15+ Poignant Forgiveness Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

Forgiveness, a profound and complex human experience, has been a perennial theme in poetry. Poets deftly navigate the intricacies of forgiveness, employing metaphors and nuanced language to explore the transformative power it holds.

Through their verses, they delve into the internal struggles, the emotional journey, and the cathartic release that forgiveness encompasses. These poems may illuminate the multifaceted dimensions of forgiveness, from the granting of absolution to the healing of personal wounds.

Poems about Forgiveness Visual Representation

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"> 91/100

Ceasefire

by Michael Longley

Michael Longley’s ‘Ceasefire’ is a unique and powerful retelling of a classical scene with immense modern significance.

Priam's willingness to go to Achilles and kiss his hands is one of the most moving scenes in The Iliad and Longley's version is every bit as impactful. The fact that a father could summon such immense powers of forgiveness is used by the poet to reflect on his contemporary situation in Northern Ireland, when such levels of forgiveness would be needed once again. Longley uses this moment to show that even in the worst conflicts, reconciliation is possible if people are willing to seek it. His retelling makes the ancient story feel relevant, reminding readers that forgiveness, though painful, is sometimes the only path to peace.

Put in mind of his own father and moved to tears

Achilles took him by the hand and pushed the old king

Gently away, but Priam curled up at his feet and

Wept with him until their sadness filled the building.

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"> 80/100

November

by William Stafford

‘November’ by William Stafford is a heart-wrenching and important poem that was inspired by the WWII bombing of Hiroshima.

Forgiveness is a central theme in 'November.' The poem explores the transformative power of forgiveness, portraying it as an act that brings about personal and collective healing. The snowfall symbolizes the purity and cleansing nature of forgiveness in this poem.

From the sky in the form of snow

comes the great forgiveness.

Rain grown soft, the flakes descend

and rest; they nestle close, each one

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Batter my Heart (Holy Sonnet 14)

by John Donne

‘Batter my heart, three-person’d God’ responds to religious doubt with a passionate surrender to god’s aggressive but ecstatic will.

Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the speaker’s plea, as he acknowledges being “betrothed unto [God’s] enemy.” He implores God to sever his ties to sin, representing both a need for reconciliation and liberation. This reflects the central Christian theme of divine mercy as essential for spiritual renewal.

Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

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Getting Back Together

Mistakes

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Shakespearean Sonnet

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Sonnet 110

by William Shakespeare

‘Sonnet 110’ or ‘Alas, ’tis true I have gone here and there’ is about the speaker’s realization that he only wants the Fair Youth.

The center purpose of the sonnet is the speaker's earnest plea for forgiveness, imploring his lover to extend a welcoming embrace into their divine love. The poem intricately weaves a narrative of remorse and redemption as the speaker, acknowledging past mistakes, seeks reconciliation. The speaker's apology not only includes regret but also a renewed spark of respect and love for the addressee. With lines like, 'A god in love, to whom I am confin'd' the poem portrays forgiveness as an act of divine acceptance.

Alas! 'tis true, I have gone here and there,

And made my self a motley to the view,

Gored mine own thoughts, sold cheap what is most dear,

Made old offences of affections new;

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VII (My Parents…)

by Stephen Spender

‘My Parents’ by Stephen Spender is a poem based on bullying and the desire to make friends.

This topic of forgiveness is depicted in the poem as the speaker wants to forgive the rough children even when they are aggressive toward him. This unsatisfied desire for forgiveness shows that the speaker's emotions are rather conflicted and the process of moving beyond the pain is not easy.

My parents kept me from children who were rough

Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes

Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street

And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams.

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Part I: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a lyrical ballad narrated by an old sailor about a mysterious sea journey.

Forgiveness is important in 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. After suffering for his actions, the Mariner finally finds relief when he realizes the beauty of nature and prays. The albatross then falls from his neck, symbolizing his chance for redemption. However, he is never fully freed and must continue telling his story, showing that true forgiveness comes with understanding, but past mistakes always leave a lasting impact.

He holds him with his glittering eye—

The Wedding-Guest stood still,

And listens like a three years' child:

The Mariner hath his will.

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Rabbi Ben Ezra

by Robert Browning

In ‘Rabbi Ben Ezra’ by Robert Browning, aging wisdom urges surrender to divine plan, embracing life’s imperfections for spiritual refinement.

'Rabbi Ben Ezra' navigates the topic of forgiveness through the protagonist's acceptance of life's imperfections and the necessity of moving beyond past grievances. Browning's poem suggests that forgiveness is essential for personal growth and spiritual enlightenment. Through the protagonist's reflections, the poem highlights the liberating power of forgiveness in freeing oneself from bitterness and embracing a more meaningful existence.

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

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Have You Earned Your Tomorrow

by Edgar Guest

‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Guest presents a number of probing questions to a reader about how they spend their days.

While the word forgiveness is never used directly, the poem gently points toward it through its repeated questions. It asks the reader to consider if they left behind kindness or a scar of discontent, which opens the door to thinking about how we treat people and how we might need to forgive or be forgiven. It suggests that relationships and actions carry weight, and that seeking peace through kindness matters at the end of the day.

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?

Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?

This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;

Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

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Part II: The Rime of The Ancient Mariner

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

‘Part II: The Rime of The Ancient Mariner’ sees the Mariner’s regret in killing the albatross, triggering a curse of thirst and stagnation.

The mariner eventually finds some relief when he learns to respect nature and prays sincerely. This moment is the first step toward forgiveness. He still has to suffer and tell his story forever, but by recognizing his mistake and changing his heart, he is given a second chance. The poem teaches that while mistakes can lead to suffering, true repentance and change can bring peace.

The Sun now rose upon the right:

Out of the sea came he,

Still hid in mist, and on the left

Went down into the sea.

#10

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The Other

by Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes’ ‘The Other’ reflects on his bond with Sylvia Plath, exploring love, guilt, and their connection’s transformative power.

The poem quietly carries the idea of forgiveness — not directly, but in the way Hughes reflects on his actions. He doesn’t ask for it out loud, but everything he writes feels like he’s hoping to be forgiven for the emotional pain caused. It’s as if he’s finally ready to face the truth about what happened. The poem is full of reflection and a silent wish to make peace with what can’t be changed.

Still she had so much she made you feel

Your vacuum, which nature abhorred,

So you took your fill, for nature's sake.

Because her great luck made you feel unlucky

#11

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All My Pretty Ones

by Anne Sexton

In ‘All My Pretty Ones,’ Sexton weaves familial history, loss, and forgiveness into vivid tapestries, exploring complexities with haunting imagery and deep emotion.

The poem tackles forgiveness through the speaker's introspective journey. Confronting parental flaws and mortality, the speaker grapples with forgiveness. The act of acknowledging imperfections, coupled with understanding, forms the basis for the speaker's eventual acceptance and forgiveness. Through this emotional process, the poem explores the power of forgiveness in healing familial wounds and finding closure.

Father, this year’s jinx rides us apart

where you followed our mother to her cold slumber;

a second shock boiling its stone to your heart,

leaving me here to shuffle and disencumber

#12

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Mothers and Daughters

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A Sunday Morning Tragedy

by Thomas Hardy

‘A Sunday Morning Tragedy’ reveals a tragic attempt to avert shame, ending in the daughter’s death and the mother’s deep remorse.

Forgiveness is not clearly spoken in the poem, but it lingers in the silence between the mother and daughter. The daughter never blames her mother, even as she feels her life slipping away. The mother, in turn, cannot forgive herself. The lover seeks to make things right but arrives too late. The absence of forgiveness, along with the longing for it, gives the final stanzas a sense of lasting sorrow that cannot be resolved.

I bore a daughter flower-fair,

In Pydel Vale, alas for me;

I joyed to mother one so rare,

But dead and gone I now would be.

#13

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Words of Absolution

by Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Words of Absolution’ delves into sin, faith, and moral introspection within Catholicism in a contemplative dialogue.

This poem portrays forgiveness as a central theme within the context of Catholicism. The poem suggests that forgiveness is attainable through the sacrament of confession and sincere repentance. It emphasizes the weight of guilt and the desire for absolution, depicting the act of confession as a means to seek forgiveness and spiritual cleansing. The poem conveys the idea that faith offers a path to reconciliation and forgiveness for one's transgressions.

She clings to life by a rosary,

ninety years old. Who made you?

God made me. Pearl died a bairn

and him blacklisted. Listen

#14

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Dereliction

by Chinua Achebe

‘Dereliction’ by Chinua Achebe is an ambiguous poem in which three speakers elaborate on the action of, a probable consequence of, and probable pardon for, failing to fulfil one’s duties.

Although indirectly, and even though they do not expect it, the second narrator asks for forgiveness in stanza two. In stanza three, depending on interpretation, the spirit-being responds with unexpected forgiveness.

I quit the carved stool

in my father’s hut to the swelling

chant of saber-tooth termites

raising in the pith of its wood

#15

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The Little Boy Found

by William Blake

‘The Little Boy Found’ by William Blake portrays divine compassion as God guides and reunites a lost child, offering solace.

'The Little Boy Found' touches on forgiveness through the divine intervention for the lost child. God's compassionate response and guidance suggest a forgiving nature. The poem subtly explores themes of redemption, portraying a benevolent force that forgives and comforts, offering solace in the face of vulnerability and distress and fostering a sense of emotional healing and reconciliation.

The little boy lost in the lonely fen,

Led by the wandering light,

Began to cry, but God, ever nigh,

Appeared like his father, in white.

Home » Collection » Poems about Forgiveness

15+ Poignant Forgiveness Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

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15+ Poignant Forgiveness Poems

(15 to start, 30+ to explore)

by Michael Longley

by William Stafford

by John Donne

by William Shakespeare

by Stephen Spender

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

by Robert Browning

by Edgar Guest

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

by Ted Hughes

by Anne Sexton

by Thomas Hardy

by Carol Ann Duffy

by Chinua Achebe

by William Blake

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