Poems of Conflict

The poems in this curated Collection center the theme of conflict within society, families, and relationships. Spanning hundreds of years of literary history, these titles examine the emotions and motivations behind conflict, as well as subthemes of peace and resolution, through settings that range from the battlefield to the kitchen table.

Publication year 1962Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: War, Identity: Language, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, History: African , Afro-Caribbean Literature

Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Auto/Biographical Fiction, American Literature

Publication year 1921Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, Race / Racism

Publication year 2009Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community, Society: NationTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 1998Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Metaphysical, Science / Nature, British Literature

Publication year 1914Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Satire, Military / War, Victorian Period, Christian literature

English poet and novelist Thomas Hardy wrote “Channel Firing” in May of 1914, only three months before the beginning of WWI. Eerily prophetic, the poem depicts the global chaos and destruction that soon followed. Overlaid by tones of satire and irony, the poem details the violence of war and humanity’s age-old proclivity toward it through a conversation between God and the dead. Hardy, although best known for his earlier novels, received positive reception concerning war... Read Channel Firing Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature

Publication year 1633Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2018Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 1968Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: FameTags Satire, Lyric Poem, Race / Racism

Publication year 1717Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Age of Enlightenment, British Literature, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Gothic Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Classic Fiction

“Eloisa to Abelard” is a poem published in 1717 by Alexander Pope. The poem discusses the ill-fated love affair of a real-life couple from 12th-century France: Heloïse d’Argenteuil, a gifted 18-year-old student, and Peter Abelard, a renowned French scholar, philosopher, and poet of the Medieval era who was 20 years older than Heloïse. The poem is a heroic verse epistle, which is a genre first made famous in Ovid’s Heroides. Pope adopts Eloisa’s persona and... Read Eloisa to Abelard Summary


Publication year 1920Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Lyric Poem, Natural Disaster, Relationships, Climate Change, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1962Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Lyric Poem, Post Modernism, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 1860Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: GratitudeTags Lyric Poem, Free verse

Publication year 1941Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, The Lost Generation

Four Quartets is a collection of four poems by T.S. Eliot. The four pieces were originally published between 1934 and 1942, during a period of time in which Eliot’s life was disrupted by the events of World War II. They were then collected into a single volume in 1943. The poems are linked loosely by theme; all of them are about the relationship between people and the divine. At the time of its publication, several of... Read Four Quartets Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Race / Racism, History: U.S.

Publication year 1922Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Lyric Poem, Existentialism, Harlem Renaissance

Publication year 2016Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: FamilyTags Free verse, Parenting, Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags War On Terrorism / Iraq War

Publication year 1977Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Latin American Literature, Animals

Publication year 1919Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1977Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, American Literature

Publication year 1925Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Harlem Renaissance, Race / Racism

Publication year 1850Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam AHH explores the cosmic implications of the death of a college friend (his sister’s fiancé), poet Arthur Henry Hallam, who died quite unexpectedly in 1833 at the age of 22 most likely from a cerebral hemorrhage. The poem is among the most ambitiously conceived philosophical poems in the English language and a monument to the dynamics of how Christians themselves grapple with the thorny question of mortality. The work stands... Read In Memoriam Summary


Publication year 1860Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Social Justice, Grief / Death, Poverty, American Literature

Publication year 1988Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature

Publication year 1871Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: AnimalsTags Mythology

Publication year 2017Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: JoyTags Climate Change

Publication year 1954Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships

Publication year 1999Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Romance, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Food

Publication year 1988Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Philosophy, American Literature

Publication year 1816Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period

Publication year 2007Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1980Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Relationships

Publication year 1974Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: FemininityTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships

Publication year 2020Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism, History: World, LGBTQ

Publication year 2001Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Race / Racism

Publication year 1987Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, British Literature

Publication year 1963Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: AnimalsTags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Free verse, Confessional, Depression / Suicide

Publication year 1330Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, Renaissance

Publication year 1609Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Relationships

Publication year 1899Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1963Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, Race / Racism

Publication year 1726Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, History: European, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“The Battle of Maldon” is a heroic poem, also classified as an epic, dating from the 10th century. Originally written in Old English, the text details a violent battle between the Anglo-Saxon warriors and the raiding Vikings. The Anglo-Saxons are led by Earl Byrhtnoth, who held land in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Essex and fought for his ruler, King Æthelred the Unready. The poem depicts some of the central tenets of Anglo-Saxon culture, praising loyalty... Read The Battle of Maldon Summary


Publication year 1982Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Lyric Poem, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Holocaust

Publication year 1914Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Race / Racism, Music, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2001Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Lyric Poem, Military / War

Publication year 1633Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Lyric Poem, Metaphysical, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction