MAY SARTON

Pseudonym of Eleanore Marie Sarton, poet, novelist and memoirist.
May 3, 1912 (Wondelgem, Belgium) – July 16, 1995 (York, Maine)
Glass of water: A Poem that encapsulates the simple pleasures once denied to those of us who had to endure a vicious treatment regime for throat cancer.

WENDY COPE

Contemporary English poet.
July 21, 1945 (Kent, England) –
The uncertainty of the poet: She wrote the poem below in response to viewing a painting of the same name by surrealist artist Giorgio de Chirico.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

English poet, playwright, and actor.
April 26, 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England) – April 26, 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England)
A fairy Song: The poem “a fairy song, refers to a fairy that serves his fairy queen. He spreads the dew on the flower everywhere he crosses. He wanders many places to do this work like hills, pales and so on.
Sonnet 18: His sonnet 18 focuses on the loveliness of a friend or lover

SPIKE MILLIGAN

Terence Alan Milligan
He was a British-Irish comedian, writer, poet, playwright and actor.
April 16, 1918 (Ahmednagar, British India) – February 27, 2002 (Rye, East Sussex, England)
There Are Holes In The Sky
The ABC: It conjures up that magical scene of the schoolroom or playroom after dark, when everything comes to life.

SIEGFRIED SASSOON

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
He was an English poet, writer and soldier
September 8, 1886 (Matfield, Kent, England) – September 1, 1967 (Heytesbury Wiltshire, England)
Everyone Sang: The poem, then, is not about joy that the war is over but rather a temporary and spontaneous desire to sing as a way of keeping one’s spirits up during a time of death, warfare, and uncertainty.

MAYA ANGELOU

Marguerite Annie Johnson
American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist
April 4, 1928 (St. Louis, Missouri, US) – May 28, 2014 (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US)
Phenomenal Woman: It is a lyrical poem that sends out an important message to the world of convention and stereotype: empowerment comes from being confident in your own female skin, no matter if you are not seen as cute or fashionable by the masses.

ROALD DAHL

He was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot.
September 13, 1916 (Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales) – November 23, 1990 (Oxford, England)
The Three Little Pigs: ‘The Three Little Pigs’ by Roald Dahl retells the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs with a surprisingly dark conclusion.

EDWARD LEAR

He was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet
May 12, 1812 (Holloway, Middlesex, England) – January 29, 1888 (San Remo, Liguria, Italia)
The Owl and the Pussy Cat: The poem, in summary, tells of the love between the owl and the pussycat and their subsequent marriage.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING

She was an English poet of the Victorian era
March 6, 1806 (Kelloe, Durham, England) – June 29, 1861 (Florence, Italy)
Sonnet from the Portuguese: It is a collection of love sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. First published in 1850, these passionate poems focus on Browning’s affection for her husband, famed poet Robert Browning.

WYSTAN HUGH AUDEN

English-American poet.
February 21, 1907 (York, England) – September 29, 1973 (Viena, Austria)
Song: W.H. Auden’s poem “Song” is set in a city, and is seen from the point of view of a first person narrator describing his observations while going for a walk in the evening.

PABLO NERUDA

Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto.
He was a Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet diplomat and politician.
July 12, 1904 (Parral, Chile) – September 23, 1973 (Santiago, Chile)
Poetry: He isn’t very sure whether the poetic inspiration came to him through the elements of nature or such vital images in his mind

CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI

She was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional and children poems.
December 5, 1830 (London, England) – December 29, 1894 (London, England)
A birthday: Rossetti frequently refers to the Second Coming of Christ as the ultimate "birthday" in her work. Regardless of whom the "love" represents, the narrator feels extreme joy at his or her arrival

ANAIS NAIN

She was a French-Cuban American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica.
February 21, 1903 (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) – January 14, 1977 (Los Angeles, US)
Risk: If we do not chase our dreams that is a bigger risk then never trying. If we never try to blossom we will risk not knowing how good our life can be.

EDWIN MORGAN

Edwin George Morgan
He was a Scottish poet and translator who was associated with the Scottish Renaissance.
April 27, 1920 (Glasgow, UK) – August 17, 2010 (Glasgow, UK)
The Loch Ness Monster’s Song: 'The Loch Ness Monster's Song' is an example of a performance piece.

ROBERT FROST

Robert Lee Frost
He was an American poet.
March 26, 1874 (San Francisco, California, US) – January 29, 1963 (Boston, Massachusetts, UK)
The Road not taken: The Road Not Taken" is an ambiguous poem that allows the reader to think about choices in life, whether to go with the mainstream or go it alone. If life is a journey, this poem highlights those times in life when a decision has to be made. Which way will you go?

ALAN ALEXANDER MILNE

He was an English author, best known for his books about the Teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, and for various poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work. Milne served in both World Wars, joining the British Army in World War I, and was a captain of the British Home Guard in World War II.
January 18, 1882 (Kilburn, London, England) – January 31, 1956 (Hartfield, Sussex, England)
Wind On The Hill: ‘Wind On The Hill’ by A. A. Milne contains the thoughts of a child-like narrator who is chasing after his wildly blowing kite.

LANGSTON HUGHES

James Mercer Langston Hughes
He was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.
February 1, 1902 (Joplin, Missouri, US) – May 22, 1967 (New York, US)
Dreams: The poem uses two metaphors to explain how important it is to hold fast to one's dreams. In the absence of dreams, life becomes something unpleasant.

SHEENAGH PUGH

British poet, novelist and translator
December 20, 1950 (Birmingham, England) –
Sometimes: This is ultimately a poem about hope, and about feeling hopeful.

CLARKE MOORE

Clement Clarke Moore
She was a writer and American Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, as well as Divinity and Biblical Learning, at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in New York.
July 15, 1779 (New York, US) – July 10, 1863 (Newport, Rhode Island, US)
A Visit from St. Nicholas more commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. The poem has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American" and is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. It has had a massive impact on the history of Christmas gift-giving.

ALICE OSWALD

British poet
1966 (Reading, UK) –
Wedding: this poem talks about how love is constant and a reality. Although it comes in many forms and many different ways love cannot be changed and has existed since time immemorial. No matter where you are in the world, love is still the same thing, it is universal and is experienced by everyone in their lifetime.

EDWARD GUEST

Edgar Albert Guest
American poet.
August 20, 1881 (Birmingham, England) – August 5, 1959 (Detroit – Michigan)
Equipment: In this poem, Edgar A. Guest speaks to young people. He challenges them to look within and believe in themselves. He explains that God has given them all that they need to succeed.

JOANNA FUCHS

She is an American professional writer and poet. Sometimes she writes together with her husband, Karl. Joanna has been writing greeting-card-type poems since she was eight years old. Karl is a mechanical engineer.
January 2, 1932 (England) –
Life madness: Joanna Fuchs writes poems for a variety of topics. She hopes that poems serve to enhance relationships.

GABRIELA MISTRAL

Lucila Godoy Alcayaga
She was a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator and humanist.
April 7, 1889 (Vicuña, Chile) – January 10, 1957 (Hemsptead, New York, US)
The rat: Apparently it's a social critique. It has some revolutionary spirit, a metaphor for how small changes (the rat that scares the deer) can transform the world.
Give me your hand and we will dance: The main theme of this poem is love. Through elements of nature, the author tries to summon us to dance a "dance" that unites us in a fraternal way. Love is even understood as a sign of world peace and, ultimately, as the only thing that can save us.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

He was a Scottish novelist and travel writer
November 13, 1850 (Edinburgh, Scotland) – December 3, 1894 (Vailima, Samoa)
Bed in summer: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic poem about summer bedtime hours relates how children must go to bed while the sun is still up.