Poems about life explore the many dimensions of existence, emotions, and the journey we travel from conception to death. They capture the essence of the human experience. They explore the deep issues of meaning, joy, sadness, and love as well as the complexity that affect how our lives are shaped. Poems about life frequently focus on how short our time is here and encourage us to enjoy the present and find meaning in the little things.
Poems about Life tell a profound journey of existence, encompassing a myriad of experiences, emotions, and discoveries. From the moment we take our first breath to the final beats of our hearts, life unfurls before us with unpredictable twists and turns. It is a tapestry woven with threads of joy and sorrow, triumphs and challenges. Life is an ever-changing landscape where we encounter moments of pure bliss and unrelenting storms.
Below are given the best 10 Poems about life.
Table of Contents
“The Road Not Taken” (Poem About Life)
Author: Robert Frost
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a renowned poem that reflects on the choices we make in life and the paths we choose to follow. It speaks to the significance of individual decisions and the potential impact they can have on our journey.
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.
Also, Read 104 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
“Still I Rise” (Poem about Life)
Author: Maya Angelou
“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou is a powerful and empowering poem that celebrates resilience, strength, and the indomitable spirit of the human soul. It speaks to the ability to overcome adversity, rise above challenges, and maintain one’s dignity and self-worth in the face of oppression and prejudice.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard?
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
“Invictus” (Poems about Life)
Author: William Ernest Henley
What is meant by “Invictus”?
“Invictus” means Unconquerable or Undefeated.
“Invictus” by William Ernest Henley is a renowned poem that reflects on the power of resilience, determination, and the unwavering human spirit. It speaks to the ability to maintain strength and inner fortitude even in the face of adversity and challenges.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
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“The Guest House” (Poems about Life)
Author: Rumi
“The Guest House” by Rumi is a profound poem that metaphorically describes life as a guest house, where various emotions and experiences arrive as unexpected visitors. It emphasizes the importance of embracing and accepting all aspects of our human experience, whether they bring joy or sorrow.
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
“If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking”
Author: Emily Dickinson
“If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking” by Emily Dickinson is a concise yet poignant poem that emphasizes the power of compassion and kindness in making a difference in the lives of others. It highlights the significance of small acts of empathy, whether it is comforting someone in distress, offering solace to grieving or providing support to those in need.
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
“The Summer Day” (Poems about Life)
Author: Mary Oliver
“The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver is a reflective and introspective poem that invites readers to contemplate the beauty and transience of life. It poses profound questions about the natural world, our place in it, and the importance of being present and attentive to the wonders around us. The poem encourages us to embrace the simplicity of existence, to appreciate the small moments of joy and connection, and to consider how we choose to live our lives.
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes?
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
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“Desiderata” (Poems about Life)
Author: Max Ehrmann
“Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann is a timeless poem that offers gentle guidance on how to navigate life with grace, integrity, and inner peace. It encourages individuals to live authentically, treating others with respect and kindness. The poem advises against comparing oneself to others and reminds readers to find contentment in their own accomplishments and aspirations.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
“The Journey”
Author: Mary Oliver
“The Journey” by Mary Oliver is a captivating poem that explores the courage and determination required to embark on one’s own path in life, despite the distractions and doubts that may surround us. It speaks to the importance of listening to our inner voice, even when others try to sway us from our chosen course.
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world, determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.
“Life is Fine” (Poems about Life)
Author: Langston Hughes
“Life is Fine” by Langston Hughes is a poem that acknowledges the struggles and challenges of life while expressing a resilient and optimistic outlook. The speaker initially finds themselves overwhelmed and even considers escaping life’s hardships, metaphorically represented by the river and the tall building.
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn’t,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn’t a-been so cold
I might’ve sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn’t a-been so high
I might’ve jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I’m still here livin’,
I guess I will live on.
I could’ve died for love—
But for livin’ I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry—
I’ll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
“The Road Not Taken”
Author: Robert Frost
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a renowned poem that explores the theme of choices and the paths we take in life. The speaker stands at a fork in the road and contemplates which path to follow. Although both paths appear equally appealing, the speaker decides to take the less traveled one, anticipating that it will make a significant impact on their life.
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.
Also, read 104 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES.
