1. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
> Let us go then, you and I,
> When the evening is spread out against the sky
> Like a patient etherised upon a table;
> Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
> The muttering retreats
> Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
> And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
> Streets that follow like a tedious argument
> Of insidious intent
> To lead you to an overwhelming question...
This excerpt highlights the interplay between the natural world and human experience, using imagery of the evening sky and deserted streets.
2. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost
> Whose woods these are I think I know.
> His house is in the village though;
> He will not see me stopping here
> To watch his woods fill up with snow.
> My little horse must think it queer
> To stop without a farmhouse near
> Between the woods and frozen lake
> The darkest evening of the year.
> He gives his harness bells a shake
> To ask if there is some mistake.
> The only other sound’s the sweep
> Of easy wind and downy flake.
> The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
> But I have promises to keep,
> And miles to go before I sleep,
> And miles to go before I sleep.
This poem captures the beauty and serenity of a snowy forest, contrasting it with the speaker's human obligations.
3. "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats
> My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
> My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
> Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains
> One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:
> 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,
> But being too happy in thine happiness,—
> That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees,
> In some melodious plot
> Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
> Singest of summer in full-throated ease.
This poem celebrates the beauty and power of nature, particularly the song of a nightingale, using vivid imagery and rich language.
4. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth
> I wandered lonely as a cloud
> That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
> When all at once I saw a crowd,
> A host, of golden daffodils;
> Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
> Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
> Continuous as the stars that shine
> And twinkle on the milky way,
> They stretched in never-ending line
> Along the margin of a bay:
> Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
> Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
> The waves beside them danced; but they
> Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
> A poet could not but be gay,
> In such a jocund company:
> I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
> What wealth the show to me had brought:
> For oft, when on my couch I lie
> In vacant or in pensive mood,
> They flash upon that inward eye
> Which is the bliss of solitude;
> And then my heart with pleasure fills,
> And dances with the daffodils.
This poem beautifully depicts the joy and wonder of nature, using the simple image of daffodils to evoke feelings of peace and happiness.
5. "The Tiger" by William Blake
> Burning bright,
> The forests of the night;
> What immortal hand or eye,
> Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
This poem explores the awe-inspiring power and mystery of nature, using the tiger as a symbol of both beauty and danger.
These are just a few examples of poems that explore the themes of nature. There are countless others, each offering a unique perspective on the world around us.