Elizabeth Jennings

15+ Must-Read Elizabeth Jennings Poems

(15 to start, 40+ to explore)

Elizabeth Jennings was an English poet who won the Arts Council of Great Britain Prize for the best first book of poems for Poems in 1953. She was incredibly prolific and returned time and time again to themes of love, death, and religion. She is remembered today as a “traditionalist” known for her use of structure, meter, and rhyme.

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Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

#1

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A Chorus

‘A Chorus’ celebrates the myriad ways the divine manifests its presence in the world around us, whether through human interaction or nature.

Elizabeth Jennings characterizes God as a vital and omnipresent force that makes itself known through sensations, from the majestic sprawl of nature to the bittersweet spectrum of personal experience. The speaker doesn't explicitly identify this ethereal spirit as a specific deity—veiling them instead behind their role as the ultimate sustainer and creator of existence, a cosmic linchpin just as present in moments of vulnerability.

Over the surging tides and the mountain kingdoms,

Over the pastoral valleys and the meadows,

Over the cities with their factory darkness,

Over the lands where peace is still a power,

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A Mental Hospital Sitting-Room

‘In a Mental Hospital Sitting-Room’ depicts the languid solitude experienced by patients who’ve more hope for a distraction than a recovery.

With painful clarity, Elizabeth Jennings' poem recounts her time spent in mental hospitals as a bleak and lifeless period. Through her use of imagery, she reconstructs the scene, focusing on the isolated but collective suffering of the patients; her symbolism and use of figure language in turn elevate this dismal reality toward a sublime wretchedness. Framing the poem in the image of Maurice Utrillo's painted nun, the poet reveals herself to have a tragically accurate understanding of the very essence of such solitary misery. There is no lofty possibility of deliverance or martyred purpose, only the continued endurance of a never-ending agony.

Too many people cry, too many hide

And stare into themselves. I am afraid

There are no life-belts here on which to fasten.

#3

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Missing Someone

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Death of a Loved One

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Absence

‘Absence’ explores grief’s solitude, contrasting unchanged scenes with internal turmoil, capturing the stark reality of loss.

‘Absence’ is a good representation of Elizabeth Jenning's work. It reflects her characteristic style of introspective and emotional poetry, where she often explores themes of loss, personal experience, and the impact of external surroundings on internal states. Jenning's poetry frequently delves into the nuances of human emotions and relationships, and 'Absence' exemplifies her ability to capture the complexity of feeling through vivid imagery and careful observation. The poem’s focus on the contrast between the unchanged external world and the internal experience of grief aligns with Jennings' broader thematic concerns and stylistic tendencies.

I visited the place where we last met.

Nothing was changed, the gardens were well-tended,

The fountains sprayed their usual steady jet;

There was no sign that anything had ended

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A Way of Looking

‘A Way of Looking’ by Elizabeth Jennings explores the peculiar but often unnoticed ways our perception is guided by more than what is objectively observed.

This poem by Elizabeth Jennings is a beautiful example of the poet's traditional style and sublime pensiveness. One that makes use of imagery and figurative language to ruminate over the curious ways that people perceive the world around them. It is a timeless and moving poem that highlights some of the best qualities of her poetry.

It is the association after all

We seek, we would retrace our thoughts to find

The thought of which this landscape is the image,

Then pay the thought and not the landscape homage.

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The Annunciation

‘The Annunciation’ is a deeply thoughtful depiction of the moment Mary learned she’d carry the son of God.

Elizabeth Jennings was a British poet and devout Catholic. Born in 1926, she studied English at Oxford. Her poem 'The Annunciation' focuses on Mary's reaction to divine news. It highlights Mary's emotional struggle and the human impact of divine plans. Jennings' work often reflects her faith and personal challenges.

Nothing will ease the pain to come

Though now she sits in ecstasy

And lets it have its way with her.

The angel’s shadow in the room

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Letter From Assisi

In ‘Letter from Assisi,’ Jennings contrasts Assisi’s silence with her deep homesickness, finding loneliness instead of the peace she was promised.

While this poem does feature some themes that are common to Jennings' poetry - looking at emotions and the human condition, for example - overall, it is not a particularly good example of her poetry. Much of her poetry is written with regular meter and rhyming patterns, which is not the case here.

Here you will find peace, they said,

Here where silence is so wide you hear it,

Where every church you enter is a kind

Continuing of thought,

#7

A Requiem

‘A Requiem’ explores the paradox of funeral grief, questioning the sincerity of mourning rituals and personal emotions.

It is the ritual not the fact

That brings a held emotion to

Its breaking-point. This man I knew

Only a little, by his death

#8

A World Of Light

‘A World Of Light’ flips dark/light symbolism, exploring inner turmoil and peace through vivid imagery and introspective depth.

Yes when the dark withdrew I suffered light And saw the candles heave beneath the wax,

I watched the shadow of my old self dwindle

As softly on my recollection stole

A mood the senses could not touch or damage,

#9

About These Things

‘About These Things’ explores silence and fear, revealing the poet’s struggle with expressing deep, personal vulnerabilities.

About these things I always shall be dumb.

Some wear their silences as more than dress,

As more than skin deep. I bear mine like some

#10

Admonition

‘Admonition’ by Elizabeth Jennings describes how one should maintain control over their own life rather than designate their responsibilities to others.

Signing a paper puts off

Your responsibilities.

Trust rather your own distress

#11

Answers

‘Answers’ by Elizabeth Jennings describes how one speaker compartmentalizes the big questions and answers in life in the back of her mind.

I keep my answers small and keep them near;

Big questions bruised my mind but still I let

Small answers be a bulwark to my fear.

#12

At Noon

‘At Noon’ reflects on human insignificance and God’s omnipotence, yearning for peace in the eternal cycle of creation.

I stare straight through the words and find again

A world that has no need of me

#13

Chinese Art

‘Chinese Art’ by Jennings shows the growth from influenced views to appreciating art’s depth independently.

I came to your city, I walked the path you took

And imagine your loneliness in the days you spent without me

#14

Delay

‘Delay’ muses on love’s timing through starlight, capturing the beauty and tragedy of love that arrives too late or goes unseen.

Glitters up there my eyes may never see,

And so the time lag teases me with how

#15

Father to Son

‘Father to Son’ explores the rift and yearning for connection across a generation gap, revealing deep familial complexities.

I do not understand this child

Though we have lived together now

In the same house for years.

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