Poems about worry often reflect on anxiety and uncertainty, delving into the human psyche’s struggles. These verses resonate with feelings of apprehension, exploring the complexities of concern and the quest for peace amidst life’s unpredictability.
In “Take me anywhere, anywhere;” by Hilda Doolittle, the poet-speaker addresses a lover, expressing the way in which she takes refuge in their affection.
In "Take me anywhere, anywhere;" while the speaker pleads with her lover, it's difficult not to worry about the sanity and health of the poet. She seems hopelessly devoted to her lover, willing to sacrifice herself just to be with her "other half." Paired with the somber, desperate tone of the piece, the ending is slightly unsettling.
‘Why did you come’ by Hilda Doolittle is about love, self-criticism, aging, and the human inability to control judgments and desires.
The speaker in "Why did you come" is ultimately worried about judgment, feeling emotions such as shame and guilt for her attraction to her visitor. She worries that "they," or the rest of the world will look down on her or ridicule her for developing feelings for a younger man, considering her old age.
‘Thinking Of A Friend At Night’ imagines, with a mixture of anxiety and hope, the current whereabouts of a friend fighting in World War One.
The one emotion that overpowers the speaker's longing is their worry. Across three of its five stanzas, they muse anxiously over their friend: are they alone enduring the elements of a dark forest, riding toward a remote castle where they'll be a solitary guest, or are they already dead? Every new scene escalates the speaker's growing fear that their friend is in peril. They ultimately confess that the only thing that could possibly bring them any peace is their friend's return.
In this evil year, autumn comes early… I walk by night in the field, alone, the rain clatters, The wind on my hat…And you? And you, my friend?
‘Worry About Money’ by Kathleen Raine follows a woman in a brief moment of her life as she attempts to figure our her next steps.
The poem's title is 'Worry About Money,' and that's precisely what the main character does. She has run out of finances and doesn't know what to do with her life now that she's broke. She has always wanted to give to others but is left with nothing.
Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market,’ narrates the fantastical tale of Laura and Lizzie, delving into sin, redemption, and sisterhood.
Lizzie always seems to be worried about Laura, who is comparatively more playful. While Lizzie practices caution, follows all the rules, never looks at the goblins, and covers her ears when they call, Laura gives in to her temptation and eats the goblins' fruits, unknowingly taking their curse, adding to her sister Lizzie's worries, who loves her deeply and always cares for her. Lizzie's concern for her sister grows once she realizes that Laura has taken the evil fruits' curse, fearing what might happen to her, thinking about Jeanie, who died after eating the fruits. She was so worried about her sister's suffering that she resolved to confront the goblins.
Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 14’ ‘Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck,’ prophesies the end of the fair youth’s truth and beauty if they don’t procreate.
The speaker's worry about the future of the addressee's truth and beauty runs throughout the poem. It indeed contributes to directing the speaker's efforts in convincing the addressee to reproduce so that their death will not be the doom and death of truth and beauty itself. It seems that this tension and the torment of the addressee's indecisiveness consume the speaker entirely, as they prioritize the addressee's eyes, beauty, and truth over the stars and significant events that might impact the world, striving to evoke responsibility and urgency in the addressee to act before time runs out.
Gunn’s ‘The Man with Night Sweats’ contrasts past vitality with present fragility, capturing the intimate pain of AIDS.
In the last three stanzas, the speaker stops recounting his past vitality and starts to describe his present sufferings. He worries that he has nobody to help him sail through his plight and “catch” himself instead in this downward glide.
‘Because I Liked You Better’ by A. E. Housman is a love poem that taps on the theme of unrequited love. Like his “A Shropshire Lad” poems, it also touches on the theme of death.
This poem elicits worry through the speaker's fear of emotional vulnerability and rejection. The promise to forget, coupled with the formal parting, underscores a concern for maintaining dignity and avoiding further pain. The imagined future encounter at the grave reflects anxiety about being truly forgotten and the lasting impact of unresolved emotions.
‘Close Shave’ explores the fragility of life by highlighting the myriad dangers that surround us every moment of our lives.
The man's physical demeanor suggests he is worried about something. The poem cleverly uses the sometimes nerve-wracking experience of getting one's hair cut to hide the far greater worries the man is experiencing. These are largely related to a fear for his own life.
‘I heard a Fly Buzz – when I died’ by Emily Dickinson is an unforgettable depiction of the moments before death. The speaker emphasizes the stillness of the room and the movements of a single fly.
The four stanzas of this poem inlcude the speaker's concerns for their future and death.
‘Storm Warnings’ by Adrienne Rich draws attention to the turbulence brewing, from the perspective of a worried resident.
Fear, worry, terror, and uncertainty are the emotions elicited by Adrienne Rich's ‘Storm Warnings.’ Worry is the major one here. The words used by the writer convey this emotion undoubtedly, and this is a plus. The uncertainty leads to worry and vice versa. The poem ranks high in this aspect because it evokes this emotion succinctly.
‘The Sleeper in the Valley’ by Arthur Rimbaud is a melancholic but beautiful poem that juxtaposes a lush landscape filled with color and light alongside a corpse that only appears to be resting.
An emotion that's felt throughout the poem is this feeling of worry that starts to develop with every hint at the soldier's fate. Although the speaker constantly describes them as sleeping, there are plenty of clues in their diction that imply a much more grim fate. These include descriptions that refer to the soldier as "pale" or compare them to a "sick child."
It is a green hollow where a stream gurgles,
Crazily catching silver rags of itself on the grasses;
In ‘The White Lilies’ by Louise Glück, a couple confronts love’s fragility amidst a garden, finding solace in fleeting moments and eternal connection.
The poem evokes the emotion of worry through the couple's apprehension about the fragility of their relationship and the uncertainty of the future. Their worry is palpable as they confront the possibility of loss and devastation. The imagery of the garden, with its beauty overshadowed by the fear of destruction, underscores their anxious anticipation of what may come.
‘Tutto Sciolto’ by James Joyce ruminates over the melancholic depths our lovelorn anxieties can sink us into.
At its core, the speaker of the poem finds this memory of their lover brings them more worry than solace. The source of this anxiety is the belief or fear that their love is one-sided. "If the sweet love she yielded with a sigh / Was never thine?" they ask. Joyce elegantly reveals the ways in which love can so quickly transform into heartache.
Spender’s ‘XVIII’ is a lyric showing how worry stops one from cherishing the good parts of life.
The poem, from beginning to end, shows what happens when one is slowly consumed by worrying thoughts. The speaker, due to the war, loses passion for writing. Gradually, even expressions of joy are cut out from his life. At the end, he is so worried by this war that he does not even notice anything fine, natural or good anymore. He remains hyper focused on the war at hand.
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