American Poetry Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

1744 total results

A Biography of the Life and Literary Career of Author-Poet Carl Sandburg (752 words, 4 pages)

Author-poet Carl Sandburg was born in the three-room cottage at 313 East ThirdStreet in Galesburg on January 6, 1878. The modest house reflects the typicalliving conditions of a late nineteenth century working-class family. Many of thefurnishings once belonged to the Sandburg family are still in tact. Behind thehouse stands a ... Read More

An Analysis of the Poem The Feet of People Walking Home by Emily Dickinson (932 words, 2 pages)

One of Emily Dickinsons poems, formally titled The feet of people walking home, is of some interest in its own merit. Unlike some of Dickinsons other poems, such as the ones that exist among other versions due to a few dissimilarities, this poem is duplicated verbatim. To the untrained eye, ... Read More

A Short Biography of Emily Dickinson and T.S. Eliot (1701 words, 4 pages)

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in the community of Amherst, Massachusetts. She was the second daughter of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Emily, her brother Austin, and her sister Lavinia were brought up and nurtured in a quiet reserved household headed by their father Edward. Throughout her ... Read More

The Life and Works of Edward Estlin Cummings (774 words, 1 pages)

Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 14, 1894. He earned a BA from Harvard and volunteered to go to France during World War I with the Ambulance Corps. After the war, he stayed in Paris, writing and painting, and later returned to the US. He died ... Read More

The Early Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Her Literary Work (1242 words, 2 pages)

Edna St. Vincent MillayHer career that spanned three decades and her work that ranges from lyrics to verse play and political commentary. Edna St. Vincent Millay is mostly known for her earlier works, such as Renascence, Few Figs Thistles, and Second April. Millay wrote about things such as mystical views ... Read More

The Personal Emotional Implication of Edward A. Robinson in His Poems (1443 words, 5 pages)

A Triumphent WithdrawalI have been one acquainted with the night.I have walked out in rain-and back in rain.I have outwalked the furthest city light.Acquainted with the night, by Robert FrostAnthology of American Literature (1010)Edward A. Robinson was the first most important poet of the Twentieth Century. He is a"peoples poet" ... Read More

The Theme of Poverty in Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” (1213 words, 2 pages)

The speaker in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken gives the reader insight into human nature with each line of poetry. While, Frost had not originally intended for this to be an inspirational poem, line by line, the speaker is encouraging each reader to seek out his or her own ... Read More

The Philosophical and Metaphysical Theme in Ella Wheeler’s “Illusion” (933 words, 2 pages)

Ella Wheeler Wilcoxs poem, Illusion, extensively poses philosophical and metaphysical uncertainties pertaining to the perception and distinction between reality and actuality. Wilcox takes a very original and abstract approach in utilizing hypothetical dialogue with a superior spiritual figure. This unique element vastly broadens the readers perspective and opinions of its ... Read More

An Analysis of Allen Ginsberg’s Poem America (1309 words, 3 pages)

English 439 Modern World PoetryMay 26, 2000Slaughtering the Sacred CowsAn Analysis of Allen Ginsberg's "America"What Allen Ginsberg did in 1955 was unthinkable. In the midst of McCarthyism and severe anticommunist sentiment, he wrote a poem in which he admitted having belonged to the Communist party. Yet, even more surprising was ... Read More

An Exploration of the Suicidal Mind in Wanting to Die by Anne Sexton (1147 words, 5 pages)

Sextons Wanting to Die, an Exploration of the Suicidal Mind The poem Wanting to Die by Anne Sexton, explores a battle with life which many people endure. The speaker knows of the goodness of the world, yet she is unable to truly experience it because of her suicidal tendencies. She ... Read More

Nature in the Poems of Robert Frost (2021 words, 4 pages)

Robert Frost, an American poet of the late 19th century, used nature in many of his writings. Frost was very observant of nature, he often used it too represent the emotion of his characters in his poetry. I will use West-Running Brook and Once by the Pacific to demonstrate Frosts ... Read More

Comparison of Wound Dresser by Walt Whitman and Narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson (981 words, 2 pages)

Whitman Vs. Dickinson By Monica PerezDeath termination of vital existence passing away of the physical state. Dying comes along with a pool of emotions that writers have many times tried to explain. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman were two pioneer poets from the Romantic Era, that introduced new, freer styles ... Read More

An Analysis of the Themes and Values of Allen Ginsberg’s Poem “Beat Generation” (1693 words, 3 pages)

Themes and Values of the Beat GenerationAs Expressed in Allen Ginsberg's PoetryPerhaps one of the most well known authors of the Beat Generation is a man we call Allen Ginsberg, who expresses the themes and values in his poetry. He was, in fact, the first Beat Writer to gain popular ... Read More

An Analysis of William Cullen Bryant’s Poem Thanatopsis (1185 words, 2 pages)

The title of William Cullen Bryants poem Thanatopsis is Greek for a view of death. In this poem Bryant personifies nature and discusses death from its perspective. The poem begins by talking of the importance and beauty of nature. The original persona used at the beginning of the poem shares ... Read More

An In-depth Look at Emily Dickinson’s “Tell all the Truth But Tell It Slant” (797 words, 2 pages)

Z.A.KatzMarch 21, 2001Tell all the Truth but tell it slant, by Emily Dickinson, is indeed a poem for eternity. From the very first reading, it moves as a hymn in this authors mind, The Doxology and We Gather Together immediately being hummed. The Doxology, written by the Chaplin to the ... Read More

The Life and Work of Walt Whitman (1520 words, 3 pages)

Forged in the fire of revolution and defined by manifest destiny, America has always been the land of the individual. Although the American dream has not always been consistent, (married with 2.5 kids, 2 cars, a dog and a satisfying job), the spirit of innovation, individuality and progress remains unchanged. ... Read More

How Walt Whitman Parted From the Traditional Poetic Formalities (1795 words, 3 pages)

In parting with traditional poetic formalities, Walt Whitman alleviated a burden that impeded his ability to achieve full poetic expression. To Whitman, the strict boundaries that formal meter, structure, and rhyme imposed set limits on his stylistic freedom. This is not to say that these limits prevented Whitman from conveying ... Read More

The Story of Death in Karl Shapiro’s Poem “Auto Wreck” (1121 words, 2 pages)

Few subjects can be discussed with more insightfulness and curiosity than death. The unpredictability and grimness of it are conveyed well in Karl Shapiro's poem, "Auto Wreck". The poem starts with a description of an ambulance rushing to the scene of a crash, and hurriedly gathering up the victims and ... Read More

An Analysis of the Deeper Meaning of Robert Frost’s Poem “On the Road” (1378 words, 2 pages)

"The Road Not Taken" in the Choices of LifeI shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages henceTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference. (Frost 1-5)On the surface, Robert Frosts poem is a story ... Read More

Elizabeth Bishops Use of Imagery and Diction in “The Fish” (1279 words, 2 pages)

Elizabeth Bishops use of imagery and diction in The Fish is meant to support the themes of observation and the deceptive nature of surface appearance. Throughout the course of the poem these themes lead the narrator to the important realization that aging (as represented by the fish) is not a ... Read More

Distinctive Qualities in the Poem Sailing Home From Rapallo by Robert Lowell (1494 words, 6 pages)

There are many distinctive qualities in the poem Sailing Home from Rapallo by Robert Lowell. One of the most distinctive characteristics of the poem is the fact that the reader experiences Robert Lowells personal journey. Lowell focuses on a specific event rather than emotions, and he constantly changes his tone ... Read More

An Analysis of the Pointlessness and Destructiveness of Civil War as Portrayed in Drum-Taps by Walt Whitman (1153 words, 2 pages)

War is hell there is no other way to put it. No matter how many times bards romanticize war and battle, there is that ultimate, inherent ugliness involved in the business of killing. There is no honor or heroism in dying for your country, you just die, it is a ... Read More

The Life of Walt Whitman and His Philosophy of Life (1461 words, 3 pages)

1.Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am, stands amused, complacent, compassionating, idle, unitary (Whitman 38) . This line expresses Walt Whitmans philosophy on life and is an almost perfect description of the poet. He was a man, who in his poetry, expressed independence, interdependence with other living ... Read More

The Hidden Meaning of Stanfford’s Poem “Traveling Through the Dark” (743 words, 2 pages)

Traveling Through the DarkStafford furtively conceals the profound meaning of his poem behind a story of the narrator, who stops alongside the road to care for a deer. The genius behind poem is better understood when the superficial meaning is expressed deeply.Driving down a narrow mountain road, traveling through the ... Read More

An Analysis of Robert Frost’s Poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (888 words, 2 pages)

Many people consider Robert Frost to be one of America's greatest poets, and one of his best known poems is "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". In the poem, Frost describes a person stopping just outside of town in a wooded area with his horse. He stops for a ... Read More

An Analysis of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” (554 words, 3 pages)

The Road Not TakenIn analyzing the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, it represents the classic choice of a moment and a lifetime.(pg 129) He relies much on the reflections of nature to convey his theme. However, this poem seems to be in essence very simple but opens ... Read More

A Look at the Social Pressure Reflected in Ginsberg’s “Howl” (1152 words, 2 pages)

Social Pressures Reflected in Ginsbergs HowlPost World War II America produced a number of images that will be forever imprinted on the minds of Americans. Such images as television shows like Leave It To Beaver and I Love Lucy, movies such as An Affair To Remember, and Brigadoon, are watched ... Read More

A Review of A Narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson (947 words, 3 pages)

The poem, A Narrow Fellow in the Grass, by Emily Dickinson is a collaboration of fear and intrigue. The poem is presented through a young boy as he makes his way through cool and damp grassland during the afternoon. The issue the young boy must deal with is the unwelcome ... Read More

An Analysis of the Early Life and Writing Work of Walt Whitman (1191 words, 2 pages)

Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, Long Island, New York. He was the second of six children. From 1825-1830, he attended public school in Brooklyn. After his years of education, Walt Whitman experimented with many different jobs. From 1836-1838, Whitman taught at several schools ... Read More

The Early Life and Migrations of African-American Jean Toomer and His Family (1051 words, 2 pages)

Jean Toomer Jean Toomer Jean Toomer's family was not typical of migrating African Americans settling in the North, or fleeing the South. Each of his maternal grandparents were born of a caucasian father. But a "speck of Black makes you Black." Thus, Toomer's grandfather, Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, was a ... Read More

American Poetry Essay Examples