Here is a sampler of various English-language poetry which, I hope, will give non-readers of poetry, in particular, the impetus to follow through and discover the joys of poetry for themselves.
The samples I have included are representative of the development of poetry over some 800 years, but without going into technical or critical detail; that is to say, I have tried to provide examples that may, notwithstanding any deeper meaning, be appreciated at face value.
Note that the list is fairly traditional, in that there are no examples of ethnic verse. This is purely for the reason that I have limited my selections to works with which I am familiar (ie. largely British and, to a lesser extent, American). It was extremely difficult restricting the list to the 20 excerpts detailed below and, whilst literary merit was my primary criteria, (arguably) my one indulgence was the William Carlos Williams poem.
If your own favourite is not here, tell us about it.
1 Cuckoo Song c 1250
Anon.
Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweth sed and bloweth med,
And springeth the wude nu –
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleteth after lomb,
Lhouth after calve cu;
Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth,
Murie sing cuccu!
[Loose translation]
Summer has arrived,
Sing loudly, Cuckoo!
Seeds grow and meadows bloom
And the forest springs anew
The ewe bleats after the lamb,
The cow lows after the calf.
The bullock leaps, the buck farts,
Sing merrily, Cuckoo!
This wonderful lyric is one of the most famous examples of Middle English (1066-1450) and, although it was traditionally sung as a “round”, is also commonly taught as an introduction to Middle English literature. It is thought to be written in the Wessex Dialect. W. de Wycombe, a late 13th century English composer and copyist has been suggested as being the author, but there is little evidence to support this. It is typically attributed as Anonymous.
Note that a round is a musical piece in which two or more voices repeatedly sing the same melody, but with each voice starting at a different time. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” is an example of a round that most people will be familiar with.
Interesting fact: whilst some commentators translate verteth as “twisting” (or whatever) the word is, in fact, the earliest written example of vert, the Middle English version of fart!
And here is a very nice choral version for your listening pleasure, in counterpoint.
2 Sonnet 18
William Shakespeare (1564 –1616)
Image: Shakespeare’s First Folio, 1623
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 ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Shakespeare who? A great sonnet from the nonpareil!
Interesting fact: Shakespeare ultimately had no descendents – apparently, his grandchildren all died!
3 from The Triumph of Charis (c. 1623)
Ben Jonson (1572-1637)
Have you seen but a bright lily grow
Before rude hands have touch’d it?
Have you mark’d but the fall of the snow
Before the soil hath smutch’d it?
Have you felt the wool of beaver,
Or swan’s down ever?
Or have smelt o’ the bud o’ the brier,
Or the nard in the fire?
Or have tasted the bag of the bee?
O so white, O so soft, O so sweet is she!
I was so tempted to quote Jonson’s famous Song : To Celia, which includes the famous line “Drink to me only with thine eyes”, but this lesser known example of his work is typical of his lyricism. It was published as one of ten linked pieces in 1623. A friend of William Shakespeare, Jonson was a complex character; he apparently liked an argument and could be arrogant, but was also noted for his sense of honour and integrity. Not quite a genius…but still one of the giants of English literature.
Interesting fact: Jonson is the only person buried standing up in Westminster Abbey (London). His grave bears the famous epitaph “O Rare Ben Johnson” – yes, the inscription erroneously includes an “h” in his name – the engraver made a mistake!
According to Westminster Abbey:
In 1849, the place was disturbed by a burial nearby and the clerk of works saw the two leg bones of Jonson fixed upright in the sand and the skull came rolling down from a position above the leg bones into the newly made grave. There was still some red hair attached to it.
4 Devotions upon Emergent Occasions(1624)
John Donne (1572-1631)
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
These famous words by John Donne (pronounced “Dunn”) were not originally written as a poem - the passage is taken from the 1624 Meditation 17, from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and is prose. The final 3 lines are possibly amongst the most quoted excerpts of English verse.
Interesting fact: Donne was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral (London)
5 To the Virgins to Make Much of Time (1648)
Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Times is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
Born in London’s Cheapside, Herrick was the seventh child and fourth son of Nicholas Herrick, a prosperous goldsmith, who committed suicide when Robert was a year old. He ultimately took religious orders, and became vicar of the parish of Dean Prior, Devon in 1629, a post that carried a term of thirty-one years. It was in the secluded country life of Devon that he wrote some of his best work.
The over-riding message of Herrick’s work is that life is short, the world is beautiful, love is splendid, and we must use the short time we have to make the most of it (“carpe diem”). He is also renowned for frequent references to lovemaking and the female body.
6 To Althea From Prison (1649)
Richard Lovelace (1618 – 1658)
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above
Enjoy such liberty.
Richard Lovelace was born a nobleman, being the firstborn son of a knight. On April 30, 1642, on behalf of Royalists in Kent, he presented to Parliament a petition asking them to restore the Anglican bishops to Parliament; as a result he was immediately imprisoned in Westminster Gatehouse where, whilst serving his time, wrote “To Althea, From Prison”, which contains – as per the excerpt given – one of the more famed lines of English verse “Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage”. Basically, Lovelace is saying that physical imprisonment/oppression cannot stifle his imagination or spirit.
Interesting fact: While in prison, Lovelace worked on a volume of poems, titled Lucasta, which was considered to be his best collection. The “Lucasta” to whom he dedicated much of his verse was Lucy Sacheverell, whom he often called Lux Casta. Unfortunately, she mistakenly believed that he died at the Battle of Dunkirk in 1646 and so married somebody else. Oops!
7 from Paradise Lost - Book I (1667)
John Milton (1608–1674)
Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing, Heav’nly Muse, that, on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed
In the beginning how the Heav’ns and Earth
Rose out of Chaos;
Milton! Another literary giant. Possibly ranked, in terms of sheer literary genius, second to Shakespeare. Paradise Lost is an epic, dealing with the fall and subsequent salvation of Man. So great was the contemporary acclaim for Milton’s poetic epics, that other writers began to avoid writing long poetical works…which contributed to the birth of the novel as a literary genre.
Interesting fact: Milton became blind, and most of his prodigious works were dictated to a secretary.
Also: as a student at Cambridge University, Milton was so vain about his appearance that he was nicknamed “the Lady of Christ’s College”.
8 An Elegy Wrote in a Country Church Yard (1751)
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Image: Inscription on the Church at Stoke Poges referring to Gray’s Elegy
The Curfew tolls the Knell of parting Day,
The lowing Herd winds slowly o’er the Lea,
The Plowman homeward plods his weary Way,
And leaves the World to Darkness, and to me.
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.
Gray’s Elegy (an elegy commemorates death) was written after the passing of one of Gray’s close friends, and is a meditation on the mortality of man. Gray was Professor of History and Modern Languages at Cambridge and, despite not being a prolific writer, was one of the most prominent poets of his day He was buried in Stoke Poges (near Windsor, England) the village whose churchyard was where he composed the Elegy.
Interesting fact: although he became a literary giant of his age, Gray only published 1,000 lines of poetry during his lifetime - this was due, largely, to his acute fear of failure.
9 Kubla Khan (1797)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
This is a good example of a poem having as many dimensions as you might like to afford it. On the one hand, there is no certainty as to exactly what Coleridge is talking about. However, it is also deemed by many critics to be profoundly symbolic (art v nature etc.). The poem does appear to most to have obvious sexual imagery, though Coleridge himself did not elaborate on any hidden depths or symbolic undertones. Kubla Khan was, upon its publication, widely denigrated by contemporary critics. Today, it is viewed as a work of genius.
Interesting fact: Coleridge (possessor of an egregious opium addiction) stated that he woke one morning having had a dream/vision of the entire text of Kubla Khan. The poem remained unfinished because, as he was in the midst of writing it down, he was interrupted by a knock at the door - it was a local village tradesman. After some small talk the villager departed, but Coleridge had now lost his train of thought and could not remember the rest of the poem! Bummer!
10 Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Sept 3rd 1802
William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)
EARTH has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
Much of Wordsworth’s poetry was concerned with nature. He was a well-traveled individual, accompanied on his excursions by his sister, and lifelong companion, Dorothy. He was a prolific poet, and every school pupil will probably be familiar with his poem Daffodils.
Interesting fact: Wordsworth was born in a town with the improbable name of Cockermouth.
11 from She Walks in Beauty (1814)
George Gordon Byron - Lord Byron (1788-1824)
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 mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
George Gordon Byron (the 6th Lord Byron) was an egotistical and temperamental person who during his own lifetime witnessed his reputation as an individual and as a poet reach lofty heights for a time only to plummet due, in no small part, to his scandalous private life (he married a wealthy heiress who left him after a year of marriage for reasons that were greatly speculated upon but never divulged). In fact, his poetry was thereafter belittled so much he left England, never to return. His literary reputation has, of course, been more than restored since his death.
She Walks in Beauty was inspired by his being smitten at the beauty of his first-cousin, whom he met at a funeral – she being dressed in black mourning attire.
Interesting fact: Byron had a club foot, and his sensitivity to this is reflected in some of his works.
12 from Ode to a Nightingale (1819)
John Keats (1795-1821)
Image: Keats’ deathmask
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.
Having already lost both parents, Keats wrote these soulful lines upon learning that his brother was dying and that he himself was suffering from tuberculosis. He views the nightingale’s song as lasting and eternal, and as a counterpoint to his own deeply-felt mortality. Having said this, Keats could also turn his hand to some of the most beautiful lines in the English language eg. To Autumn.
Interesting fact: Keats was a doctor who was tormented by operations carried out – as was the norm in his day – without anaesthetic.
Also, it seems that our friend Lord Byron was a little jealous of Keats’ obvious poetic talents. In letters to contemporaries he described Keats’ works as “mental masturbation”, and wrote of “Johnny Keats’ piss-a-bed poetry” Charming! To be fair, he wrote generously of Shelley (well, of his personality, if not of his works).
13 Home Thoughts, From Abroad (1845)
Robert Browning (1812–1889)
Oh, to be in England
Now that April’s there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England - now!
Wonderful words imaginatively expressing an ex-patriate’s nostalgia for his home country
Interesting fact: Stephen King’s Dark Tower series was inspired by Browning’s famous work “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”.
Also… Browning was the first person ever whose voice was able to be heard after his death! He attended a dinner party in 1889 (the year he died) and was persuaded to talk into a phonogram (a wax-cylinder recording device). He (somewhat falteringly) read his famous work How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix, which you can listen to here .
14 Sonnets from the Portuguese - #43 (1850)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
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 everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a 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.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was the wife of the poet Robert Browning and, though the theme of her works was often social injustice, she shows in these well-known lines that she could turn her hand to romantic poetry – a fact well understood by her husband, who had to insist that she publish them. I think the words speak for themselves, and that it is fairly pointless to try and attribute any profound meaning to them.
Interesting fact: Barrett-Browning, having never been unwell, was prescribed opium at age 15 and suffered from unknown illnesses (so called “nervous disorders”) for the rest of her life.
15 The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1859)
Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883)
Image: Fitzgerald’s grave.
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread - and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness -
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
Fitzgerald’s Rubáiyát is a (loose) translation of the work of 11th century Persian poet Omar Khayyam. It’s not a particularly consistent translation, but was a staple text for English students for many years (not so much today). It has been pointed out that the “thou” to which Fitzgerald refers in the second line of the famous tract, above, refers to a male (given that there does not appear to be any reference to women in this work).
Interesting fact: Fitzgerald was a vegetarian who, erm, apparently hated vegetables. He mostly lived off of bread and butter and fruit.
16 Because I Could Not Stop for Death (1863 est.)
Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality.
We slowly drove—He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility—
Another who is commonly held to merit the title “genius.” This poem is reflecting, in a remarkably nonchalant manner, upon death. This particular poem has been described as “flawless to the last detail” by at least one eminent critic.
Interesting fact: reclusive in nature, only 2 of Dickinson’s 1,000+ poems were published during her lifetime – and these 2 without her permission!
17 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (1923)
Robert Frost (1874-1963)
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.
from The Road Not Taken (1916)
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.
Just a few lines from two of Robert Frost’s more famous works. Frost remains one of America’s pre-eminent poets, and there is often a genial simplicity in his words that continues to make his poetry accessible. Although a common theme in Frost is individuality or independence, I cannot help but think that he doesn’t follow through enough.
Listen to Frost read The Road Not Taken.
18 This is Just to Say (1934)
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.
I’m not sure what is so compelling about this; maybe it is the simplicity of a writer who liked to create imagery about everyday people in their everyday lives. Whatever the case…I do know that most people, after a few readings, come to also love this short poem without really knowing why.
Interesting fact: Williams was a doctor.
Listen to him read one of his other works (Elise)
19 Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night (1951)
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
…
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas, one of the 20th century’s more influential poets, wrote this to commemorate the death of his father. The poem (which in its entirety has 19 lines) has only 2 rhymes throughout.
Interesting facts: it is widely held that Robert Zimmerman adopted the name Bob Dylan as a homage to Dylan Thomas, who was somewhat of a Bohemian cult figure in the USA.
Widely believed to be an alcoholic (a rumor that Thomas himself “promoted”), there is much evidence to suggest that this was not the case (including the state of his autopsied liver).
Listen to Dylan Thomas, himself, reading the above poem.
20 This Be The Verse (1971)
Philip Larkin (1922-1985)
They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another’s throats.
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don’t have any kids yourself.
Who said modern poetry is dead! Undoubtedly Larkin’s best known poem, according to Wikipedia “It appears in its entirety on more than a thousand web pages. It is frequently parodied. Television viewers in the United Kingdom voted it one of the Nation’s Top 100 Poems”. Cynical..yes, but also memorable.
Interesting fact: Larkin’s reputation was tarnished after his death. A biography based on his papers suggested that he was preoccupied with pornography and racism.
译文:
引领你走向诗的殿堂的20个诗人
下面我列举了各种各样英语诗歌的例子，我希望通过这些例子，让那些没怎么读过诗的人能够读诗，尤其是给他们一些读诗的激情和欢乐，善于在诗中发现美。
这些诗是800年来诗歌发展史上的代表作品，但是没有对其写作技巧和鉴赏性祥加评论；也就是说，我尽量举一些虽然蕴涵着深层意义但从表面上看就能让人赏心悦目的诗作。
大家注意到这些诗作相当经典，没有其他种族的诗文。这仅仅限于我非常熟悉的诗作（例如，大部分是英国作品，少部分涉及美国作品）。严格筛选逐条详细摘录下面２０个例子是非常困难的，当然有没有文学价值是我选择的标准，我最喜爱的诗是Ｗilliam Carlos Williams 的诗。
如果你最喜爱的诗不在列表之内，请告诉我们。
１
Cuckoo c1250
Anon.(匿名)
Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweth sed and bloweth med,
And springeth the wude nu –
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleteth after lomb,
Lhouth after calve cu;
Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth,
Murie sing cuccu!
(散译）
夏天已经来临，
布谷鸟大声歌唱！
种子发芽，百草丰茂，
森林一片葱绿。
羊妈妈在后面轻声慢语，
牛妈妈也爱意恋恋，频频呼唤
小牛犊欢蹦乱跳，小羊羔屁声嘟嘟
布谷鸟在大声歌唱！
这首美妙的抒情诗是中世纪英语（1066-1450)最著名的诗歌，虽然它在传统上被当作“迂回式”诗歌来吟唱，但通常被当作进入中世纪英国文学的入门读物来教。有人认为它是用艾塞克斯方言写成的，有人指出它是由13世纪晚期英国作曲家和抄写员W.de Wycombe创作的，但是没有证据来证实这种观点。更有代表性的说法认为它是一首匿名诗。
请注意迂回诗是音乐诗，两个或更多的声音在以同一个悦耳的调子重复吟唱它，但每一个声音起唱的时间都不同。“划，划，划小船”就是大多数人熟悉的回旋诗。
2
Sonnet 18
莎士比亚（1564-1616）
我将把你比拟为夏日吗？
夏日怎比得上你可爱温婉；
狂风袭来吹落五月的花蕾，
明媚鲜艳有几时，
无奈好景太匆匆 ，
有时艳阳高照灼热难耐，
更有乌云遮蔽金色面容，
红颜易衰古今难逃，
季节变换命运无常；
但是你的美貌永驻我心间，
芳容不老万古长青，
死神也会对你退避三舍,
你的容颜将与我的诗篇永存。
只要人类能够生存
此篇必将与你永恒流传。
莎士比亚是谁？伟大的十四行诗作大师！
有趣的事实：莎士比亚最终没有后继人-很明显，他的子孙都死了！
3
from The Triumph of Charis(c,1623)
本•琼森(1572-1637)
你看见过含苞待放的百合吗?
那还没有被粗鲁的手指触摸过的百合；
你目睹过茫茫大地飘落的白雪吗？
那还没有被尘埃沾染过的白雪。
你抚过海狸光猾的皮毛吗？
你摸过天鹅软软的绒毛吗？
你嗅过蔷薇的蓓蕾散发的清香吗？
你闻过火中松子弥漫的香味吗?
你尝过蜂蜜的甘醇吗?
哦,她是那样的纯洁,那样妩媚,那样甜美!
我原来很想引用琼森著名的诗歌:致西丽亚， 其中有名句“只用你的眼睛与我对饮”，但是此首作为他的抒情诗代表却鲜为人知。它于1623年发表,是十首连接诗篇中的一篇.莎士比亚是琼森的一个朋友，他说琼森性格复杂；他喜欢争论又自傲，但有强烈的荣誉感、自尊感。他虽然称不上是天才…但堪称英国文学史上的巨人．
趣事：琼森是唯一在威斯敏斯特教堂站立着埋葬的人。他的坟墓雕刻着著名的墓志铭“O Rare Ben Johnson"-是的，在他的名字里多写了一个“h"－是雕刻家犯了一个错误！
威斯敏斯特教堂报道：
1849年，这个地方曾被附近的盗墓人挖掘过，工作人员看见了琼森两条腿的骨头站立在沙子里，头骨滚落在一个新挖的坟墓里。头骨上仍沾着一些红色的头发。
4
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions(1624)
约翰•多恩(1572-1631)
每个人都不是一座孤岛，
每一个岛屿都是陆地的一部分，
每-块陆地都是大陆的一部分，
如果一块泥土被大海冲刷掉，
欧洲就变得小一点，
同样海角也是如此，
我们对人生的态度何尝不是如此呢。
对待朋友也是如此道理，
每个人的死亡都令我难过。
我本身就是人类的一员，
所以最好不要让我知道，
为谁敲响了死亡的哀钟。
那宣告死亡的钟声仿佛，
是为自己在哀鸣。
这些著名的语句是多恩写的，刚开始并不是以诗的形式写的—是从 Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions 1624冥想17中节选的段落，那是一篇散文。最后三句可能是从英国散文中节选的。
趣事：多恩是圣保罗大教堂的牧师(伦敦）。
5
To the Virgins to Make Much of Time(1648)
罗伯特•赫里克（1591-1674）
在春天美好的时光里
聚集所有蔷薇花蕾，
时间飞逝而过，
今日娇艳芳容，
转眼会变成昨日黄花。
赫里克,出身在伦敦的齐普赛街,在家排行第七，尼古拉斯赫里克的第四个儿子。尼古拉斯赫里克是一个富有的金匠，在罗伯特1岁时，死于自杀。他最终信奉宗教，1629年成为德文郡Dean Prior教区的一个牧师。在位31年。在德文郡过着隐居生活期间他创作了最好的作品。
赫里克作品中，最重要的启示就是赞叹生命是短暂的，世界是美好的，爱情是珍贵的，呼吁人们必须充分利用好短暂的时间。他也以追求情欲而著称。
6
To Althea From Prison(1649)
里查德•拉沃来斯 (1618 – 1658)
难道石头垒起的高墙能围成一座监狱吗
铁栅栏围成的是一只铁笼吗
思想是无罪的，心态是安静的
心远地自偏
假如我的爱是自由的，
我的心灵就是自由的，
天使在飞翔，
享受着无拘无束的自由。
Richard Lovelace 出身于贵族家庭，是家庭的长子，其父为公爵。在1642年4月30日，他代表肯特的保皇派，向国会请求恢复英国国教大主教的职务；结果他立即被威斯敏斯特警卫室囚禁起来，为了消磨时间，他写了“To Althea,From Prison"，其中包括了正如每一章摘要所记录的—英国散文中的名句“石墙围不成真正的监狱，铁栅栏围不成铁笼子”。Lovelace主要表达的是身体上遭到囚禁或压迫并不能抑制住他的想象力或精神。
趣事：Lovelace在监狱里创作了一卷诗集，名字叫Lucasta，是他创作的水平最高的诗集。在Lucasta中，他的许多诗句都是写给Lucy Sacheverell的，他通常称她为Lux Casta。可惜的是，她误认为他在1646敦克尔克战役中牺牲了，因此她嫁给别人了。可惜啊。
7
from Paradise Lost-Book(1667)
约翰•米尔顿
人类第一次违抗禁令,
偷尝禁果,
于是 把死亡带给了世界
把所有的痛苦带给了世界
人类从此失去了伊甸园
直到一个伟大的人物来拯救我们
赐给我们福气宝座,
歌唱吧,天堂北方的缪斯
在神秘的上方,
充满激情地歌唱奥罗布、西奈山
那个在开始就知道天堂和人间区别牧羊人，
第一次教给你选择种子的牧羊人，
从混沌中升起来；
米尔顿！另一位文学巨匠。一位纯粹文学天才，排名仅次于莎士比亚。失乐园是一首史诗，讲的是人类的堕落和被拯救的事。他写的史诗在同时代是值得称道的，非常出类拔萃，以至于其他作家尽力避免写长的诗歌—这样就出现了新的文学形式小说。
趣闻：米尔顿后来双目失明，他的大部分巨作交给他的秘书掌管。
另外： 米尔顿在剑桥大学当学生时，外表上非常爱慕虚荣，大家给他取的外号为“天主大学的小姐”。
8
An Elegy Wrote in a Country Church Yard(1751)
托马斯•格雷(1716-1771)
图象：在Stoke poges 中指的格雷的挽歌在教堂墓碑上的题字。
晚钟响起一阵阵给白昼报丧，
牛声在草原迂回，吼声起落，
农夫抗锄拖着疲乏的步子而归，
把黄昏与黑暗留给了我。
苍茫的景色逐渐从眼前消退，
庄严的寂静笼罩了一切，
到处是飞旋的甲虫嗡翁的响声，
叮当的铃声催眠着遥远的羊栏。
格雷的挽歌（纪念死亡的悲歌）始写于他的一个好朋友离世时，是对人类死亡的哀悼。格雷是剑桥现代语言和历史学教授，虽然不是多产作家，但也是当时非常著名的诗人。他被埋在Stoke Poges(英格兰，温莎公爵附近），他的墓地正是他创作挽歌的地方。
趣事：虽然他是那一时代文学巨匠，在他的有生之年他仅发表了1000多行的诗句。那多数是由于他特别惧怕失败的原因。
9
Kubla Khan(1797)
塞谬尔•泰勒•科来律治(1772-1834)
忽必烈汗降旨在上都
建造壮观的行乐宫阙:
艾弗圣河穿越此间的
幽深岩洞,向冥冥沧海
奔泻而去。
宫阙围以城垣,上设望楼,
三十里沃野尽收眼底:
御苑中溪流蜿蜒,碧波粼粼,
四处林木飘香,花团锦簇;
丛林如此处的丘陵般古老,
透过浓荫,洒下斑驳的阳
这是首具有多层意义诗的典型例子，就像你愿意表达的一样。一方面，它确实具有科来律治所表达的意义，另一方面，许多评论家认为它具有深远的象征意义（艺术上或自然上等等）。这首诗很明显有性别想象，在它发表之时，被同时代评论家所贬斥。今天，被认为是天才之作。
趣闻：科来律治（沉溺于吸食鸦片）说他一天早晨醒来做了整个诗中所写的有关可汗忽必烈的梦。但这首诗最终没有完成，是因为他正写诗的过程中，有人敲门，打断了他的思路--是村里一个做买卖的商人。短暂的寒暄之后，那个村人离开了，但科来律治写诗的思路已经被打断了，写不下去了。流浪的人啊！
10.
威廉•沃兹沃斯(1770-1850)
大地从来没有如此干净；
心灵上的烦恼一扫而过
放眼远观，整个城市雄伟壮丽；
它的确像穿了件美丽的外套
清晨空气新鲜，安谧，无遮无拦
船只、塔群、剧院和庙宇尽展眼底
连着空旷的田地，直到天空
阳光绚丽无比
照着山谷岩石和山岗；
我从来没看到过
从来没有如此深切地感受到
如此美丽的景色！
小河静静地蜿蜒前行，清澈透明
心情是如此地平静！
沃兹沃斯的大多数诗都是描写自然的。他热爱旅游，他的妹妹，桃乐西与他终生相伴，远足旅行。他也是个多产诗人，每一个小学生可能都熟悉他的诗≤水仙花≥。
11
from She Walks in Beauty(1814)
乔治•戈登•拜伦(1788-1824)
她款款地走着，步态优美
就像无垠的夜空，缀满星星；
那黑亮的质地，柔滑无比
与她亮丽的外表与灵性的眼睛
是多么匹配！
飘着淡淡的醇香，温柔的目光
从天堂到聚餐日都无法抗拒
她的美丽。
George Gordon Byron (the 6th Lord Byron) 是一个任性和喜怒无常的人，在他的一生中，他作为个人和诗人曾一度名躁一时，没想到却因为私生活丑闻而声名狼迹。（他娶了一个富婆，结婚一年富婆离开了他，离开的原因是人们推测的，无法考证）。事实上，他离开英格兰后，再也没有返回，当时他的诗很不被看重。他死之后，人们才发现他的文学才华。
她优美地走着这首诗的灵感来自于他的大表妹，他是在参加一次葬礼中遇到她的，她当时穿着黑色的孝服，他被她的美丽震撼了。
趣闻：拜伦长着一只畸形足，他对此的敏感程度在他的作品中有所反映。
12
from Ode to a Nightingale(1819)
约翰•济慈(1795-1821)
我的心在痛，困顿和麻木
刺进了感官，有如饮过毒鸠，
又象是刚刚把鸦片吞服，
于是向着列斯忘川下沉：
并不是我嫉妒你的好运，
而是你的快乐使我太欢欣——
因为在林间嘹亮的天地里，
你呵，轻翅的仙灵，
你躲进山毛榉的葱绿和荫影，
放开歌喉，歌唱着夏季。
当时，济慈失去了双亲，哥哥生命垂危，自己也身患肺结核，他心中无限感伤，于是写下了这些充满深情的诗句。他把夜鹰的歌声看作是持久、永恒的，正好与他自己内心深处所感觉到的人生苦短所对比。说到这一点，济慈同样也能用英语写出最美丽的诗句，如致秋天。
趣事：济慈是个外科医生，遭受着为病人做手术所经历的内心折磨-在他那个时代规定不注射麻药。
还有一点，我们的朋友拜伦对济慈的才华却有一点嫉妒。在给他的同伴的信中，他描写济慈的作品为“意淫”作品，并写“济慈的小便-床上诗人”，太过分了！所幸的是写谢莉却很大度（我们说的是他的人品而不是作品）。
13
Home Thoughts,From Abroad(1845)
罗伯特•伯朗宁(1812-1889)
啊，英格兰
在那里，现在正是四月，
早春的几多清晨，
在英格兰无论是谁醒来，
看见，但没有意识到，
那些低垂的枝条、一束束的灌木丛，
老榆树树干的周围，
已经长出了新芽。
而此时花鸡在果园的树上歌唱，
哦，我的英格兰，此时的英格兰！
多么美妙的诗句，富有想象力，充分表达了居住在异乡他地的游子对祖国的思乡之情。
趣事：Stephen King's Dark Tower 系列诗，灵感来自于伯朗宁著名的作品“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”。
同样，伯朗宁是第一个死后声音还留在世上的人!1889年(他死于那一年)他参加了一次晚会，有人劝他对着语音设备（蜡状的圆柱体设备）讲话。他（稍微有点口吃）朗读了他著名的作品How They Brought Good News from Ghent to Aix,这段录音你可以
在这里听到。
14
Sonnets from the Portuguese-#43(1850)
伊丽沙白•巴蕾特•伯朗宁(1806-1861)
你问我爱你有几多？让我细说爱途有几条。
我的爱有多深、有多广、有多高
当我目力不及时，我的灵魂可达到
生命的尽头，思想犹存，永不变心。
我爱你每一天，最从容
太阳可鉴，烛光可证；
我的爱纯洁无比，
宛如来自于赞歌的神圣。
我用身心去爱你
伴着我陈旧的忧伤，孩提时的信念
我爱你仿佛要失去对你的爱
我用我的呼吸、微笑、眼泪－
我整个的生命去爱你！－并且，
如果上帝让我作出选择，
我死后更爱你。
伊丽莎白•巴蕾特 伯朗宁是诗人罗伯特伯朗宁的妻子，虽然她的作品反映的是社会的不平现象，但这些著名的诗句却充满了浪漫色彩，她的丈夫很了解这一点，坚持让她去发表。我认为这些词语是说给他们自己听的，试图挖崛任何深层意义是徒劳的。
趣事：巴蕾特伯朗宁从没得过病，但在１５岁时，有人给她开了鸦片服用从此她就患上了一种莫名其妙的疾病（可能叫做神经错乱）。
15
The Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam(1859)
爱德华•拂次杰拉德(1809-1883)
图象：Fitzgerald's 坟墓
树枝下压着一本诗集，
一壶葡萄酒，一条面包－和你
在荒野里伴我歌唱
啊，荒野现在就是天堂！
菲次杰拉德的Rubaiyat是11世纪波斯诗人Omar Khayyam的翻译作品。虽然翻译得前后不太紧凑，但多年来入选英国学生的课本（如今已不多见）。有人指出在这首名诗第二行的“thou”指的是男性（在此诗中没有任何迹象涉及女性）。
趣事：菲次杰拉德是素食主义者，但很不喜欢蔬菜。他多数情况下靠面包、黄油和水果生活。
16
Because I Could Not for Death(1863 est.)
艾米丽• 迪克丝(1830-1886)
因为我不能停止死亡－
他仁慈地为我遮挡－
马车载着我们的身体－
名声不朽。
我们慢慢地驾车前行－他知道不再犹豫，
我已经放弃我的辛劳和悠闲；
因为他的礼貌－
另一个被冠以“天才”的诗人。这首诗反映了对死亡的漠视态度。这首风格独特的诗被著名的评论家描述为“无可挑剔的诗作”。
趣事：过着隐居生活，她1000首诗中在她的有生之年仅有两首发表—这两首未经她的许可。
17
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening(1923)
罗伯特•弗洛斯特(1874-1963)
树林葱绿、茂密、幽深，
但是我必须遵守诺言，
休憩之前再漫行几里
休憩之前再漫行几里。
from The Road Not Taken(1916)
我将用记号作出辨别，
哪里将是我要走的,从此走下去，
慢慢变老。
在树林中两条路分叉而延伸
我选了一条人迹稀少的路
这将会使我的人生
大不相同
仅仅是Robert Frost 著名诗作中摘录的几行。Frost是美国最著名的诗人之一，他的诗语言朴实、亲切，易于理解。虽然他写的主题反映的是个人的感受和自由主义，我认为不仅仅是这些。
Listen to Frost Read The Road Not Taken 18
This is Just to Say(1934)
威廉•卡洛斯• 威廉姆斯(1883-1963)
我吃了李子
那在冰箱中存放的李子
也许你要把它们
积攒下来
作为早点
请原谅我,
它们太好吃了
那样的甘甜
那样的冰爽.
不要温顺地进入柔和的梦乡，
旧的岁月应当燃烧，
在一天结束之际咆哮，
狂怒，狂怒，在光线消失之际。
你，我的父亲，在忧愁的海拔线上，
诅咒，祝福，我伴着你滂沱的眼泪在祈祷，
不要温顺地进入温柔的梦乡。
狂怒，狂怒，在光线消失之际。
Dylan Thomas，20世纪最有影响力的诗人之一，写此篇来纪念他的父亲之死。选摘的这首诗（全诗共有19行）只有两个押韵。
菲利蒲•拉金(1922-1985)
他们搞乱了你，你老爸和老妈。
他们也许心不在焉，却确实做了。
他们以他们的过错灌输着你
额外为你增加几种。
可他们自己也被搞乱了
以他们特有的方式
由那些穿着老式的傻瓜
——
一半的时间装模作样，
另一半时间则换副腔调说话。
人和人传递着不幸。
如同海边的暗礁愈陷愈深。
还是想法趁早脱身吧，
不要再生下自己的小孩。
有人说现代诗毫无生机！毋庸质疑，根据Wikipedia，拉金的最著名诗，“它出现的几率超过1000张网页。它经常被模仿。在英国电视观众的投票选举中，它被评为前100首诗之一。”总之是值得纪念的。
趣事：拉金死后他的声誉逐渐失去光泽。他的自传显示他曾经沉迷于色情文学和种族偏见。