Enjoyment-themed poems celebrate the simple pleasures and joyful moments of life. They revel in the exhilaration of a beautiful moment, the satisfaction of a well-spent day, or the delight in a cherished hobby.
The poet uses vibrant, lively language and sensory-rich imagery to convey the rapture of living fully in the moment. These poems, filled with exuberance and light-heartedness, invite the reader to savor the beauty of the world around them, to revel in life’s pleasures, and to cultivate a sense of enjoyment in their daily lives.
‘Laughing Song’ from Blake’s collection ‘Songs of Innocence’ celebrates the innocent and pure joy found among nature and children.
The poem celebrates the sheer enjoyment of existence as everyone enjoys singing in harmony while inviting the readers to join the delightful experience. It opens with the green woods laughing joyously, echoed by the bubbling laughter of the dimpling stream. As the air seems to join in merry banter, the scene comes alive with the laughter of the green hill, lively meadows, and the grasshopper, symbolizing nature's playfulness. The poem evokes an overwhelming enjoyment of life's simple pleasures, from the children's singing to laughing birds and the table spread with snacks.
‘Brilliance’ by Mark Doty describes a dying man who wants to control his own life. He eventually opens himself up to new experiences.
The dying man finds it comparatively easy to cut himself off from the joys of life that he feels he can no longer entertain. Although he thinks he is making the right decision, he confesses to his nurse, Maggie, that he misses his pets. Maggie takes a different approach: she encourages him to run up his credit card and get a bowl of goldfish to make the most of the time he has left. Although the dying man finds this concept difficult, he does eventually agree to let himself enjoy things while he still has time.
The ‘Ars Poetica’ is a 476-line didactic epistolary poem by the Roman poet Horace. This humorous, engaging verse teaches the wannabe poet how to write good stories and develop meaningful art.
While the 'Ars Poetica' by Horace may be a didactic poem (which most of us associate with a dull, rambling lesson on a topic), this poem is pure enjoyment. Horace is a skilled comic writer, and he knows how to write jokes for a broad audience and, I daresay, he can even get a good laugh out of the modern listener.
‘Apples’ by Gillian Clarke is a poem filled with lush sensory details that immerse you in the intimate beauty of an apple harvest.
Easily one of the more prominent emotions felt in the poem is enjoyment. All of Clarke's imagery seems directed at this one goal: to allow the reader a chance to relish in the visual, gustatory, and even tactile splendor of picking apples. The poet's diction and lush illustrations are successful in that aim, leaving you feeling vivified as if you too are absorbing the rich rewards of a hard day's work.
Wordsworth’s ‘The Tables Turned’ asks readers to quit books and rediscover the natural world’s beauty and wisdom.
'The Tables Turned' puts down books and anything believed to be learned from them, which includes happiness and enjoyment. At the poem's beginning, the speaker asks the reader to wipe that sad look off their face, referring to the look the books made them have. The speaker also mentions that when you read, the weight of your struggles double, inferring that nothing good can come from the books. Yet, simultaneously, the speaker shows the happiness in nature. The poem shows examples of nature's fantastic events and the beauty it brings, even saying it breathes happiness.
‘From Blossoms’ describes the simple joys of summer. It uses peaches to explore the vivid interconnectedness of the world.
In many ways, this poem is a highly relatable piece for readers. It is about the sheer joy of eating fresh fruit on a summer day. The speaker describes this experience in vivid detail, allowing readers to imagine it and connect it to their own memories. It is common for poems to tackle topics like grief or loneliness, but poems that celebrate enjoyment are equally important.
‘Sunday’ by Gillian Clarke was inspired by the poet’s personal experience of attempting to enjoy a Sunday morning but then being reminded of all the suffering that’s going on in the world.
The easy, enjoyable nature of the narrator's Sunday morning juxtaposes the grim reality of the world that they encounter in the news. The reader will, as the speaker has, find their own peace interrupted by the truth of the world.
Tennyson’s ‘The Lady of Shalott’ narrates the tale of the cursed Lady entrapped in a tower on the island of Shalott, who meets a tragic end.
The poem offers an enjoyable reading experience with its captivating narrative and engaging mythology. Tennyson's skillful use of language, consistent rhyme, rhythm, and meter enhances the poem's enjoyability, creating a fluid and immersive journey for readers. The mythical elements woven throughout the narrative add depth and intrigue, inviting readers to explore the enchanted world of Shalott. With its consistent rhythm and captivating storyline, the poem provides a delightful escape into a realm of fantasy and romance.
Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market,’ narrates the fantastical tale of Laura and Lizzie, delving into sin, redemption, and sisterhood.
This poem evokes readers' enjoyment with its engaging narrative featuring moments of tension, intriguing high points, heroic sacrifice and courage, and an eventual happy ending where good triumphs over evil. The fantastical elements add a layer of mystery, enhancing the intrigue, while the rhythmic lines and playful language enhance reading pleasure. Withal, Laura, and Lizzie's country's domestic life looks peaceful, content, and joyful, which gets restored. The poem ends with the sisters enjoying a blissful domestic life with children, leaving readers content and in good spirits with a happy resolution.
‘The Old Vicarage, Grantchester’ is a light poem about a homesick traveler sentimentally remembering his former home in the English town of Grantchester. The poem takes a gently satirical tone to its subject matter.
Some poems, either because of subject matter or form, may be difficult to enjoy, even if they ultimately prove rewarding. 'The Old Vicarage, Grantchester' is not one of those poems. The light, amusing character of the gentle satire the poet employs makes for an enjoyable read. The language Brooke uses is beautiful and thus enjoyable as well.
‘Counting Sheep White Blood Cells’ by Sujata Bhatt speaks of the joy one can find in mundane, everyday activities and how careful consideration of something doesn’t have to be exhausting or boring.
Rather than finding her task tedious, the lab technician finds enjoyment from her work. This serves as a reminder that joy can be found in the most unexpected places.
Dickinson’s ‘I’m Nobody! Who are you?’ celebrates the nobodies of society while criticizing the mainstream and mocking the somebodies.
The poem's mood is light-hearted as the speaker gleefully shows solidarity with nobodies and mocks the mainstream, i.e., somebodies. The speaker sounds giddy, enjoying the superiority and secret bond of nobodies telling the reader, 'Dont tell! they'd banish us - you know!.' The speaker uses witty jibes at somebodies, such as comparing their constant attention-seeking behavior to the meaningless croaking of a frog, to suggest the inherent irony of a society that values somebodies. It further ridicules society's ideal somebodies, calling them 'bogs' to satirically show the hollowness of what is valued.
‘The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants’ by Emily Dickinson personifies the mushroom and nature while depicting its mysterious and fleeting life.
This poem paints a natural world that is conscious, as if the ruling entity, nature, looks over all its elements and processes. It is enjoyable to read the mischiefs of the whimsical yet clever mushroom as it defies the rules of nature set likely for plants. The metaphors used to present the characteristics of the mushroom make the poem quite entertaining; for instance, to emphasize its elusive and mysterious nature, it is called an 'elf,' 'juggler,' and 'The Germ of Alibi,' while for its defiance of rules, it could be 'an Apostate' of nature.
‘The Question’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley tells of a dream where the speaker visits a fantastic forest of pristine, blooming flowers.
The speaker's enjoyable journey begins as he enters his dreamy imaginary realm, where winter has transformed into spring. In this dreamy world, the speaker witnesses the exquisite beauty of nature and enjoys the surreal sights, sounds, and scents surrounding him that inspire him to make a bouquet of magical flowers, symbolizing the process of artistic creation. Making this bouquet seems equally enjoyable as the speaker carefully arranges each flower and returns to reality as 'elate and gay.'
‘A Watery City’ engages with themes of friendship and journeying, significantly how they are affected by the passage of time.
Much of the poem is concerned with joy and this is shown through its lighthearted and playful tone. There is however, an undeniable sense of loss because, like all joyful moments, the narrator's visit must end and become a memory.
Well if I’d known how many bridges there were in that city
I’d have worried for your soul and I’d never have written
Hope the prose is flowing as effortlessly as the Lee if
I’d considered the sea. I hadn’t reckoned on reversible rivers.
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