American Poetry
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In a tribute to the city of Chicago, the speaker, while admitting it has flaws, attempts to elevate the city's value and strength above other "little soft cities." more...
Edgar Allan Poe opined, "the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world." more...
The speaker in Brian Turner's modern classic, "Here, Bullet," dramatizes the transformation of fear that produces and distinguishes heroes. more...
Poet for June – James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was born June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida. A composer of many popular songs, this poet also penned many important prayer-poems. more...
Robert Frost's literary vignette portrays the speaker's neighbor, who likes to tell a little story to villagers about planting a garden while she was still a girl. more...
Williams' Proletarian Portrait
Invoking the Marxist mystique of the proletarian vs. bourgeoisie struggle, Williams attempts to offer a sympathetic look at a young woman's plight. more...
Stephen Dobyns' poem dramatizes the mental process of an aging man whose doubts and concerns translate into many questions, including "Why is it all so difficult?" more...
All feature articles in American Poetry
Word Choices Distinguish Into My Own
By: David Todd
"Into My Own," a sonnet in rhyming couplets, is not dominated by rhyme or meter. Rather, Robert Frost uses good word choices to enthrall his readers. more...
Imagery and Metaphor in Into My Own
By: David Todd
Robert Frost does not rely on form alone in his early poems. "Into My Own" makes excellent use of a few images and metaphors to convey a universal message. more...
Delmore Schwartz is Worth Another Look
By: Douglas Nordfors
Summer Knowledge, Delmore Schwartz's selected poems, published 50 years ago, reveals some fascinating things about his unique talent and the nature of fame. more...
By: David Todd
Robert Frost's early poems reflect a high-level of poetic craft and mastery. "Into My Own" shows most of the features he became famous for. more...
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
By: Margaret Langner
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot is a rather sad poem when the reader looks deeply into it and understands the meaning behind this poem. J. Alfred Prufr more...
By: Martin G. Wood
Poet Kim Addonizio correlates cinematic scenes and scenarios with memories; horror and dread and death as interchangeable parts in reality, indistinguishable from life. more...
Understanding Frost's Imagery and Naturalism
By: Margaret Langner
Frost's poems have a great deal of imagery weaved throughout them and his naturalistic style of writing gives his poems an earthy feel to them. more...
All contributing articles in American Poetry