AP Lit Poems

1. Emotion as a Source of Truth

Romantic poets believe deep feeling reveals meaning more powerfully than logic or reason.

Poems of emotion as a source of truth

Remembrance — Emily Brontë

No Coward Soul Is Mine — Emily Brontë

“I am the only being whose doom” — Emily Brontë

Love — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

So We’ll Go No More A-Roving — Lord Byron

2. Nature as Spiritually or Emotionally Restorative

Nature heals, teaches, or restores the human mind and soul.

Poems of nature as spiritually or emotionally restorative

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud — William Wordsworth

Lines Written in Early Spring — William Wordsworth

Excerpt from The Prelude, Part I — William Wordsworth

Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room — William Wordsworth

3. Nature as Powerful, Mysterious, or Sublime

Nature inspires awe, fear, or overwhelming emotion beyond human control.

Poems of nature as powerful, mysterious, or sublime

The Tyger — William Blake

Kubla Khan — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Mont Blanc — Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ode to the West Wind — Percy Bysshe Shelley

4. Innocence vs. Experience

Romantics explore purity and goodness versus corruption, power, or suffering.

Poems of innocence vs. experience

The Lamb — William Blake

The Tyger — William Blake

Lines Written in Early Spring — William Wordsworth

5. Individualism & Emotional Isolation

The individual’s inner life, suffering, or uniqueness is central.

Poems of individualism & emotional isolation

“I am the only being whose doom” — Emily Brontë

Remembrance — Emily Brontë

Prometheus — Lord Byron

6. Memory and the Power of the Past

Past experiences continue to shape identity and emotion.

Poems of memory and the power of the past

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud — William Wordsworth

Remembrance — Emily Brontë

Stanzas — Emily Brontë

7. Critique of Modern Society / Materialism

Romantic poets reject industrialization, materialism, and loss of spiritual connection.

Poems of critique of modern society / materialism

The World Is Too Much With Us — William Wordsworth

8. Imagination as Creative or Transformative Power

The imagination transcends reality and creates meaning.

Poems of imagination as creative or transformative power

Kubla Khan — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Ode to the West Wind — Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ode to a Nightingale — John Keats

9. Art, Permanence, and Transience

Romantics reflect on time, mortality, and what endures.

Poems of art, permanence, and transience

Ozymandias — Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ode on a Grecian Urn — John Keats

So We’ll Go No More A-Roving — Lord Byron

10. Love Beyond Physical Presence or Death

Love persists through memory, dreams, or spiritual connection.

Poems of love beyond physical presence or death

Remembrance — Emily Brontë

Stanzas — Emily Brontë

Stanzas (“Oh, come to me in dreams, my love!”) — Mary Shelley

11. Defiance, Endurance, and Moral Strength

Heroic resistance and spiritual resilience are celebrated.

Poems of defiance, endurance, and moral strength

Prometheus — Lord Byron

No Coward Soul Is Mine — Emily Brontë

12. Beauty as Moral or Spiritual Harmony

Beauty reflects inner goodness and balance.

Poems of beauty as moral or spiritual harmony

She Walks in Beauty — Lord Byron