

    Struggling against mental illness formed a (though by no means the only) core theme in the 1967 Pulitzer winner Live or Die. "Wanting to Die"bluntly, tragically and sympathetically depicts the grim reality behind suicidal thoughts and actions. An educational tool, to be certain, and one society could still very much use.

17. "Shot of Red-Eye" (1968) by Charles Bukowski

    Charles Bukowski’s poetry and prose alike simultaneously celebrate and criticize womanizing, alcohol abuse and the gritty life, and not one poem fully captures this grime-smeared aesthetic. "Shot of Red-Eye" comes pretty close, though, but readers should certainly explore his other works for the bigger picture.

18. "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" (1974) by Shel Silverstein

    Although this whimsical poet’s oeuvre extends well beyond the children’s verses for which he is best known, older readers still look back fondly on his absurdist classics, many of which (such as this one) boast beloved recordings. Here, the eponymous little girl just won’t take the garbage out, to disastrous results, and still elicits giggles in readers of all ages.

19. "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) by Maya Angelou

    Like all the other poets listed here, Maya Angelou’s whole body of work makes for worthwhile reading, not just one poem! "On the Pulse of Morning," however, holds historical significance, as the poet herself read it at former President Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

20. " ,Said the Shotgun to the Head" (2003) by Saul Williams

    Penned by probably the biggest name on the American slam poetry scene, ", Said the Shotgun to the Head"lyrically reflects on sex, religion, race, gender and politics. It ultimately culminates in the ascent of a new messiah, this time a woman, intent to overthrow an oppressive patriarchy.