Celebrating the Lives and Works of Thirty Influential Poets

Explore sonnets dedicated to thirty remarkable poets, from Chaucer to Dylan Thomas. Discover brief insights into their lives and literary contributions, celebrating the profound impact they have made on the world of poetry. Join us in honoring their legacy through beautifully crafted verses. Sonnets on Poets Chaucer 1343-1400 John Donne 1572-1631 John Milton 1608-1674 Alexander Pope 1688-1744 William Blake 1757 - 1827 Robert Burns 1759 -1796 William Wordsworth 1770-1850 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772-1834 Leigh Hunt 1784-1859 Lord Byron 1788-1824 Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822 John Keats 1795-1821 Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882 Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892 Robert Browning 1812 – 1889 Walt Whitman 1819-1892 Emily Dickinson 1830-1886 Oscar Wilde 1854-1900 Rudyard Kipling 1865 - 1936 William Butler Yeats 1865 - 1939 Robert Frost 1874-1963 Ezra Pound 1885-1972 Rupert Brooke 1887-1915 Robert Graves 1895-1985 e. e. Cummings 1894-1962 W. H. Auden 1907-1973 Dylan Thomas 1914-1953 Chaucer 1343-1400 The fine father of English poetry, His Canterbury Tales would lead the way, Born in eighteen-hundred and forty-three, His stories bring on broad smiles to this day. A series of fine tales told on the way, To pilgrims by various speakers, some quite bold, Monks, nuns, and vile pardoners of the day, Relate honest takes of those days of old. Other works in middle English, he wrote, But those poetic tales brought much acclaim, A true believing Christian of some note, It was his honest views that fueled his fame. In the great Poets’ Corner, he does rest In Westminster Abbey, one of the best. John Donne 1572-1631 The son of a Roman Catholic tree, A student at Oxford and Cambridge too, But his family's faith meant no degree, So then legal studies, he did pursue. First, a bon vivant and traveler true, His marriage to Anne More was met with scorn, But they both were able to work it through, And twelve children to Anne and John were born. Satire and erotic poems, he first wrote, Later, ordained as an Anglican priest, His meditative poems were of great note, As the Dean of St. Paul's, his fame increased. Famed for his " No man is an island" line, The bell still tolls for this poet so fine. John Milton 1608-1674 A son of London, well-born was he, To Cambridge as just a youth he would go, A career in the Church was not to be, But his poem on Christ's Nativity did glow. In studying classics, time was spent, Then church reform engaged his active mind, His brave views on divorce fueled strong dissent, While defending Cromwell, he did go blind. The Restoration would force him to hide, Then his Paradise Lost came into view, A blind and lonely time he did abide, In the end, a third wife, shared love anew. A gigantic poetic force was he, Sharing sacred views of great subtlety. Alexander Pope 1688-1744 Like Donne born a Roman Catholic too, Then plagued by tuberculosis was he, A sad hunchback small for he slowly grew, His faith blocked him from university. By his teenage years, he was widely read, An admirer of the great Homer true, Through his translations, those classics did spread, Making Alexander a rich man too. His Essay on Criticism brought praise, Discussing critics and the role they play, The Rape of the Lock did clearly raise, Satiric thoughts on the folks of his day. The Dunciad took a much tougher stance, Garnering criticism far and wide, His Essay on Man did a moral dance, Towards goodness and deep faith did it guide. In his heroic couplets, he did share, Wit, wisdom, and insights beyond compare. William Blake 1757 - 1827 The son of a Dissenting London line, An apprentice engraver then was he, Sketching Gothic Art in the Abbey fine, At times, deep mystic visions he would see. In Tiriel and his Songs, he did sing, But none of those visions were understood, His Books of Urizen and Los would bring, Ways to view reason and imagine good. With prophetic verse and majestic art, He tapped into ancient England's power, In Milton, he spoke from his deepest heart, While Jerusalem, sought to empower. Scorned, lonely, and forlorn at times was he, Sharing a Divine Vision for all to see. Robert Burns 1759 -1796 Born into a poor family of the land, Of formal schooling, he had barely none, At a young age, his fame then did expand, Due to the fine poems and great songs he spun. Traditional sources, he brought to life, While calling for folks to be truly free, To some rigid clerics, he sent much strife, As his satire fought their hypocrisy. He loved strong drinks and a few women too, In verse and song, his joys and woes rang out, For financial troubles, he always knew, And by the end, his health came into doubt. Much too early that great Scot passed away, Leaving a legacy that will not fray. William Wordsworth 1770-1850 Directed to a career in the church, Young William sensed that it was nought to be, At Cambridge making a much broader search, He found a passion for fine poetry. Back from France to rural life he did go, With his sister to Dorsetshire, he went, His friendship with Coleridge there did grow, From there, their Lyrical Ballads were sent. Then Mary Hutchinson, became his wife, During this time his poems did truly shine, More traditional later in his life, As Poet Laureate, they did decline. An insightful poet of the finest kind, His poems and odes still echo in the mind. Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772-1834 The youngest son of a vicar quite fine, By six a voracious reader was he, At Jesus College he did less than shine, But a brilliant poet he was to be. New romantic poems with Wordsworth he wrote, Their Lyrical Ballads were widely read, His Ancient Mariner of life remote, Told a fascinating tale of fear and dread. A true notebook scribbler he'd always been, Keeping notes on math to philosophy, An astute interpreter of the scene, His poems were well-crafted quite consciously. Opium addiction did take its toll, As critic-poet he spoke from the soul. Leigh Hunt 1784-1859 Raised by devout parents in London town, To Christ's Hospital School, he did go, Studying poets and all they set down, By a very young age his poems did flow. Editor, critic, and fine writer true, His critiques and strong views did bring on woe, A friend of Hazlitt, Keats, and Shelley too, Byron helped, then let him down, as we know. A father of ten and at times quite poor, He was prolific over all his years, New views of Christian life, he did explore, And his thoughts on friendship could bring on tears. His poem Abou Ben Adhem was much loved, By his many friends, Leigh Hunt was beloved. Lord Byron 1788-1824 During his teenage years’ fine poems he wrote, Then to Trinity College, he did go, His poems were well-crafted but hard to quote, In Harold's Pilgrimage, his words did flow. Back from the East, his wild affairs went on, Wed to Annabella, but not for long, Close ties to his sister were frowned upon, Forcing him to leave, the gossiping throng. In Switzerland, Shelley became his friend, And in Venice, he praised Armenian ways, Then fighting for Greece, some time he did spend, Sadly, it was there he spent his last days. Bon vivant, lover, and great poet too, A hero in Greece, a Romantic true. Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822 A romanticist of the finest kind, Close friend of Lord Byron and Leigh Hunt too, Sharing radical thoughts about mankind, By a young age, he made his fine debut. Expelled from Oxford with Harriet he wed, In three years, Mary became his new love, Then off to France and Switzerland, they fled, Where his deft poems rang out from high above. In Venice, Lord Byron, they went to see, Plans for The Liberal with Hunt did start, Success of the journal was not to be, On the sinking Don Juan, he did depart. His tragic passing was a loss to all, Yet forever his poems, we will recall. John Keats 1795-1821 In London, he enjoyed rambunctious years, Studying medicine part of the time, But love of poetry brought new frontiers, As his higher thoughts, he cast into rhyme. Hunt and Byron, prompted his love of verse, In a short time, his first book, Poems, came out, Keats was pleased but the reviews were diverse, Yet many of his poems in time would shout. His lines on Chapman's Homer were sublime, Critics knew a true talent had been born, At Wentworth Place, he composed Odes divine, But his Endymion was met with scorn. At age twenty-five, John Keats passed away, But his beautiful poems with us do stay. Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861 On an estate in Durham, she was born, The eldest of a family of twelve, Early on to poetry she was sworn, And into classic Homer, she would delve. Throughout her life, she lived with chronic pain, But her fine prose and poems brought on great fame, Prompting Browning to seek out her domain, And soon a loving couple they became. The newlyweds to Italy did go, Where they shaped each other's poetic art, With a host of friends, their lives did glow, And How Do I Love You, flowed from her heart. Ill health finally took an early toll, But her finest poems still speak to the soul. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882 As a young man, he lived close to the sea, On reading and Latin, his time was spent, After Bowdoin College, he wished to be, A linguist so off to Europe he went. Learning French, Spanish and Italian too, To fine Harvard College he then would go, But in his heart, he was a poet true, And within a short time, his fame did grow. In Voices of the Night, his poems came out, Using rhyme and rhythm, his words just flow, On abolition, his strong voice did shout, When translating Dante, his words would glow. From Hiawatha to Evangeline, As a lyric poet, he ruled supreme. Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892 The son of the Rector at Somersby, At King Edward's, he was a pupil bold, A Cambridge Apostle he came to be, With Hallam and Brookfield, great tales he told. The death of Hallam was a shock to all, In Memoriam, praised his friend so fine, His poetry was loved, but not by all, Some critics assaulted it line by line. Of legends and myths, he did write, In his Idylls, King Arthur came to life, The Charge of the Light Brigade shed new light, In a tale of violence and much strife. Like Wordsworth, a Poet Laureate true, Sharing epic poems and deep insights too. Robert Browning 1812 - 1889 Raised in a literary-rich household, In learning languages, he took some pride, Oxford days were blocked by his faith we're told, But with the Pied Piper, he hit his stride. After reading Browning's lyrical verse, Elizabeth did link him with Wordsworth, Shortly after by mail, they did converse, And yes, their true romance was given birth. In Italy, aid to his wife he gave, Later, The Ring and The Book came out, Of that murder tale the critics would rave, Then Browning Societies, his thoughts would tout. A true master of monologue was he, Sharing lyrical poems of great beauty. Walt Whitman 1819-1892 A son of New York from the very start, His school days done before he was a teen, As printer and journalist, he was smart, But tough times made an income hard to glean. Writing verse, novels, and a self-help book, He tried making a living with his pen, Then being a poet, he gave a look, And his Leaves of Grass emerged from his den. Its sensuous free verse rattled the mind, But his words on freedom and love did shine, Speaking directly to all of mankind, He called for democracy free and fine. An authentic poetic voice was he, A giant of American poetry. Emily Dickinson 1830-1886 She was raised in a mansion filled with strain, Her father close while her mother remote, At Amherst Academy she did gain, The classic foundation from which she wrote. She loved her dog, Carlo, and her garden too, Her reclusion gave her the time to write, Sudden death and sadness, she often knew, In poems, her melancholy came to light. Her mother being chronically ill, Kept Emily at home to nurse her well, Many poems she wrote in that house so still, Then mailed them to good friends beyond her dell. A pioneering modern poet was she, Whose poems and wise ways help us all to see. Oscar Wilde 1854-1900 From Anglo-Irish parents, he did come, Speaking both French and German by age ten, As an aesthete at Oxford, he would stun, Then gained wide fame with his fine wit and pen. His book The Picture of Dorian Gray, Spoke of beauty, decadence, and fine art, And his playful comedies won the day, While his Being Earnest, did touch the heart. A fight with the Marquess, did bring much grief, Two years in prison for knowing his son, In France, his closing days were sadly brief, But he ensured De Profundis was done. His sad Ballad of Reading Gaol still stings, On prison and the tragic days, it brings. Rudyard Kipling 1865 - 1936 In Bombay, India, Kipling was born, After school days in hell he did return, In Lahore to his writing, he was sworn, Where folks for his ditties and tales did yearn. In London, both fame and blame would grow, So, to Vermont with Catherine he fled, Where the jungle tales of Mowgli did flow, Then back in old England, Kim's tale he spread. From East Sussex his Just So Stories flew, Then If, some advice for his son came out, Strong praise and critiques for his work did grow, The loss of his son in war sowed much doubt. Yes, a Nobel Laureate first was he, A master of fine tales and poetry. William Butler Yeats 1865 - 1939 Born into the Irish Minority, Ireland would be a lifelong love, Legends and myths mixed with reality, Sang through his poems, from high above. Gorgeous Maud Gonne was the love of his life, Multiple times, she denied him her hand, Golden Dawn rituals helped with that strife, While the Rhymers shaped what came from his hand. Abbey Theatre plays spoke of the land, Their simple words changed his poetic style, Then mystic words flowed from his new wife's hand, Adding cyclical gyres to his great file. An elite traditionalist was he, And Nobel Laureate as all could see. Robert Frost 1874-1963 Fine San Francisco was his place of birth, By early youth, Massachusetts was home, A city boy who grew to love the earth, For in the green forests, he loved to roam. After time at Dartmouth and Harvard too, He spent years farming and teaching school, While writing poems about the life he knew, Realistic scenes provided the fuel. Birches, rock walls, and forests fine, Were topics loved by readers far and wide, In university roles, he did shine, Honourary degrees, he took in stride. A traditionalist, yet modern too, His cadence, images, and voice shine through. Ezra Pound 1885-1972 The only child of a family fine, Sound learning and wide travel, he did know, In his graduate studies, he would shine, Yet his love of poetry still did grow. So, to Europe and new friends, he would flee, Where he shaped new rules for poetry, To Joyce and T. S., he gave aid for free, The scar of war he shared in Mauberley. In Paris, Pound helped his friend Hemingway, Then on to Italy, not for the best, For Fascist talks and ill thoughts, he would pay, A long confinement after his arrest. The pleading of old friends, gained his release, But to the poet, it brought little peace. Rupert Brooke 1887-1915 The son of a tutor at Rugby School, At King's College, his skills would truly shine, An Apostle with friends so very cool, Including Virginia and friends quite fine. After Cambridge, time on the road he spent, Poems on rural life and love then flew out, The Old Vicarage showed his special bent, Readers loved it, but critics levelled doubt. His Soldier poem, expressed his views on war, So off to Gallipoli, he did go, Where a mosquito bite struck to the core, Tragically, it was a fatal blow. Posthumously, his name and fame did grow, For many, his poems spread a sacred glow. Robert Graves 1895-1985 An Army Captain wounded in the war, In verse, he captured the tragedy there, At Oxford, part of a classic corps, With Lawrence and others, his thoughts did soar. In Cairo, his wife Nancy, he would leave, Then with Laura Riding, some time was spent, The story of Lawrence, did truly please, His historical novels, brought much assent. A prolific writer of poems and prose, Greek myths, I Claudius, and much more. With new wife Beryl, Majorca he chose, To peacefully write and live by the shore. A writer on true love and war and peace, Who lived a full life - may his fame increase. e. e. Cummings 1894-1962 The much-loved son of folks in Cambridge town, Writing fine poems by the young age of ten, In a short time, he wore a Harvard gown, Then off to the war in France with his pen. At first, a romantic mystic was he, Then avant-garde artists transformed his way, Strange syntax and terms marked his poetry, Where free verse and punctuation held sway. Complex picture poems, flowed from his pen, Erotic themes, he aptly brought to light, His fame glowed well beyond his local glen, Readers loved his odd forms and deep insight. A modern traditionalist was he, With conservative views for all to see. W. H. Auden 1907-1973 A Birmingham lad gifted with great wit, Father a doctor, his mother adverse, At Oxford, his poetry was a hit, Modernist tropes emerged in his verse, Social concerns conveyed in concrete ways, In "Spain", on civil war he did converse, Spreading anxiety about those days. In America, of poets, he would write, His Collected Poems, shared complex insight, Still prolific though critics did indict, In his prose, plays, and poems, he shed new light. A modernist poet in diverse ways, Yet traditionally moral all his days! Dylan Thomas 1914-1953 The son of a seamstress and teacher fine, His years at Swansea Grammar were a grind, At sixteen, reporting became his line, But to writing poems, he was more inclined. From poetry notebooks, his fame did glow, His Eighteen Poems greeted by rave reviews, In London, his love for Caitlin, would grow, As well as their liking for lots of brews! His affairs and drinking made wartime tough, Then his BBC shows brought on more fame, On American tours, things got quite rough, Then in the end ill health his life did claim. Much loved by readers, much less by critics, Dylan, the poet, needs love not cynics!