15+ Significant Tragedy Poems

(15 to start, 50+ to explore)

Tragedy poetry is a genre that focuses on serious, often somber themes and invariably ends in disaster or death for its main characters.

This genre originated in ancient Greek drama but has a place in poetry as well, where it allows poets to explore profound questions about human nature, destiny, and the human condition. Tragedy poetry often involves characters of high rank or status and presents their downfall as a result of fate, a mistake, or a tragic flaw.

These poems compel readers to confront the darker aspects of existence and elicit emotions of pity, fear, and catharsis. They serve as a reminder of the fragility and transient nature of life and provoke deep introspection about mortality, loss, and the complexities of human emotion.

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"> 82/100

The Planners

by Boey Kim Cheng

‘The Planners’ by Boey Kim Cheng is a powerful poem about the way that development and the creation of new infrastructure makes the world a less interesting place to live in.

This piece is a tragic depiction of urbanization. The perfection with which the planners work may inspire some people but the poet is critical about their work. This is because they largely disregard the past for the sake of the future.

But my heart would not bleed

poetry. Not a single drop

to stain the blueprint

of our past's tomorrow.

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"> 80/100

The Portrait

by Stanley Kunitz

‘The Portrait’ by Stanley Kunitz is a sad poem about the speaker’s ill-fated attempt to learn more about their deceased father.

This poem could be characterized as a tragedy, as it opens with the death of a parent and details how that incident catalyzes a cycle of trauma. Which ends with the speaker being slapped by their mother for daring to breathe life into their father and is something that stays with the speaker decades later.

My mother never forgave my father

for killing himself,

especially at such an awkward time

and in a public park,

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"> 76/100

Australia 1970

by Judith Wright

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright speaks on the changing landscape of Australia in the 1970s. It promotes a fierce, wild, and dangerous version of Australia like the animals that have always lived within its boundaries.

This piece is a tragic representation of Australia in the 1970s. Wright depicts how the country is dying of humankind’s unchecked attempt to exploit it. She talks about how her country should die with a heavy heart.

Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk,

dangerous till the last breath's gone,

clawing and striking. Die

cursing your captor through a raging eye.

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"> 75/100

Half Hanged Mary

by Margaret Atwood

‘Half Hanged Mary’ by Atwood narrates her ancestor Mary Webster’s survival from a witch trial hanging, highlighting her resilience.

This poem fits the genre of tragedy because it tells the heartbreaking story of a woman who is falsely accused and nearly killed. Mary Webster suffers not only from physical pain but also from betrayal, fear, and isolation. The injustice she faces is overwhelming, and even though she survives, she is deeply changed. The poem captures the sadness and cruelty of her experience, showing the dark side of human nature.

Rumour was loose in the air

hunting for some neck to land on.

I was milking the cow,

the barn door open to the sunset

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"> 73/100

The Hand That Signed the Paper

by Dylan Thomas

‘The Hands that Signed the Paper’ is a war protest poem that derides the appalling apathy and ruthlessness of the rulers toward ordinary citizens.

This poem throughout has an underlying current of miseries and tragedies that surround the lives of a common man in the hands of their ruthless and power-hungry leaders. It very effectively sends home the pitiful state of a country which is suffering due to war. The tragic events emphatically sets the dark mood of the poem which makes the reader pause and think.

The hand that signed the paper felled a city;

Five sovereign fingers taxed the breath,

Doubled the globe of dead and halved a country;

These five kings did a king to death.

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"> 72/100

Out, Out—

by Robert Frost

‘Out, Out—’ by Robert Frost depicts a tragic accident, highlighting the suddenness and brutality of death and the suffering it brings.

This poem is a tragedy because it tells the heartbreaking story of a young boy’s unexpected and unfair death. The way the accident happens so suddenly and how no one deeply mourns him makes it even more tragic. There is no sense of justice or closure, just the harsh reality that life moves on even after something terrible happens, making the loss feel even heavier.

The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard

And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood,

Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.

And from there those that lifted eyes could count

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"> 70/100

A Poison Tree

by William Blake

‘A Poison Tree’ presents the consequences of harboring anger, which becomes a poisonous tree wreaking devastation.

The poem can be seen to align with the genre of tragedy through its fatal resolution. The speaker’s suppressed anger and deceit lead to the ultimate demise of their foe, showcasing the destructive power of unresolved emotions. This tragic arc underscores the poem’s moral lesson, illustrating the consequences of unchecked vengeance and emotional corruption.

I was angry with my friend;

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe:

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

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Leda and the Swan

by William Butler Yeats

‘Leda and the Swan’ is a standout sonnet by W.B. Yeats, featured in his 1928 collection, The Tower. The poem explores the Greek myth of Leda, seduced by Zeus as a swan, and is considered one of Yeats’ finest works.

This poem clearly fits the idea of tragedy. It begins with an act that is hard to look at and ends by pointing to even larger suffering in the future. Yeats links this moment to war, betrayal, and loss. There is no comfort offered to the reader. The tone stays serious and heavy throughout. The poem does not give hope or answers, but instead leaves us thinking about how one act can lead to a long line of sorrow.

A sudden blow: the great wings beating still

Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed

By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,

He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.

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Fathers and Daughters

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"> 68/100

The Wreck of the Hesperus

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

‘The Wreck of the Hesperus’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a narrative poem about a shipwreck and human vanity.

A tragedy ends with everyone dying, which is what happens in this poem. While the loss isn't heart-wrenchingly warm and emotional, it is a great example of how nature can overcome us all.

It was the schooner Hesperus,

That sailed the wintry sea;

And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr,

To bear him company.

#10

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"> 67/100

10-Year-Old Shot Three Times, but She’s Fine

by Patricia Smith

’10-Year-Old Shot Three Times, but She’s Fine’ tells of the marginalization of the African American community via the lens of a black girl being shot.

The poem is a Tragedy because it tells the heartbreaking story of a young girl who is shot and ignored. Instead of focusing only on her wounds, it shows how she is neglected by hospitals, schools, and even her own mother. Her survival isn’t hopeful—it only reveals how common this kind of suffering is in her community.

Dumbfounded in hospital whites, you are picture-book

itty-bit, floundering in bleach and steel. Braids untwirl

and corkscrew, you squirm, the crater in your shoulder

spews a soft voltage...

#11

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Loving Someone You Can't Have

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No Orpheus, No Eurydice

by Stephen Spender

‘No Orpheus, No Eurydice’ is a poem that looks at a man’s reaction to a doomed love affair, drawing on images from Greek mythology.

This poem is presented as a tragedy for the most part, and the use of language, as well as the descriptions of the emotions that the man is feeling, certainly make it seem as though it is a tragedy. However, this feeling is somewhat changed when it is made clear to the reader that it is not the initial tragedy that it has been presented as. The man's lover has not died but has simply left him.

Nipples of bullets, precipices,

Ropes, knives, all

Now would seem as gentle

As the far away kisses

#12

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"> 65/100

Storm Warnings

by Adrienne Rich

‘Storm Warnings’ by Adrienne Rich draws attention to the turbulence brewing, from the perspective of a worried resident.

The mood created by Adrienne Rich's ‘Storm Warnings’ is pensive. What the poem warns about is tragic. Imagery and personification are used as poetic devices to align the reader's mood with the mood the poem seeks to convey. It is a good poem on tragedy, but better poems have been written for this category.

This is our sole defense against the season;

These are the things we have learned to do

Who live in troubled regions.

#13

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Lot’s Wife (translated by Richard Wilbur)

by Anna Akhmatova

‘Lot’s Wife’ acknowledges the biblical figure’s famous look back as an all-too-human inability to relinquish the past despite the peril.

The poem exemplifies classical tragic structure through its protagonist's fatal decision born of human weakness. Her transformation to salt represents the inevitable consequence of defying divine will, yet the speaker's sympathy elevates her fate from mere punishment to the profound testament of human love's cost. Her tragedy lies in choosing humanity over divinity.

And the just man trailed God's shining agent,

over a black mountain, in his giant track,

while a restless voice kept harrying his woman:

"It's not too late, you can still look back

#14

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"> 63/100

A Little Boy Lost

by William Blake

In ‘A Little Boy Lost’ Blake critiques oppressive authority, questioning blind adherence and societal complicity.

This poem is a tragedy because it tells the heartbreaking story of an innocent child punished for asking a question. The boy’s curiosity is mistaken for defiance, and he suffers while his parents’ grief is ignored. The ending question shows disbelief that such cruelty exists, making readers feel both sadness and anger at blind religious authority.

‘Nought loves another as itself,

Nor venerates another so,

Nor is it possible to Thought

A greater than itself to know:

#15

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Ultima Ratio Regum

by Stephen Spender

‘Ultima Ratio Regum’ translates to English as “the last (ultimate) argument of kings,” which is an insinuation of war. In this poem, Spender portrays the effect of war on innocent, insignificant lives.

The poem addresses serious and sorrowful topics, showing the suffering caused by war and conflict. It presents the emotional struggles and moral questions related to these tragic events. The poem explores how such events affect people deeply, emphasizing the sense of loss and despair. This genre helps readers understand the harsh realities of human suffering and conflict.

The guns spell money's ultimate reason

In letters of lead on the spring hillside.

But the boy lying dead under the olive trees

Was too young and too silly

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15+ Significant Tragedy Poems

(15 to start, 50+ to explore)

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15+ Significant Tragedy Poems

(15 to start, 50+ to explore)

by Boey Kim Cheng

by Stanley Kunitz

by Judith Wright

by Margaret Atwood

by Dylan Thomas

by Robert Frost

by William Blake

by William Butler Yeats

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

by Patricia Smith

by Stephen Spender

by Adrienne Rich

by Anna Akhmatova

by William Blake

by Stephen Spender

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