15+ Meaningful Empathy Poems

(15 to start, 300+ to explore)

Poems centered around empathy are deeply emotive and compassionate, capturing the profound connection between human beings.

They explore shared experiences and emotions, expressing a deep understanding of others’ joys, sorrows, fears, and hopes.

Through tender, heartfelt language and poignant imagery, the poet invites the reader into a shared emotional landscape, fostering a sense of shared humanity. These poems serve as a bridge between hearts, a reminder that we are not alone in our experiences, thereby nurturing the reader’s capacity for empathy.

Poems about Empathy Visual Representation

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Conductor

by Marilyn Nelson

‘Conductor’ by Marilyn Nelson offers the rousing introspections of a conductor on The Underground Railroad who asserts the necessity of replacing self-preservation with an instinctual selflessness.

An emotion inspired and expressed in the poem is empathy. In a lot of ways, the entire poem is a stirring justification for such proactive compassion. According to the speaker, there is no better way to imbue one's life with meaning than by helping others. A fear of the consequences, even when its death, should never stop a person from helping another.

When did my knees learn how to forecast rain,

and my hairbrush start yielding silver curls?

Of late, a short walk makes me short of breath,

and every day begins and ends with pain.

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The Blossom

by William Blake

‘The Blossom’ by William Blake illustrates that even the natural world is imbued with a range of emotions, as is seen through the robin, the blossom, and the sparrow.

Empathy is present in the speaker's attention to the contrasting emotions of the birds. The speaker doesn't just notice the birds but feels with them, whether it's sharing in the sparrow's merriness or acknowledging the robin's sorrow.

Merry, merry sparrow!

Under leaves so green

A happy blossom

Sees you, swift as arrow,

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Carpet-weavers, Morocco

by Carol Rumens

‘Carpet-weavers, Morocco’ is a challenging poem which explores issues such as child labour as well as examining the myriad origins of beauty.

Rumens encourages the reader to place themselves in the shoes of the children in the poem, even if the poem resists the obvious conclusions one might expect to draw from that experience.

The children are at the loom of another world.

Their braids are oiled and black, their dresses bright.

Their assorted heights would make a melodious chime.

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Long Distance II

by Tony Harrison

‘Long Distance II’ by Tony Harrison is an elegiac poem that describes a father’s way of grieving the death of his wife and his child’s reaction to his futile actions.

Right from the very beginning the speaker is empathetic to his father’s futile actions. At his heart, he is well aware of the fact that such actions indirectly give his father solace and relief from his grief. Sometimes his “blight of disbelief” might have disheartened his father but he stayed by his side throughout the process of grieving.

Though my mother was already two years dead

Dad kept her slippers warming by the gas,

put hot water bottles her side of the bed

and still went to renew her transport pass.

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Oh! Snatched Away in Beauty’s Bloom

by Lord Byron

‘Oh! Snatch’s Away in Beauty’s Bloom’ by Lord Byron is a beautiful poem about grief and the importance of expressing such emotions as a means of catharsis.

Byron's poem inspires a variety of powerful emotions, but none are as impactful as the level of empathy it manifests in the reader. It helps that the poem is written from the perspective of a speaker both in grief and seemingly defending the expression of it. The speaker's movingly wise understanding of their sorrow and its inability to change anything makes their pain all the more affecting, and it's hard not to sympathize.

Oh! snatched away in beauty’s bloom,

On thee shall press no ponderous tomb;

But on thy turf shall roses rear

Their leaves, the earliest of ' the year;

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The Death of the Hired Man

by Robert Frost

‘The Death of the Hired Man’ by Robert Frost delves into human relationships, compassion, and the passage of time through the interactions of its characters and the evocative imagery of a rural setting.

Empathy is the strong trait Mary radiates throughout the poem. From providing shelter to convincing Warren to be kind, Mary embodies empathy towards Silas in all the possible ways. She wants to support him despite knowing that he has become too weak to do any work.

Warren returned—too soon, it seemed to her,

Slipped to her side, caught up her hand and waited.

‘Warren,’ she questioned.

‘Dead,’ was all he answered.

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Any Human to Another

by Countee Cullen

‘Any Human to Another’ by Countee Cullen connects humans through the shared experience of sorrow, advocating empathy and compassion.

The idea of sharing others' sorrows and understanding them is central as this poem imagines deeply connected humanity supporting each other through empathy and compassion. It emphasizes the fundamental need for empathy by saying that the griefs of you and I 'Must intertwine' so that they are shared and one is not burdened with them alone. The metaphor of an arrow piercing another person's soul when one expresses their sorrows deftly conveys a deep empathic emotion, allowing understanding of others' pain. The use of 'must' implies that empathy is an intrinsic human element connected with our elemental humanness.

The ills I sorrow at

Not me alone

Like an arrow

Pierce to the marrow,

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On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book

by Charles Tennyson Turner

‘On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book’ muses over the inevitability of death and the importance of leaving behind a meaningful legacy.

One of the main emotions expressed by the poem is the empathy felt by the speaker toward the fly. It's even possible they're responsible for crushing the insect, which might explain the gushing anguish and adoration of their reflection. The realization that death comes for all also nurtures an empathetic understanding of other creatures.

Some hand, that never meant to do thee hurt,

Has crushed thee here between these pages pent;

But thou has left thine own fair monument,

Thy wings gleam out and tell me what thou wert:

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A Dead Rose

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘A Dead Rose’ mourns the short-lived nature of beauty, with vivid imagery and poignant emotions.

This poem evokes the emotion of empathy through its depiction of the rose's faded beauty. The vivid descriptions of the rose's transformation elicit a sense of understanding and shared experience. The reader is invited to empathize with the rose's loss of vibrancy and to contemplate the impermanent nature of life's beauty. This evokes a compassionate response and an emotional connection with the subject of the poem.

O Rose! who dares to name thee?

No longer roseate now, nor soft, nor sweet;

But pale, and hard, and dry, as stubble-wheat,—-

Kept seven years in a drawer—-thy titles shame thee.

#10

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I saw a man pursuing the horizon

by Stephen Crane

‘I saw a man pursuing the horizon’ by Stephen Crane is a short but incredibly moving poem about chasing impossibilities with multiple interpretations.

The emotions that Stephen Crane's poem inspires also might be different depending on how you interpret the poem's narrative. One of those is a sense of empathy toward the man who is observed chasing the horizon. Even though his quest (if taken literally) is impossible, his perseverance is still somewhat admirable. No one wants to be told their dreams are futile.

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;

Round and round they sped.

I was disturbed at this;

I accosted the man.

#11

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Lonesome Night

by Hermann Hesse

‘Lonesome Night’ by Hermann Hesse is a deeply melancholic poem that paints a portrait of overwhelming loneliness and despair.

Empathy is one of the more powerful emotions expressed and inspired by Hermann Hesse's poem. The speaker identifies with the lonely people they are observing and talking to, mainly because they themselves are plagued by similar isolation. The poem also stirs these feelings in the reader and elicits an empathy with those who toil through life hopelessly alone.

You brothers, who are mine,

Poor people, near and far,

Longing for every star,

Dream of relief from pain,

#12

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No Man Without Money

by Robert Herrick

‘No Man Without Money’ by Robert Herrick is a short poem that lucidly voices the belief that people only succeed because of chance and circumstance.

The poem both inspires and expresses empathy. On the one hand, the speaker recognizes that others need help to succeed. On the other, it advocates for a sense of humility in understanding that even when we accomplish something, we must remember that "favour and occasion" play a part in it. It is never just our own exceptionalism alone.

No man such rare parts hath, that he can swim,

If favour or occasion help not him.

#13

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First winter rain

by Matsuo Bashō

‘First winter rain’ by Matsuo Basho speaks about the related experiences between humans and animals in the form of a haiku poem.

Bashō's poem invites empathy, as it highlights the monkey's desire for protection in the rain. Through this observation, readers are encouraged to empathize not only with the monkey's plight but also to reflect on our shared vulnerabilities and the universal longing for safety and comfort.

First winter rain—

even the monkey

seems to want a raincoat.

#14

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Nocturne

by Stephen Spender

‘Nocturne’ perceives the pain, love, fear, and hate in the hearts of two parents desperate to keep their only child safe from harm.

Spender's poem urges empathy on behalf of the innocent and helpless, specifically children. Yet the opening stanzas also garner compassion toward the parents, who endure the distress of those who rely on them for stability, safety, and reassurance. The speaker also implies that it's only by empathizing with the "child's tears" that we can overcome the vicious cycle of fear and hate. This sentiment is beautifully encompassed in the third stanza when the parents reflect on those things "far worse" than their suffering.

Their six weeks-old daughter lies

In her cot, crying out the night. Their hearts

Are sprung like armies, waiting

To cross the gap to where her loneliness

#15

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Burnt Norton

by T.S. Eliot

‘Burnt Norton’ explores the philosophical concepts of time, spirituality, and transcendence, focusing on the human quest for higher meaning.

'Burnt Norton' presents hope of spiritual fulfillment for humanity despite the fragmentation and disillusionment of decayed modern times and the permanence of transient human life entrapped within temporal limitations; it evokes readers' empathy as it brings hope while meditating on such complex issues inviting readers to embark on or evaluate their respective spiritual journeys and joys.

Time present and time past

Are both perhaps present in time future,

And time future contained in time past.

If all time is eternally present

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15+ Meaningful Empathy Poems

(15 to start, 300+ to explore)

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15+ Meaningful Empathy Poems

(15 to start, 300+ to explore)

by Marilyn Nelson

by William Blake

by Carol Rumens

by Tony Harrison

by Lord Byron

by Robert Frost

by Countee Cullen

by Charles Tennyson Turner

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

by Stephen Crane

by Hermann Hesse

by Robert Herrick

by Matsuo Bashō

by Stephen Spender

by T.S. Eliot

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