First published in 1914 in Harriet Monroe’s pioneering Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, "Chicago" catapulted Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) to international fame and redefined American working-class poetry. Before earning three Pulitzer Prizes, Sandburg work…
First published posthumously in 1890 in her groundbreaking debut volume Poems, "How Still the Bells in Steeples Stand" is a striking four-line study in latent energy and sudden, explosive joy by Emily Dickinson (1830–1886). Dickinson spent most of h…
First published in 1914 in the avant-garde journal The Egoist, "Oread" is widely considered the quintessential masterpiece of the Imagist movement by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle, 1886–1961). Born in Pennsylvania, H.D. moved to London in 1911, where Ezra P…
Published in 1889 in her acclaimed final collection A London Plane Tree and Other Verse, "In September" is a brief, poignant four-line meditation on memory and loss by Amy Levy (1861–1889). Levy was a trailblazing Victorian figure—she was the first …
First published in 1895 in her groundbreaking debut collection Violets and Other Tales, "Thought" is a dynamic five-line meditation on the inner workings of human consciousness by Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875–1935). Dunbar-Nelson was just twenty years …
First published in 1882 in his collection Poems, "To My Sister" is a heartfelt four-line blessing by Henry Reed Conant. Conant represents a classic slice of 19th-century New England literary culture—a devout poet who frequently captured quiet domest…
First published in 1920 in The Book of American Negro Poetry (edited by James Weldon Johnson), "Dunbar" is a poignant homage by Anne Spencer (1879–1975). Spencer was an important voice of the Harlem Renaissance who wrote almost entirely from her qui…
First published in 1923 in his rare debut book Three Stories and Ten Poems, "Chapter Heading" is a vivid example of a lesser-known side of Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961). Long before he became a giant of modern American fiction, Hemingway was a young …
First published in 1915 in his groundbreaking collection Cathay, "Taking Leave of a Friend" is a masterclass in imagery and restraint by Ezra Pound (1885–1972). What makes Cathay one of the most remarkable feats in modern literature is that Pound di…
First published in 1917 in his third poetry collection, Al Que Quiere! ("To Him Who Wants It!"), "El Hombre" is a striking four-line study in quiet resilience by William Carlos Williams (1883–1963). Williams led an extraordinary double life: by day,…
First published in 1923 in her celebrated debut collection Body of This Death, "Epitaph for a Romantic Woman" is a masterclass in irony and formal precision by Louise Bogan (1897–1970). Bogan was a titan of American letters who went on to serve as t…
First published in 1922 in American Poetry: A Miscellany, "Prime" is a brilliant display of Imagist technique by Amy Lowell (1874–1925). Lowell was an absolute powerhouse of early 20th-century poetry—loud, unapologetic, and fiercely passionate about…
First published in 1896, "Theology" is a short, sharp work by Paul Laurence Dunbar. One of the first internationally recognized African-American poets, Dunbar (1872–1906) was celebrated for his mastery of traditional lyric forms alongside powerful e…
First published in 1903 in her collection The Dancers, and Other Legends and Lyrics, "The Deep-Sea Pearl" is a poignant work by Edith M. Thomas. Born in Ohio, Thomas was a highly regarded American poet known for her classical restraint, intellectual…
First published in 1915 in her celebrated collection Rivers to the Sea, "Dooryard Roses" is a poignant work by Sara Teasdale. Writing during the American Lyric Golden Age, Teasdale (1884–1933) was renowned for her intensely personal, emotionally tra…
First published posthumously in 1915, "Moon-Shadows" is a breathtakingly haunting work by Adelaide Crapsey. Best known for inventing the American cinquain—a condensed, five-line poetic form inspired by Japanese haiku—Crapsey (1878–1914) wrote much o…
First published in 1926 in his groundbreaking debut collection The Weary Blues, "Suicide's Note" is a brief, sharp work by Langston Hughes. As a central luminary of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was celebrated for capturing the raw emotional landsc…
First published in 1909 in the Bryn Mawr literary magazine Tipyn o’Bob, "A Jelly-Fish" is a striking early example of the signature precision that defined Marianne Moore. As a towering figure of American Modernism, Moore (1887–1972) was celebrated f…
First published in 1889, "The Net of Law" is a sharp, satirical epigram by the Irish-American poet, journalist, and editor James Jeffrey Roche. Known for his wit, humor, and keen social observation, Roche spent years editing The Pilot in Boston, whe…
First published in 1923 in his Pulitzer Prize-winning collection New Hampshire, "Nothing Gold Can Stay" is one of the most celebrated works by Robert Frost. Widely regarded as the pastoral voice of American poetry, Frost was a master at using the qu…
A companion piece to the previous work, "Nocturne II" was also featured in the 1913 edition of Poetry magazine. Skipwith Cannéll continues to utilize the spare, evocative language of the Imagist movement to capture a moment of spiritual or emotional…
First appearing in the avant-garde literary magazine Poetry in 1913, "Nocturne I" is a hauntingly beautiful work by Skipwith Cannéll. An American poet associated with the Imagist movement, Cannéll was known for his rhythmic, almost incantatory style…
First published in 1890, years after her death, "The Dying Need But Little, Dear,—" captures the profound, quiet intimacy that Emily Dickinson is known for. As one of America’s most influential poets, Dickinson lived a famously secluded life in Amhe…
A key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Lewis Alexander was celebrated for his ability to weave the energy of the urban environment into traditional poetic forms. First published in 1926, "Streets" is a masterful example of his minimalist style. Ale…