Poems About Life

Team English - Examples.com
Created by: Team English - Examples.com, Last Updated: July 25, 2024

Poems About Life

Definition of Poems About Life

Poems about life are literary compositions that reflect on the human experience, exploring themes such as love, joy, sorrow, struggle, growth, and mortality. These poems capture the essence of living, often delving into personal and universal aspects of existence. Through vivid imagery, metaphor, and emotional depth, they offer insights into the complexities and beauty of life, resonating with readers on a profound level. By articulating the myriad facets of life, these poems create a sense of connection and understanding, celebrating the journey of being human.

Examples of Poems About Life

1.”The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Free Pdf Download

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


2.”If” by Rudyard Kipling

If by Rudyard Kipling

Free Pdf Download

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!


3. “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Free Pdf Download

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Short Poems About Life

1. “Life” by Charlotte Brontë

Life, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.

2. “Life’s Brief Candle” by William Shakespeare

Out, out brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

3. “The Butterfly and the Bee” by William Wordsworth

There’s joy in the mountains;
There’s life in the fountains;
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone!

4. “Success” by Emily Dickinson

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

5. “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe

All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

6. “Life” by Henry Van Dyke

Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hastening to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear.

7. “The Good-Morrow” by John Donne

For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.

8. “The Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

9. “Life” by Sara Teasdale

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings.

10. “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.

Poems About Life and Love

1. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


2. “How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life;—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.


3. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns

O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.


4. “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love—
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me—
Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we—
Of many far wiser than we—
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor the demons down under the sea
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.


5. “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Poems About Life Struggles

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, and poetry has always been a powerful medium to express the myriad of emotions experienced during challenging times. Here are some poignant poems about life struggles, reflecting on resilience, hope, and the human spirit.

1. “The Climb”

Life is a journey, a mountainous climb,
Each step a struggle, in rhythm, in rhyme.
The path may be rocky, the peak out of sight,
Yet every dawn brings new strength to fight.

2. “Whispers of Hope”

In the darkest hour, when shadows fall,
And the weight of the world feels like a wall,
A whisper of hope, a spark in the night,
Can turn the tide, guide us to the light.

3. “Unbroken”

Through storms and trials, we stand unbroken,
Our hearts are strong, our spirit a token.
Life’s struggles may bend but never defeat,
For within us lies an unyielding beat.

4. “Rise Again”

Fall seven times, rise up eight,
Each failure a lesson, a twist of fate.
Struggles shape us, carve out our name,
In the end, it’s the fire that fuels the flame.

5. “Beneath the Surface”

Beneath the surface, where pain resides,
Silent battles, unseen tides.
We fight within, with silent cries,
Yet from these depths, we will rise.

6. “Journey of Strength”

Every tear, a testament of strength,
Each sorrow endured, no matter the length.
For in the struggle, we find our way,
And through the darkness, we greet the day.

7. “Echoes of Resilience”

Life whispers secrets, in trials and strife,
Echoes of resilience, the essence of life.
Through every hardship, our spirits soar,
With every struggle, we become more.

8. “The Warrior Within”

Life’s battles are fierce, the journey long,
But within each of us, a warrior strong.
Through struggles and pain, we find our way,
Emerging victorious, a brighter day.

9. “Silent Struggles”

In silent struggles, we find our might,
In unseen battles, we gain our sight.
For every heartache, every fall,
Strength rises, conquering all.

10. “Endless Journey”

Life is an endless journey, a winding road,
With burdens to bear, a heavy load.
But through each struggle, we grow and learn,
And in the end, our spirits burn.

Beautiful Poems About Life

1. “A Symphony of Life”

Life is a symphony, a melody sweet,
A dance of moments where hearts and minds meet.
Each note a memory, each chord a dream,
Together they weave a harmonious theme.

2. “The Canvas”

Life is a canvas, pure and white,
Each day a brushstroke, both dark and bright.
With every color, every line,
We paint a story, yours and mine.

3. “The Garden of Time”

Life is a garden, ever in bloom,
With seasons of joy and moments of gloom.
Each flower a memory, each tree a friend,
A testament of life, from start to end.

4. “Whispers of Dawn”

Life whispers softly in the dawn,
With each new day, we are reborn.
The sun’s embrace, the morning’s light,
A promise kept through the night.

5. “Eternal Spring”

Life is an eternal spring, ever new,
With moments of gold and skies of blue.
The gentle breeze, the blooming flowers,
A reflection of life’s precious hours.

6. “Journey of the Heart”

Life is a journey of the heart,
Each step a chapter, a work of art.
Through valleys low and mountains high,
We find our way beneath the sky.

7. “Seas of Change”

Life is an ocean, vast and deep,
With waves of change and secrets to keep.
Each tide a lesson, each current a guide,
As we navigate the ebb and flow of the tide.

8. “The Tapestry”

Life is a tapestry, intricately woven,
With threads of love and dreams unspoken.
Each strand a story, each knot a tie,
Binding us together as time passes by.

9. “Moments of Grace”

Life is a collection of moments of grace,
Smiles of strangers, a warm embrace.
In the little things, beauty resides,
In every heart, where love abides.

10. “The Eternal Dance”

Life is a dance, an endless waltz,
With twists and turns and graceful faults.
In every movement, in every sway,
We find the rhythm of our day.

11. “The Poet’s Song”

Life is a poem, penned with care,
With verses of joy and lines of despair.
Each stanza a heartbeat, each rhyme a breath,
A lyrical journey from birth to death.

12. “The Compass”

Life is a compass, pointing true,
Guiding our steps through the old and new.
With each direction, each chosen path,
We find our way through aftermath.

13. “Radiant Horizon”

Life is a horizon, ever in sight,
With dreams to chase and stars at night.
Each dawn a promise, each dusk a rest,
In the journey of life, we are blessed.

14. “Timeless Echoes”

Life is an echo, timeless and pure,
Reverberating through moments, memories endure.
In every laughter, in every tear,
The essence of life is always near.

15. “The Gift”

Life is a gift, wrapped in time,
With ribbons of hope and moments sublime.
Each day a present, each breath a chance,
To live, to love, and to dance.

Poems About Life and Death

1. “The Eternal Cycle”

Life and death, a cycle unbroken,
In every whisper, a truth is spoken.
From birth to death, from dawn to night,
A journey through shadows, into the light.

2. “Beyond the Horizon”

Life is a journey to the horizon’s end,
With roads to travel and hearts to mend.
Death is the sunset, the close of the day,
Yet beyond the horizon, light finds its way.

3. “The River’s End”

Life flows like a river, winding and free,
Through valleys and plains, to the vast sea.
Death is the ocean, deep and wide,
The river’s end, where we all reside.

4. “Veil of Stars”

Life is a dance beneath the stars,
A fleeting waltz, a journey afar.
Death is the veil that parts the night,
Revealing the stars in their eternal light.

5. “From Dust to Dawn”

Life begins in the dawn of creation,
A spark of hope, a new sensation.
Death returns us to the dust,
Yet in the dawn, we find our trust.

6. “A Timeless Embrace”

Life is a heartbeat, a fleeting chance,
A moment of glory, a brief romance.
Death is the embrace, timeless and true,
Reuniting us with the essence of you.

7. “The Final Symphony”

Life is a symphony, composed with care,
Each note a moment, rich and rare.
Death is the silence, the final pause,
Completing the masterpiece with divine laws.

FAQs

What themes do poems about life explore?

Poems about life explore themes like joy, sorrow, growth, love, struggle, and the human experience. They reflect on life’s journey and its profound moments.

How do poems about life inspire readers?

Poems about life inspire readers by resonating with their personal experiences, offering comfort, wisdom, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life.

Can poems about life be used in education?

Yes, poems about life are often used in education to teach literary devices, encourage creative expression, and help students explore and articulate their own life experiences.

Why are metaphors common in life poems?

Metaphors are common in life poems because they vividly illustrate abstract concepts, making emotions and experiences more relatable and impactful for readers.

How do life poems handle difficult topics?

Life poems handle difficult topics with sensitivity and depth, using language to convey complex emotions and offer insight or solace in challenging times.

What is the structure of a typical life poem?

The structure of a life poem varies but often includes stanzas with a rhythmic pattern, vivid imagery, and a cohesive theme reflecting aspects of life’s journey.

How can reading life poems benefit mental health?

Reading life poems can benefit mental health by providing emotional release, fostering empathy, and offering new perspectives on personal challenges and triumphs.

Are life poems always serious?

No, life poems can be both serious and lighthearted. They reflect the full spectrum of human emotions and experiences, including humor and joy.

How do poets convey life lessons in their work?

Poets convey life lessons through allegory, metaphor, and vivid imagery, allowing readers to draw personal meaning and insight from the poem’s narrative.

Can life poems be personalized?

Yes, life poems can be personalized to reflect individual experiences, emotions, and perspectives, making them unique and deeply meaningful to the reader.

AI Generator

Text prompt

Add Tone

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting