These verses about longing transport readers to the realm of unfulfilled desires and yearnings. They paint intricate pictures of the soul’s unrest, the hunger for connection, or the nostalgia for a long-time time.
Poets use metaphors and vivid descriptions to evoke the profound emotions of longing, creating a tapestry of unrequited love, unattained dreams, or distant lands calling. Such poems often explore the complexities of human emotions, leaving readers with both melancholy and hope.
‘I had been hungry, all the Years’ by Emily Dickinson comes to the ironic realization that a fulfilled desire can be disappointing and anticlimactic rather than satisfying.
At the center of the poem is a powerful sense of longing, which probably explains why Dickinson chose hunger as a metaphor. Nothing quite communicates a dire or ravenous need than stomach pangs or the involuntary salivation incited by the sight of food. Yet the very reasons this imagery is so powerfully visceral is also what makes the poem's message doubly ironic and tragic. Affirming as it does that there's no satisfaction to be found even when one's longing is seemingly answered.
‘Gacela of Unforseen Love’ explores the relationship between love and despair through a remembered romance which has run its course.
If there was one word to encompass Lorca's poetic output, it might be this one. Desire, especially unfulfilled desire and longing forms a crucial part of Lorca's portfolio and this poem in particular.
‘Confluents’ by Christina Rossetti is a moving poem that uses figurative language to demonstrate the poet’s dedication to a specific person she loves.
Longing is an obvious topic in this poem that's seen throughout all the stanzas. The speaker wants nothing more than to be with the person she loves. She desires it with an overwhelming intensity that is like nothing else in her life. This longing is so strong that she can only compare it to images in nature, like a rose opening for the sun and a river rushing towards the ocean.
‘Lot’s Wife’ acknowledges the biblical figure’s famous look back as an all-too-human inability to relinquish the past despite the peril.
Akhmatova's poem perceives the reason behind the decision to look back at Sodom—not as a matter of human frailty or arrogance—but of emotional connection. The internal monologue in the first and second stanzas reveals the wife's thoughts to be drawn to the beauty and memories associated with the city. Her reluctance to let go of the past spurs a risky turn backward that illustrates just how impervious human desire is to caution, no matter how lucid or persuasive the warning. Lot's wife longed for a chance to see her home one last time, an act she knew might end her life, and yet the single glance was worth the risk.
‘Tonight I Can Write’ by Pablo Neruda explores love’s transient nature and enduring impact, capturing poignant emotions felt after a breakup.
The poem is written while dealing with intense emotions of yearning. The speaker's longing for his ex-lover winds through as he grapples with overwhelming pain and sadness in her absence. Lines such as, 'My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her,' aptly convey the deep sense of incompleteness and an intense longing for the lost love. The poem excellently captures the universal human experience of longing for what was, contemplating what might have been, and delving into the challenge of releasing the grip of memories and finally letting go.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'
‘An Ancient Gesture’ explores timeless sorrow through parallels between modern tears and those of mythic figures Penelope and Ulysses.
The poem addresses the topic of longing through Penelope's heartfelt yearning and sorrow for Ulysses' return. Her tears and weary efforts reflect the depth of her emotional attachment and desire for reunion. The imagery of weaving and unweaving symbolizes the cyclical nature of her longing, as she persists in her wait despite the passage of time, evoking a sense of profound yearning and longing for connection.
I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron:
Penelope did this too.
And more than once: you can't keep weaving all day
‘The Anactoria Poem’ is a widely read love poem in which Sappho uses the story of Helen of Troy to speak on the nature of beauty.
The speaker's longing for Anactoria to return is impossible to ignore and is the most dominant feeling evoked by the poem. The reasons for Anactoria's absence are unclear but Sappho seems to suggest that it was Anactoria's choice to leave. Ultimately, the poem implies that Anactoria is unlikely to return, but that fact does little to stem the feelings of longing.
Some say thronging cavalry, some say foot soldiers,
others call a fleet the most beautiful of
sights the dark earth offers, but I say it's what-
Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market,’ narrates the fantastical tale of Laura and Lizzie, delving into sin, redemption, and sisterhood.
Goblins sell an unsatiable, restless desire through fruits. After eating the fruits once, Laura can never get them again, and her desire for them keeps increasing, making her long for them more and more. Her intense longing for the goblins' cries and fruits became all-consuming as she couldn't even sleep or eat but be in her painful 'passionate yearning.' It impacted her physical and mental health as 'with sunk eyes and faded mouth' she saw a mirage, dreaming 'of melons, as a traveller sees / False waves in desert drouth.' The unfulfilled longing became so painful 'As if her heart would break,' and she existed 'In sullen silence of exceeding pain,' knocking on death's door as the intense longing was consuming her very being.
‘In Possum Land’ yearns to leave behind the urban clamor in favor of the tranquil sanctuary afforded by a rural landscape.
A theme of longing permeates the poem, in which the speaker wistfully imagines their long-awaited return to Possum Land, reflective of an earnest desire for the tranquility it offers the weary. Lawson's diction and imagery develop their nostalgic tone, probing the implied shortcomings of their current life and the simplicity they crave and hope to replace it with. The use of "Ah!" in the final lines reinforces the depth of this emotional yearning, giving voice to it with an emphatic shout/sigh.
In ‘The Frog Prince’ by Stevie Smith, the principal subject of contemplation is a frog and everything that is linked with enchantment, satisfaction, and transformation into the subject of true happiness.
Longing in the poem is created through the speaker’s desire for change and to be freed from enchantment. The constant allusions to the kiss of a maiden and the concern with ‘‘royal times’’ indicate the immensely profound desire of the speaker for the resolution to his existential anxiety. This desire is prevalent throughout the poet’s tale and motivates the speaker to seek a better, heavenly life.
This poem is like a message of hope, even when things seem unsure. It talks about meeting someone special someday, maybe far away, maybe close by.
Longing is addressed through the speaker’s ultimate desire for a connection with someone special. The speaker talks about wanting to see this person's face and hear their voice, but they are yet to do so. This longing creates a sense of yearning and anticipation throughout the poem. It is a desire that drives the speaker's hope for a future reunion.
‘A Hymn to God the Father’ by John Donne is the speaker’s prayer to God that he be forgiven for all his wretched sins.
‘A Hymn to God the Father’ poignantly addresses the topic of longing. The speaker's words convey a profound yearning for forgiveness, redemption, and a closer relationship with God. Lines such as "Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run / And do run still, though still I do deplore?" depict an unfulfilled longing for absolution. The repetition of the phrase "Wilt Thou forgive" intensifies the sense of longing, emphasizing the speaker's desperate desire for divine mercy. The poem explores the depths of longing, capturing the ache and longing for spiritual solace, highlighting the universal human longing for spiritual fulfillment and connection with a higher power.
‘An Unknown Girl’ by Moniza Alvi depicts the poet’s intense connection with her native culture through an unknown girl in an Indian bazaar.
The speaker relentlessly longs for a deeper connection to her cultural heritage. Clinging to the hennaed peacock, symbolizing India's national bird, is a potent reminder of the speaker's desire to belong to a culture she only temporarily inhabits. Her imagined gesture of leaning across a country with hands outstretched symbolizes her longing to bridge the gap between herself and her native culture. The last lines - 'Longing for the unknown girl / In the neon bazaar' encapsulate the speaker's longing.
Ros Barber’s ‘Material’ stitches a nostalgic mourning of the shift from hankies to tissues, blending personal grief and societal critique.
The speaker deeply yearns for the past, lamenting, 'I miss material handkerchiefs, / their soft and hidden history,' longing for the warmth of a bygone era and her mother. Missing the childhood home-baked cookies, she regrets yielding to store-bought cookies, which gradually eroded the old tradition she yearns for. The longing for material things represents the underlying sorrow of the poet's mother's death, as she is essentially longing for the time spent with her mother and the warmth, care, and love she bestowed upon her. Additionally, the poem's depiction of a bygone era evokes longing among readers for the simple old times.
Walcott’s ‘A Far Cry from Africa’ explores postcolonial identities, encapsulating the struggle between African roots and colonial influence.
Derek Walcott's poem addresses the topic of longing through its exploration of cultural heritage and the complexities of identity. The poem evokes a deep sense of yearning for connection and belonging. Walcott portrays the speaker's internal struggle, torn between African roots and European influences, as a reflection of the longing for a sense of place and identity. The vivid imagery and emotional language used throughout the poem convey the ache for a lost or distant homeland. 'A Far Cry from Africa' captures the universal human longing for a connection to one's roots, inviting readers to contemplate their own desires for a sense of belonging and fulfillment.
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