Poetry Classics

SparkNotes Poetry Classics is a one-stop guide to 16 of the greatest poets in the English language and their most significant poems -- some of the most remarkable masterpieces of Western literature.

Inside, you'll find thorough, insightful overviews of the context that informs the work of each poet. Every chapter also has summaries and analyses of major poems, from Keat's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" to Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and Whitman's "Song of Myself." In most cases, we've even included the poems for easy reference. Plus we explain important themes, motifs, and symbols. Poetry Classics gives you everything you need to understand these great writers and their verse.

In-depth coverage of major poets and their work



William Shakespeare's Sonnets
William Blake's "The Tyger"
Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death --"
Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land
And many more...

This guide also includes a comprehensive glossary of important terms and poetic movements. We even give you explanations and examples that help you fully understand how to use the terms and refer to the movements.