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Explore poems about life that delve into its meaning and value, offering insights and reflections on its complexities and enduring themes.
- A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
- If— by Rudyard Kipling
- Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
- Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
- Leisure by W. H. Davies
- Opportunity by Berton Braley
- What Life Should Be by Pat A. Fleming
- What Is Our Life? by Sir Walter Raleigh
- The Builders by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This rhyming poem is the spark that can reignite the fires within you. It challenges you to go out and live your life in the present moment as a “hero” and leave your mark on this world. Act! Take Action! Be Active!
Life is made up of a succession of choices. This famous poem begins at a fork in a wooded path and ushers the reader along one “road” as a means of explaining that we must choose one way or another and not dilly-dally in life. No matter which way we go, we cannot foresee where it will take us, nor how the other would have turned out. We can do our ...
Life will challenge you – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This poem calls out for you to endure, keep going through, and rise above the adversity you will face. It inspires, it motivates, it provides an example to follow. It’s like a recipe for life – and it provides a most satisfying meal.
Deathis inevitable, and as this poem states (‘death’ being ‘dark’), it is right. But the author urges us not to yield to death too easily and to fight for life ‘til our last breath. It reminds us in a powerful and persuasive way that life is fleeting and we ought to make the most of the time we have on this planet.
This prose poem is like an instruction manual for life. It is hugely uplifting and affirms life as something to be journeyed through with integrityand compassion. It touches upon many areas of existence from our relationships and careers to ageing and our mental well-being. Truly, a deep and meaningful composition if ever there were one.
This short poem could not be more pertinent to the world of today if it tried. It counsels us to take the time to “stand and stare” or, in other words, to slow down and observe all the beauty that surrounds you. Don’t let the world rush by without notice; open your eyes and see – really see – it in all its glory. Make space in your life for this si...
You may ask yourself what the point of life is if all you do is repeat what others have done before you. This poem serves to remind us that the world never tires of creation and that you are a creator. It talks of great acts and great deeds, but also of love and romance and laughter and loyalty– things that every man or woman is capable of. Value w...
Stepping away from the famous and classic works, we find this gem of a poem by an amateur writer (just goes to show that anyone can create pieces of great meaning). Much like those more well-known poems above, it talks us through how we ought to try to live our lives. It’s simple, yet inspiring. Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/what-l...
This is the shortest poem on the list at just 10 lines, but it encapsulates how life should not be taken seriously. Instead, the author suggests that life is a comedy and that the earth is our stage. So what should we do? Act well. Make people laugh. Play our part in the world until the curtain falls and we depart this life.
We started with a poem by this author and so we shall end with another. Here, we are taught that life sits atop the building blocks of time and that our actions today give rise to our tomorrows. We are the architects and builders of our lives and if we want to attain our own version of success, we must put in the hard work and energy.
- 9 min
Whether poetry is a ‘criticism’ of life, poems about life itself – about the business of living, about what it means to live a full life, and about what ‘lived experience’ might be – abound. Here are ten of the greatest poems about life and living.
- Reedsy
- "Risk", by Anaïs Nin. And then the day came, when the risk. to remain tight. in a bud. was more painful. than the risk. it took. to blossom. A single sentence broken up into 8 small lines, Anaïs Nin’s “Risk” uses a flower as a metaphor, to remind us that there will come a day when the pain of complacency will exceed the pain of actually daring to make a change.
- "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", by Robert Frost. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep,
- “Hope is the thing with feathers", by Emily Dickinson. I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.
- "The Peace of Wild Things", by Wendell Berry. I come into the peace of wild things. who do not tax their lives with forethought. of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
- Pathways Unfold. In life’s journey, a path winds and bends, A story that twists, turns, and extends. Each step, a tale of dreams and fears, Years of laughter, joy, and tears.
- River of Time. Life flows like a river, steady and true, Through new and old, through the past and new. Its current strong, with moments swift, Adrift in time’s unceasing shift.
- Mountain Ascent. Life’s journey, an ascent of a mountain high, Sky-reaching peaks, under the open sky. Each step, an effort, a climb toward the peak, Seeking the summit, the answers we seek.
- Desert Crossing. Across life’s desert, vast and wide, We stride, under the sun’s scorching guide. A land of extremes, of heat and cold, Bold are the stories in this landscape told.
Rudyard Kipling's "If" is a timeless poem that explores the purpose of life through a series of conditional statements. The poem offers a set of guidelines for living a purposeful and meaningful life, emphasizing the importance of resilience, integrity, and self-empowerment.
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Enjoy our unique collection of deep and meaningful poems about life. Humans are the only creatures who cannot live without purpose. It is the thesis of the great psychoanalyst Viktor Frankl that man can endure any hardship as long as he can find meaning in the experience.
