Poems about communication delve into silences and connections. They explore the power and complexities of verbal and nonverbal human expression. Such poems often reflect on the challenges of effectively conveying thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
They highlight the nuances of language, the subtleties of body language, and the significance of listening. Poems about communication can touch upon themes of miscommunication, longing for connection, the beauty of shared understanding, or the profound impact of dialogue.
‘Name Journeys’ explores the dissolution of identity faced by a speaker estranged from both their heritage and language.
At the center of the speaker's crisis of identity is an inability to communicate. Mundair’s imagery and figurative language both accentuate the fraught difficulty of navigating a new linguistic landscape, especially when you're forced to abandon the very language you grew up speaking. The second half of the poem is ironically filled with painfully precise images that envision the toil of learning to articulate "Mancunian vowels." Yet they're not the only ones who struggle, as even "English mouths" can't seem to learn the speaker's name. This leads to a sense of alienation within the "Anglo echo chamber," revealing communication to be not just the utterance or comprehension of words, but a fundamental means of expressing identity.
‘Rivers to the Sea’ by Sara Teasdale explores poetry’s turbulent impact, as the moon fails to calm strong emotions.
This poem addresses the topic of communication through the emotional impact of the poet's words. The poem conveys how the poet's verses stir intense emotions in the heart, illustrating the power of literature to convey profound feelings and provoke strong reactions. It indirectly explores the idea that art, specifically poetry, serves as a form of communication that can evoke deep emotional responses in the audience.
Michael Palmer’s ‘I Do Not’ explores the limitations imposed by a lack of English proficiency, highlighting the speaker’s isolation.
Michael Palmer's poem 'I Do Not' addresses the topic of communication through the speaker's struggle with language and the barriers it creates. The repetition of the phrase "I do not know English" emphasizes the limitations in expressing thoughts, desires, and experiences. The poem explores the frustration and isolation that arise from the inability to communicate effectively, highlighting the essential role of language in establishing connections and conveying meaning.
I do not know English.
I do not know English, and therefore I can have nothing to
say about this latest war, flowering through a night-
W.H. Auden’s ‘Night Mail,’ written for the UK postal service, presents its significance and dedication to fulfilling society’s needs.
The poem presents the vital role of communication in society and the postal service as its significant means. It shows the postal system enabling connection, cultural exchange, trade, and commerce through letters, underlining the significance of communication in people's lives and the fundamental human need for connection. Notably, it presents the postal system's broader societal relevance, portraying it as a crucial service facilitating communication in an increasingly modern world where people get geographically apart.
‘To E.T.’ processes the lingering grief and regret caused by a friend’s death via an expression of loving admiration.
The topic of communication in the poem revolves around the speaker’s desire to speak to their friend one last time. This unfinished conversation is a source of anguish for the speaker, who hoped to reach out through the "half-read" poems in a dream, only to be met with the sobering reality of mortality. Death has ultimately severed their ability to communicate, engage, or experience a mind and heart they once had the privilege to call their friend.
‘The Little Mute Boy’ by Federico García Lorca explores the extent to which one little boy will go to keep their voice from being manipulated by those who’ve ensnared it.
In the poem, the little boy loses their voice, which is essentially their ability to communicate. Yet rather than recovering it to use it they only want it back so they can transform it into a permanent silence. Their reason for this is the fear that whoever has taken it will turn it into something it's not.
‘Any Human to Another’ by Countee Cullen connects humans through the shared experience of sorrow, advocating empathy and compassion.
Communication is an underlying topic of this poem, as communication is essential to fully and deeply understand others. It states that no man should be proud enough to live in isolation or be allowed to have a tent alone in a meadow, meaning one should always communicate one's sorrows with others to foster human interconnectedness, empathy, and harmony through shared universal experiences. Thus, communication is the key to the poem's central idea of humans' interconnectedness through sorrows.
‘Disgrace’ by Carol Ann Duffy shows the slow collapse of a relationship, using simple details and a broken structure to reveal the growing distance and pain between two people.
One of the biggest problems in the poem is how badly they talk to each other—or more accurately, how they stop talking. At first, their words are described like dead flies, something lifeless and stuck. Later, they just wave and point, as if they’ve lost the ability to understand each other completely. The poem shows how poor communication can damage a relationship, especially when no one knows how to be honest or kind anymore.
‘Winter Stars’ by Larry Levis tries to reconcile the estranged relationship between a son and their dying father.
One of the poem's motifs is the severance and inability of its characters to communicate. It's this breakdown that leads to the estrangement between father and son, which is what the speaker hopes to repair (at least for themselves) in finally giving voice to their words.
My father once broke a man’s hand
Over the exhaust pipe of a John Deere tractor. The man,
‘Effort at Speech Between Two People’ by Muriel Rukeyser explores communication. The seven stanzas feature a conversation between two people struggling to get to know one another.
Communication is a central topic in the poem. The speakers try hard to talk to each other but often fail. They experience long pauses and fragmented speech. This shows how hard it is to express thoughts and emotions clearly. The poem highlights the challenges of truly understanding another person.
Speak to me. Take my hand. What are you now?
I will tell you all. I will conceal nothing.
When I was three, a little child read a story about a rabbit
In Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Syntax,’ surprising language of love lands like a lover’s warm touch and scribbles on your skin, right off the page. The Rumpus, in praise of Duffy’s poetry collection “Rapture” (2005) remarked so, that aptly applies to this poem.
The poem shows the importance of communication by reshaping familiar phrases to convey love in a fresh way. The speaker’s choice of words, like “thou” instead of “you,” shows a personal approach to saying “I love you.” This focus on finding unique expressions reveals that communication in love is about more than just words; it’s about making the other person feel truly valued and understood.
Adcock’s ‘The Telephone Call’ humorously navigates the illusion of luck, emphasizing life’s experiences over material wealth.
In the poem's narrative flow is the emphasis on communication between the voice and the scammer. In the poem, it is clear that the conversation with the caller deceptively shapes emotions and reality. Through conversation in her poem, Adcock uncovers the falsehoods of the scam and illustrates how authentic communication channels fail in dishonest situations.
In ‘Fall River,’ David Rivard explores the silent complexities of family bonds and the lasting impact of unspoken emotions.
'Fall River' addresses the theme of communication by depicting the challenges and limitations of expressing emotions and thoughts within familial relationships. The poem highlights the speaker's struggle to communicate with their father and the unspoken emotions that linger beneath the surface. It serves as a commentary on the complexities of effective communication and the impact of silence and unexpressed feelings on family dynamics.
When I wake now it’s below ocherous, saw-ridged
pine beams. Haze streaks all three windows. I look up
‘Say over again…’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning delves into the speaker’s need for constant reassurance of love from her partner.
At its core, the poem stresses the importance of verbal communication in maintaining love. The speaker equates silence with emotional distance and uses clear metaphors to argue that love must be said, not just felt. By repeating her request for those words, she shows how vital language can be in preserving closeness. The poem becomes a reminder that relationships need more than presence. They require honest, spoken words that reassure both people of their emotional bond.
Say over again, and yet once over again,
That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated
Should seem "a cuckoo-song," as thou dost treat it,
‘Night Song at Amalfi’ by Sara Teasdale weaves celestial silence and sea mystery, exploring love’s ineffable nature and expressive challenges.
This poem delves into the topic of communication by portraying the speaker's struggle to express love. The inquiries to the heavens and the sea reflect a search for meaningful channels. The contemplation of weeping or song underscores the challenge in conveying profound emotions. The poem delves into the complexities of communication in the realm of emotions, capturing the difficulty in articulating deep feelings.
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