LibGuides: Introduction to Literature (Course Guide / Andy Skemp): Poetry Unit: Modern American Poetry

The Poetry of e.e. cummings

Poems by e.e. cummings

the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls
“the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls
are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds..."
Source: Poetry Foundation
l)a
"l(a" is a poem by E. E. Cummings. It is the first poem in his 1958 collection 95 Poems. "l(a" is arranged vertically in groups of one to five letters.
Source: Poetry Foundation
in Just
"in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious..."
Source: Poetry Foundation

Poems by Elizabeth Bishop, Frank O'Hara, and Marge Piercy

Poems by Elizabeth Bishop, Frank O'Hara, Marge Piercy, and Joy Harjo

Exchanging Hats - Elizabeth Bishop
"Unfunny uncles who insist
in trying on a lady's hat..."
Source: Poetry Foundation
Poem - Frank O-Hara
Lana Turner has collapsed!
I was trotting along and suddenly...
Barbie Doll - Marge Piercy
This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls...
Everybody Has a Heartache: A Blues - Joy Harjo
"In the United terminal in Chicago at five on a Friday afternoon
The sky is breaking with rain and wind and all the flights
Are delayed forever..."
Source: Poetry Foundation

The Poetry of Pat Mora

Poems by Pat Mora and Martin Espada

NOTE: Some of Pat Mora's poems as well as Martin Espada's poem link to the library database, Poetry & Short Story (EBSCO). When You click on the poem's link you will be asked to Login with Western ID. The poem can be accessed using the PDF Link in the upper left corner.

Elena - Pat Mora
"My Spanish isn't enough
I'd remember how I'd smile..."
Source: Poetry and Short Story Reference Center (EBSCO) PDF Link
Gentle Communion - Pat Mora
"Even the long-dead are willing to move..."
Source: Poetry and Short Story Reference Center (EBSCO) PDF Link
Mother's and Daughters - Pat Mora
"The arm-in-arm-mother-daughter-stroll
in villages and shopping malls..."
Source: Poetry and Short Story Reference Center (EBSCO) PDF Link
La Migra
"Let's play La Migra
I'll be the Border Patrol..."
Source: Canvas Page/Los Angeles Community College
Ode to Adobe
"Your blue mouth,
door of a thousand river-rolled stories,
opens.
Walls whisper..."
Source: Google Books
Litany at the Tomb of Frederick Douglass - Martin Espada
"This is the longitude and the latitude of the impossible;
This is the epicenter of the unthinkable..."
Source: Poetry and Short Story Reference Center (EBSCO) PDF Link

Poetry & Short Story Reference Source (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Full-text classic and contemporary poems, short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans and learning guides

Poetry Resources

Writing About Poetry - OWL Purdue
Writing about poetry can be one of the most demanding tasks that many students face in a literature class. Poetry, by its very nature, makes demands on a writer who attempts to analyze it that other forms of literature do not. So how can you write a clear, confident, well-supported essay about poetry? This handout offers answers to some common questions about writing about poetry.
Poetry Foundation: Poems and Poets
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience.
The Academy of American Poets
An extensive library of poetry and poetry resources. Founded in 1934 to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry— the producer of Poets.org, Poem-a-Day, National Poetry Month, and more.