Poems With Descriptive Language

Published: March 2018

Examples Of Poems That Use Adjectives And Descriptive Language

An adjective is the part of speech that describes a noun (person, place, or thing). Poets uses adjectives to give a detailed and vivid description of the noun they are describing. 

Using descriptive language to illustrate strong feelings such as pain or love can help the poet show the intensity of the feelings they are experiencing and to paint a more memorable picture for the reader.

26 Examples Of Poems That Use Adjectives And Descriptive Language

  1. I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

    Famous Poem

    "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is a lyric poem that expresses deep feelings about the beauty of nature. William Wordsworth was a well-known poet of the Romantic era, which began at the beginning of the 1800s. The focus during the Romantic era was on people's feelings and their connectedness to nature. That was a drastic shift from the emphasis on science and reason of the Enlightenment era, which came before. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is one of Wordsworth's most famous poems. It was inspired by a journal entry his sister wrote recounting when the two of them went for a walk along the bay and saw a large number of daffodils.

    in Famous Nature Poems

    I wandered lonely as a cloud
    That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
    When all at once I saw a crowd,
    A host, of golden daffodils;

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    Honestly! How lovely is this poem when read aloud. I can see the yellow heads of the daffodils doing their sprightly dance! And, when in the meditative state, I can feel them in my heart...

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  2. When You Are Old

    Famous Poem

    This poem by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was published in 1893 when he was 28. He was an Irish poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. This poem is addressed to the speaker’s lover, and in the end, shows the love did not last. People consider this poem to be about Maud Gonne. He loved her, but she married another man. This poem follows the ABBA rhyme scheme, which is not seen frequently in poetry except for Italian (Petrarchan) sonnets.

    in Famous Sad Love Poems

    When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
    And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
    And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
    Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

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    In this poem, Yeats has used a universal theme. In their youth, many behave in a thoughtless manner and they miss certain things in life. Through his personal experience, Yeats makes the...

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  4. Old Folks Laugh

    Famous Poem

    In "Old Folks Laugh," Maya Angelou explores a freedom that comes with old age. The poem contrasts the constrained and self-conscious behavior of young people with the unbridled laughter in old age. The imagery in the poem is vivid, describing the belly of old folks that jiggle like tambourines when they laugh, and their heads that wobble on brittle necks. The poem suggests that laughter allows the elderly to let go of their past regrets and pain and embrace the joy of the moment. Additionally, the poem implies that old folks have a certain wisdom, having lived through the best and the worst of times.

    in Famous Family Poems

    They have spent their
    content of simpering,
    holding their lips this
    and that way, winding

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  5. Out Out

    Famous Poem

    Out, Out by Robert Frost is a narrative poem published in a collection of poems titled Mountain Interval in 1916 when millions of young men were losing their lives on the battlefields of World War I. On an American farm a hungry young boy is cutting wood with a buzz saw. Frost uses personification with the saw and an artist's imagery to narrate as the boy loses his hand and then his life in terrible yet mundane detail.

    in Famous Narrative Poems

    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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  7. After Auschwitz

    Famous Poem

    Anne Sexton's poem "After Auschwitz" is a powerful emotional response to the Holocaust and slaughter of 6 million innocent Jewish men, women and children.. The speaker expresses anger towards the atrocities committed and questions why death doesn't seem to take those who deserve it. She condemns the men responsible for the Holocaust and suggests that all humanity must now bear guilt. For the depravity that the Nazis exhibited, demonstrated that all of us are capable of the same and that is a burden humanity must forever bear.

    in Famous Sad Poems

    Anger,
    as black as a hook,
    overtakes me.
    Each day,

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  8. The Eagle

    Famous Poem

    In this short poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), he captures the majesty of an eagle hunting from the top of a cliff. This descriptive poem is comprised of tercets (three-line stanzas).

    in Famous Nature Poems

    He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
    Close to the sun in lonely lands,
    Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

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    This poem touched my heart as no other poem has. I love nature and most poems don't interest me. When I can, I am outside in nature and when I have to go inside, I fall just like the Eagle at...

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  9. A Bird Came Down The Walk

    Famous Poem

    A poem about birds from Emily Dickinson. Considered by many to be one of the best American Poets. What about this poem makes it a classic?

    in Famous Nature Poems

    A bird came down the walk:
    He did not know I saw;
    He bit an angle-worm in halves
    And ate the fellow, raw.

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    I take walks daily with my dog to visit and hang out with friends. Fall is the prettiest show-off with her colorful jewels! The birds and squirrels play hide and seek within and keep me...

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  10. Birches

    Famous Poem

    "Birches" was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1915. The poem about the Birch tree with branches weighed heavy with ice and snow is one of Frost's most famous poems.

    in Famous Nature Poems

    When I see birches bend to left and right
    Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
    I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
    But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay

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    I love this poem. It make me appreciate what the writer had done.

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  11. The Fish

    Famous Poem

    This famous narrative poem transforms an ordinary moment into a gripping story about the moment when the Hunter meets the Hunted. The fisherwoman's catch of a tremendous fish takes an unexpected diversion when she takes the opportunity to observe it at close range. The life story of The Fish as told by its battle scars and beautiful fishiness gives the encounter a personal side and result in things taking an unexpected turn.

    in Famous Nature Poems

    I caught a tremendous fish
    and held him beside the boat
    half out of water, with my hook
    fast in a corner of his mouth.

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  12. What I Love About You

    • By Nidhi Kaul
    • Published by Family Friend Poems September 2009 with permission of the Author.

    From his hug to his touch, his kiss, his smile, his stare, his warmth, I love everything about him.

    in Boyfriend Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    The sparkle in your eye,
    The warmth of your skin,
    Your breath on my neck
    That shakes me within.

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    This is a lovely poem. Choicest words, correct rhymes, tender but intense feelings. The writer not only wrote but also lived his emotions. What a grand way to introduce the beloved. Very...

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  13. Haiku Year

    • By Paul Holmes
    • Published by Family Friend Poems May 2014 with permission of the Author.

    A haiku describing nature for each of the twelve months of the year.

    in Haiku

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    JANUARY
    Delightful display
    Snowdrops bow their pure white heads
    To the sun's glory.

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    I love this poem sooooo much! Can't stop reading it. I am in love with the absolute perfect descriptions of each month...great job Paul.

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  14. His Presence

    • By Alora M. Knight
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2018 with permission of the Author.

    At 97, I have witnessed so many things that have added to my belief. There is no way I could not believe, having had documented miracles, answers to critical needs, plus beautiful experiences. I look back on my lifetime and cannot see where I deserved the experiences that I have had, but it only tells me that we cannot underestimate God's love.

    in Spiritual Poems about Nature

    A friend of mine once asked me
    Just how could I believe
    In someone I never saw,
    Nor spoken words received.

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    I really love this poem. It really moved me. It is exceptionally well written with a soulful observation of the true miracles of life. I have a good friend that is many years older than...

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  15. Nature's Way

    • By Heidi Campbell
    • Published by Family Friend Poems July 2007 with permission of the Author.

    Dare to take a look at this peaceful spring day.
    The poem uses the 5 senses to describe nature. Using the 5 senses in writing creates a clearer picture and makes the readers feel a part of the setting.

    in Spring Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    Upon a nice mid-spring day,
    Let's take a look at Nature's way.
    Breathe the scent of nice fresh air,
    Feel the breeze within your hair.

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    Have you ever thought of this poem as a response to Thomas Moran's, "The Grand Canyon of Yellow Stone"? It is beautifully written and encompasses themes of freedom, nature, and serenity, as...

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  16. Charming Spring

    My poem is a about the delights of spring we all patiently await and the charms of spring that awakens our senses up with gentle breezes, fresh colors, lovely scents, and songs of nature. It is refreshing after a long, cold winter. I hope it can remind readers of the loveliness and gracefulness of spring.

    in Spring Poems

    Reminiscent melodies
    serenade the morning breeze.

    Feathered creatures nest with care

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    It's a very beautiful creation about the everlasting beauties of nature. It reminds me of the poem by Robert Frost "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

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  17. He Is There

    • By Yasemin Raymondo
    • Published by Family Friend Poems December 2008 with permission of the Author.

    One Sunday at Mass, Father John Carney at St. Mary's Church in Panama, (Rep. of Panama) gave his usual sermon. But something in what he said hit me so powerfully that I came home and wrote this poem that I now share with you. I hope you will perceive God as I did on that Sunday through the words of an inspirational priest.

    in God Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    God comes to us in quiet and simple ways.
    He is there when the breeze rustles the palm fronds on a quiet, lazy, sunny afternoon.
    When the raindrops softly patter on the thirsty tin roofs of the poor, he is there.

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    Poem About Where God Is Found, He Is There

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    I have never seen God in this light. Thank you for showing me how easy it is to find God. I have been searching for Him all my life.

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  18. Summer's Splendor By The Sea

    My short poem is about the gentle soft blue of the summer sky, the wonder and beauty of the ocean, the rays of the warm glistening sun, the fun and the splendor of Summer spent by the seaside for the young, old, and everyone in between. It's just a mystical place to be during Summer. It's a place to feel free and with nature.

    in Summer Poems

    Summer's splendor by the sea,
    a gentle, blue serenity.

    Caressing rays of golden sun,

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  19. It Must Be Spring

    • By May Fenn
    • Published by Family Friend Poems June 2014 with permission of the Author.

    This is a poem about recognizing the signs of the coming of spring. I used to be a school teacher with special responsibility for English language. Learning poetry by heart is of great benefit to memory training, and I used to enjoy writing poems for my class to recite at assemblies where each subject related to the subject of that week's school theme. This is one of them.

    in Spring Poems

    Hush, can you hear it?
    The rustling in the grass,
    Bringing you the welcome news that
    Winter's day is past.

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    Really nice poem for spring. Thank you for sharing!

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  20. Just Like

    This poem is all about using similes. The poet compares her situation to various objects. Our experiences in life can be compared to objects. For example, if someone is bright and cheery, we might compare her to a ray of sunshine. If someone is mean, we might compare those words to the hiss of a snake.

    in Broken Friendship Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    Just like a glass
    my heart is broken
    Just like a star
    you light up my life

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    I had a friend who meant a lot to me. Though our friendship was filled with one too many downs, I cared about her a lot, and I thought she did too. But as soon as we left school, she started...

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  21. Storm At Sea

    • By Amar Qamar
    • Published by Family Friend Poems August 2008 with permission of the Author.

    This poem uses point of view to make the readers feel as though they're one of the sailors trying to survive the storm.

    in Ocean Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    CRASHING waves... SMASHING seas...
    Bringing sailors to their knees.
    As they struggle to save their lives,
    Hoping and praying help arrives.

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    This poem brought a tear to my eye and I love the way that the author has written this particular poem. It definitely is top in my book.

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  22. Can Earth Be Earth?

    • By Garvit
    • Published by Family Friend Poems June 2008 with permission of the Author.

    A free verse poem that uses imagery to paint a picture of a planet without life because we have finally destroyed our Earth.

    in Earth Poems

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    Can earth be Earth when all its trees are gone,
    And sudsy waters have become unfit,
    And poisoned life no longer greets the dawn
    With raucous sounds that death has caused to quit?

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    This poem made me feel like I can once more cry for our poor Earth. Why do we have to do what we do? And to our surprise, tigers, wolves, mountain lions, and many other predators are blamed...

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