12 Must-Read Sister Poems

Poems about sisters celebrate the special bond shared between siblings. These verses can portray the unique relationship characterized by love, support, and shared memories.

Poets often depict sisters as companions and confidantes, emphasizing the understanding and connection they have with one another. These poems may delve into the joys and challenges of sisterhood, exploring the growth and evolution of the relationship over time.

Whether describing moments of laughter, shared experiences, or the comfort of having a constant presence in life, poems about sisters express the enduring and meaningful connection between siblings.

Poems about Sisters Visual Representation

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Theme:

Emotion:

Topics:

Fathers and Daughters

Form:

"> 40/100

The First Snowfall

by James Russell Lowell

‘The First Snowfall’ by James Russell Lowe is a deeply sad poem about the death of a child and what it’s like to consider that loss as time passes.

Mabel, the surviving child in this poem, has lost her sister. Although the poem is not written from a perspective, readers can assume a great deal about how painful this loss was.

The snow had begun in the gloaming,

And busily all the night

Had been heaping field and highway

With a silence deep and white.

PDF Guide

Doing it Wrong

by Carol Parsons

‘Doing it Wrong’ by Carol Parsons describes the relationship between a brother and sister and the building frustrations between the two.

PDF Guide

Got You

by Jackie Kay

‘Got You’ by Jackie Kay is an interesting poem about sibling jealousy and the strength of sisterhood. The speaker is a discouraged child who believes her sister is superior to her in every way.

You know I am the shy one really, don’t you,

PDF Guide

I Am Lonely

by George Eliot

‘I Am Lonely’ by George Eliot tells of a speaker’s dismay over the departure of a beloved younger sister that has left her “lame” and “lonely.”

The world is great: the birds all fly from me,

The stars are golden fruit upon a tree

All out of reach: my little sister went,

And I am lonely.

PDF Guide

My Mother

by Ellen Bryant Voigt

‘My Mother’ by Ellen Bryant Voigt explores a speaker’s understanding of her mother and how her mother considered her as she aged.

my mother my mother my mother she

could do anything so she did everything the world

was an unplowed field a dress to be hemmed a scraped knee it needed

a casserole it needed another alto in the choir her motto was apply yourself

PDF Guide

Night Sister

by Elizabeth Jennings

‘Night Sister’ celebrates nurses, blending their emotional depth with the stark realities of care through poignant verse.

How is it possible not to grow hard,

To build a shell around yourself when you

Have to watch so much pain, and hear it too?

PDF Guide

On the Death of Anne Brontë

by Charlotte Brontë

‘On the Death of Anne Brontë’ by Charlotte Brontë describes the poet’s grief over her beloved sister’s death and her relief that Anne’s suffering has ended.

There's little joy in life for me,

And little terror in the grave;

I 've lived the parting hour to see

Of one I would have died to save.

PDF Guide

Pork Pies

by Jackie Kay

‘Pork Pies’ by Jackie Kay is a unique poem about the kidnapping of a child by two other young children who may have also taken his life. It was likely inspired by real-life events.

‘No Sir,’ We said together. Pause ‘No Sir.’

PDF Guide

Sadie and Maud

by Gwendolyn Brooks

‘Sadie and Maud’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem about finding happiness, dealing with sexism, and society’s expectations. It features the stories of two sisters-Maud and Sadie who take different paths in life.

Maud went to college.

Sadie stayed at home.

Sadie scraped life

With a fine-tooth comb.

#10

PDF Guide

Sister Maude

by Christina Rossetti

Rossetti’s ‘Sister Maude’ explores deep betrayal within a family, where jealousy leads to a lover’s death and eternal condemnation.

Who told my mother of my shame,

Who told my father of my dear?

Oh who but Maude, my sister Maude,

Who lurked to spy and peer.

#11

PDF Guide

Supple Cord

by Naomi Shihab Nye

‘Supple Cord’ by Naomi Shihab Nye uses remarkably simple terms to express a similarly simple link between two siblings: a “cord.”

My brother, in his small white bed,

held one end.

I tugged the other

to signal I was still awake.

#12

PDF Guide

The Nightingale

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

‘The Nightingale’ reimagines the bird’s song, celebrating nature’s joy over melancholy in a reflective conversation.

No cloud, no relique of the sunken day

Distinguishes the West, no long thin slip

Of sullen light, no obscure trembling hues.

Come, we will rest on this old mossy bridge!

Home » Collection » Poems about Sisters

12 Must-Read Sister Poems

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links

12 Must-Read Sister Poems

by James Russell Lowell

Narrow Your Search

We Look Deep into Poetry

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links