8 Significant Parable Poems

Parable poems are narrative verses that convey moral or spiritual lessons through allegorical stories.

Similar to traditional parables in religious texts, these poems use symbolic characters and events to impart deeper truths or philosophical reflections.

Parable poems are crafted to resonate with readers on multiple levels, presenting an engaging narrative while inviting contemplation of the underlying message. They often address universal themes such as human nature, ethics, and the search for meaning.

Parable poems can evoke both intellectual and emotional responses, making them a powerful tool for conveying profound insights in an accessible and relatable manner.

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Mending Wall

by Robert Frost

‘Mending Wall’ by Robert Frost explores the nature of human relationships. The speaker suggests there are two types of people, those who want walls and those who don’t.

This poem serves as an interesting example of a parable about the complexities of human relationships and the perceived need for barriers or "walls" between people. It can be considered a parable in the sense that it teaches a lesson about the dual nature of human relationships, encapsulated in the act of building walls. The repeated annual ritual of mending the wall serves as a story within the poem that provides ethical or moral insight.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

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The Gout and the Spider

by Jean de La Fontaine

‘The Gout and The Spider’ by Jean de La Fontaine is a witty tale about life’s miseries, humorously portrayed through personified ailments.

The poem functions perfectly as a parable by using simple allegory to teach complex moral truths. The personification of gout and spider represents how different troubles affect various social classes. Through their experiences and eventual swap, La Fontaine illustrates that misfortunes affect people differently based on their circumstances - a sophisticated moral lesson about social inequality.

When Nature angrily turn'd out

Those plagues, the spider and the gout, -

'See you,' said she, 'those huts so meanly built,

These palaces so grand and richly gilt?

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The Parable of the Old Man and the Young

by Wilfred Owen

‘The Parable of the Old Man and the Young’ by Wilfred Owen is an unforgettable poem. In it, Owen uses the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Bible to describe World War I.

The poem belongs to a subgenre that adapts parables, stories designed to teach a moral lesson. Owen takes an ancient lesson about faith and obedience and repurposes it as a cautionary tale about the costs of arrogance and pride, giving new meaning to an old story.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son,

And half the seed of Europe, one by one.

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June (from “The Vision of Sir Launfal”)

by James Russell Lowell

‘June’ by James Russell Lowell is a religiously-charged romantic narrative poem about the overwhelming beauty and rejuvenating power of summer.

This poem is a parable narrative, though 'June,' as a standalone selection from 'The Vision of Sir Launfal,' doesn't quite fit that description. Instead, 'June' makes more sense as a celebratory song about the wonders of the summer season.

And what is so rare as a day in June?

Then, if ever, come perfect days;

Then Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune,

And over it softly her warm ear lays:

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Parable of the Dove

by Louise Glück

‘Parable of the Dove’ by Louise Glück tells the story of a dove’s transformation and how it loses its purity and sense of self.

The poem is a parable, which is a simple story with a moral or lesson. It uses the dove’s transformation to teach us about longing, loss, and the effects of change. The genre works well because it keeps the story relatable and reflective, encouraging readers to think about their own lives. By presenting the dove’s journey, the poem leaves us with a message about the costs of seeking something new.

A dove lived in a village.

When it opened its mouth

sweetness came out, sound

like a silver light around

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Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

by Dylan Thomas

‘Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night’ is Dylan Thomas’s most famous work, penned in response to his father’s death. This powerful poem urges resistance against the inevitable nature of death, encapsulating Thomas’s rich imagery and universal themes.

This poem can be considered a great example of a parable in the way that it speaks about death. It tells readers how important it is to fight against the inevitability of death, encouraging resistance rather than passive acceptance.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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The Conqueror Worm

by Edgar Allan Poe

‘The Conquering Worm’ is a poem of existential dread, presenting the reader with the idea that there is no one who can alleviate the suffering of human condition and that ultimately death will come for us and is completely unavoidable.

This poem is a parable, teaching the lesson that life is futile and hopeless through the form of the play. The play instructs the reader as to the nature of human existence before the final conclusion, where we are presented with the idea that death is the only escape from suffering.

Lo! ’t is a gala night

Within the lonesome latter years!

An angel throng, bewinged, bedight

In veils, and drowned in tears,

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The Grave and The Rose

by Victor Hugo

‘The Grave and The Rose’ by Victor Hugo is an intriguing poem that inquires and attempts to answer essential questions about death and change.

The poem resembles a religious parable that is told as a means of helping someone understand death. Much like in a parable, a specific mystery is questioned and then elucidated on. In the poem, the rose and the grave play both roles, providing an analogy through which people can better understand death.

The Grave said to the Rose,

"What of the dews of dawn,

Love's flower, what end is theirs?"

"And what of spirits flown,

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8 Significant Parable Poems

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8 Significant Parable Poems

by Robert Frost

by Jean de La Fontaine

by Wilfred Owen

by James Russell Lowell

by Louise Glück

by Dylan Thomas

by Edgar Allan Poe

by Victor Hugo

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