15+ Must-Read Poems about Confusion

Stein's 'A Plate' embodies a perplexing, fragmented maze presenting the mind's raw ephemeral thoughts through unconventional syntax and language. Meaning slips through fingers like water amid deranging noun-based vocabulary without referents. Contextualizing abstract sentences becomes an exercise in futility, leaving readers adrift in a sea of confusion. Stein's intentional derangement of language erects barriers to understanding, inviting frustration as readers strain to discern the poet's intentions. In this perplexing maze, comprehension seems like a distant mirage teasing with the promise of revelation just beyond reach.

A PLATE.

An occasion for a plate, an occasional resource is in buying and how soon does washing enable a selection of the same thing neater. If the party is small a clever song is in order.

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"> 85/100

Half-Past Two

by U. A. Fanthorpe

‘Half-Past Two’ utilizes childish vernacular and mismatched capitalization to reflect the stress of a young boy, who in the past was punished for “Something Very Wrong.”

This poem revolves around a child’s confusion with understanding what half past two actually means. He is well aware of all the important things that he gets to do in his day-to-day life. However, his teacher did not teach him how to read the clock or what it tries to showcase.

Once upon a schooltime

He did Something Very Wrong

(I forget what it was).

And She said he’d done

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African Culture, Life Struggles

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Free Verse

"> 82/100

A Far Cry from Africa

by Derek Walcott

Walcott’s ‘A Far Cry from Africa’ explores postcolonial identities, encapsulating the struggle between African roots and colonial influence.

Confusion permeates the speaker's ambiguous existence as he grapples with his dual identities, torn between African heritage and European influences, navigating the complexities of colonialism. The poem presents conflicting ideas and shifting perspectives, evoking a sense of disorientation mirroring the conflict of postcolonial identities. The speaker's confusion stems from the struggle to reconcile conflicting loyalties, confronting the violence of colonialism while grappling with personal connections to European culture, reflecting a broader existential angst and postcolonial struggle of identity and history.

A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt

Of Africa. Kikuyu, quick as flies,

Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.

Corpses are scattered through a paradise.

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"> 81/100

The Layers

by Stanley Kunitz

‘The Layers’ by Kunitz explores acceptance and growth through life’s changes, employing striking imagery to reflect on personal evolution.

Confusion is generated by the poem’s focus on the conflict that the speaker has between the person he used to be and the person he is now. The “darkest night” and “wreckage” represent a state of confusion and being lost as to the direction that needs to be taken. The “nimbus-clouded voice” only serves to further muddy the waters as the speaker tries to sort out what it is saying and how it relates to the speaker’s ongoing change.

I have walked through many lives,

some of them my own,

and I am not who I was,

though some principle of being

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"> 80/100

Christabel

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Coleridge’s ‘Christabel’ is an uncompleted long narrative that tells the story of Christabel and Geraldine, featuring supernatural elements.

Confusion reigns supreme in 'Christabel,' enveloping both the protagonist and the reader. The perplexing circumstances of Geraldine’s appearance, her cryptic behavior, and the spellbinding effects she casts on Christabel create a tapestry of bewilderment. Coleridge manipulates narrative clarity to evoke a dreamlike state where reality blurs and nothing is as it seems. This masterful depiction of confusion not only heightens the poem’s gothic atmosphere but also immerses the reader in Christabel’s own disorientation and vulnerability.

'Tis the middle of night by the castle clock,

And the owls have awakened the crowing cock;

Tu—whit! Tu—whoo!

And hark, again! the crowing cock,

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"> 80/100

Matins (Forgive Me If I Say I Love You)

by Louise Glück

‘Matins (Forgive Me If I Say I Love You)’ is a well thought out piece about someone who is eager to love but has not been given anything to work with.

Confusion is one the emotions evoked by the poem; this is because the speaker in Louise Glück's ‘Matins (Forgive Me if I Say I Love You)’ is left in the dark by the one being addressed, so the feelings aren't clear. It is as if she is speaking into a void. The person she is talking to could well be either of two extremes since all is hidden. The piece evokes this emotion quite well.

Forgive me if I say I love you: the powerful

are always lied to since the weak are always

driven by panic. I cannot love

what I can’t conceive, and you disclose

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Nationality: American

Emotion:

Confusion

Topics: Art, Islands, Sea, Wind

"> 80/100

The Idea of Order at Key West

by Wallace Stevens

‘The Idea of Order at Key West’ by Wallace Stevens describes the tension between an interior and exterior life and the role of artist.

This poem can evoke confusion due to its intricate exploration of abstract concepts like art, the nature of reality, and human perception. Wallace's complex language may challenge readers to grasp the poem's deeper meanings. The interplay between the woman's song and the surrounding natural world can be enigmatic, requiring careful attention for comprehension. Navigating through the confusion can lead to a more profound understanding of the poem's complex thematics, enriching the reading experience by inviting readers to engage deeply.

The maker's rage to order words of the sea,

Words of the fragrant portals, dimly-starred,

And of ourselves and of our origins,

In ghostlier demarcations, keener sounds.

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"> 79/100

A Hope Carol

by Christina Rossetti

‘A Hope Carol’ describes a liminal space in which a speaker is existing and the elements which inspire her to hope for the future.

The poem raises confusion through the use of the ambiguous realm between day and night and the search for spiritual insight. This is because the time and manner of the desired revelation that the speaker seeks are not well defined and this makes the speaker feel that they are in a state of spiritual confusion.

Below the stars, beyond the moon,

Between the night and day,

I heard a rising falling tune

Calling me:

#10

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"> 78/100

On Her Loving Two Equally

by Aphra Behn

‘On Her Loving Two Equally’ by Aphra Behn is a portrayal of a woman’s heart torn between two lovers, clearly illustrating the agony and indecision that accompany such deep, conflicting emotions.

The speaker experiences confusion as she is torn between her equal love for two individuals. This emotional turmoil is portrayed through her struggle to understand and articulate her feelings, reflecting the internal conflict of being in love with two people at the same time.

How strongly does my Passion flow,

Divided equally ’twixt two?

Damon had ne’er subdued my heart,

Had not Alexis took his part;

#11

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Loving Someone You Can't Have

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"> 78/100

Tears, Idle Tears

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

‘Tears, Idle Tears’ is an emotional exploration of time, life, and death, told through the eyes of a court maiden and filled with vivid imagery.

The speaker’s declaration, “I know not what they mean” uncovers the uncertainty of the source of the tears. This is because the source of such great grief and the nature of emotions associated with memories are not quite clear.

Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,

Tears from the depth of some divine despair

Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,

In looking on the happy autumn-fields,

#12

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"> 78/100

Tender Buttons [A Red Stamp]

by Gertrude Stein

‘A Red Stamp’ by Gertrude Stein is a poem that explores life’s routine, asking us to reflect on what truly matters.

The poem evokes confusion through its fragmented and abstract language. The lilies' actions, described in a seemingly disconnected manner, leave the reader questioning their significance. Phrases like "they need a catalogue" suggest a disorganized, almost random approach to meaning. This lack of clear structure leads to a sense of uncertainty, making the reader wonder what the poem is really trying to convey.

If lilies are lily white if they exhaust noise and distance and even dust,

#13

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"> 76/100

Jabberwocky

by Lewis Carroll

A nonsense poem filled with wordplay, ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll tells the story of the hero’s quest to slay the Jabberwock.

The poem embodies confusion through its nonsensical nature, making it difficult for readers to discern a clear meaning. The nonsense poem intentionally perplexes with unknown phrases like 'slithy toves' and 'vorpal sword' along with inventive neologisms. Puns and wordplay further add to the confusion. The poem's childish, fantastical narrative provides a whimsical backdrop disguising deeper meanings beneath the surface. Its interplay of confusion, whimsy, and inherent ambiguity of its language perplexes readers, making interpretation difficult.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

#14

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"> 76/100

Sonnet 129

by William Shakespeare

In ‘Sonnet 129,’ William Shakespeare describes the nature of lust and its effect on an individual’s mind and spirit.

Lust leads to a state of utter inner chaos and confusion. It befuddles the mind and hinders it to think straight.

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Is lust in action: and till action, lust

Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,

#15

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"> 76/100

The Telephone Call

by Fleur Adcock

Adcock’s ‘The Telephone Call’ humorously navigates the illusion of luck, emphasizing life’s experiences over material wealth.

The poem generates confusion as the speaker is faced with the fact that the lottery win is a ruse. At first, the speaker feels the joy of the supposed prize that he or she has won on the phone, but when the caller starts explaining that there is no money, only an “experience,” the speaker becomes more confused, which is a good example of the state of confusion that comes with being deceived.

They asked me 'Are you sitting down?

Right? This is Universal Lotteries,'

they said. 'You've won the top prize,

the Ultra-super Global Special.

15+ Must-Read Poems about Confusion

(15 to start, 300+ to explore)

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15+ Must-Read Poems about Confusion

(15 to start, 300+ to explore)

by James Merrill

by Gertrude Stein

by U. A. Fanthorpe

by Derek Walcott

by Stanley Kunitz

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

by Louise Glück

by Wallace Stevens

by Christina Rossetti

by Aphra Behn

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

by Gertrude Stein

by Lewis Carroll

by William Shakespeare

by Fleur Adcock

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