Poems, whether they be formal and Shakespearian or contemporary and causal, can give concrete words to intangible feelings and can all-around serve as good translators between you and the world around you (or you and yourself). I'm not necessarily advising you to become an avid reader of poetry (though I'm certainly not advising against it!), but having a few poems in your mental arsenal can make your mind a better and less confusing place to be.
1. The Love Poem
The "love" in the love poem doesn't have to be between romantic partners, although it can be: love can be between family members, between friends, between humans and non-human animals, between oneself and nature, between oneself and deities/God(s)/the universe, or even just for oneself, and there are a plethora of poems about all of these types of love. Regardless, love inspires hope, compassion, and other such warm, fuzzy feelings, and we could all use a little extra warmth and fuzz every now and again.
My personal favorite: "Do Not Despair" by Sparrow Jones. This poem is less about love between any particular entities and more about the nature of how love is expressed; it still invokes some very nice feelings, however, as it reminds the listener that love doesn't have to be expressed in the typical manners of eyeball-staring and name-calling for that love to be real and profound (and, in my case, this poem serves as a nice example of "this poem knows me better than I know myself").
"...If I do not show you love
in the language you
are accustomed to hearing
do not despair
I speak my love to you
constantly
in my language.
And I do love you."
Other awesome poems:
"Lullaby" by W. H. Auden. A romantic and occasionally "gushy" poem about the speaker's love for their partner and about finding beauty in the inherent imperfection of one's fellow human.
"Jubilate Agno, Fragment B, [For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry]" by Christopher Smart. A poem that expresses love for both a treasured feline and for God.
"My Light With Yours" by Edgar Lee Masters. A short, sweet poem that emphasizes the togetherness and the eternal aspects of love while leaving some room for the reader to fill in what love means in the context of this poem.
"In the dark we crush" by Julia Cohen. For lovers of more abstract, contemporary poetry, this is a fairly free-spirited poem that seems to express fondness of another person.
2. The Paradise Poem
Sometimes, you just need to get away from the chaos of the world you live in. Sometimes, your only escape is through your own mind; in those situations, it can be useful to have a few portals set in place to transport you to that secluded, beautiful location where you can take a breath and relax, if only for a stanza or few.
My personal favorite: "The Lake Isle Of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats. In just three short stanzas, this poem acknowledges that weariness of pavement and of civilization that we all sometimes fall prone to and establishes an isolated, glistening, peaceful getaway for us to hide in. The calmness rings so steadily throughout the poem, in fact, that I'm not even all that put off by the copious mention of bees.
"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade."
Other awesome poems:
"I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud" by William Wordsworth. This eutopic landscape is one of golden daffodils and cloud-light solitude.
"Eagle Poem" by Joy Harjo. This is a "get-away" in both its stoic desert scenery and its quiet introspection.
"A Country Path Late In Spring" by Mark R. Slaughter. This poem minutely details the crisp, active world of a country road.
"Beachcomber" by Robert William Service. An escape into the slow, warm peacefulness of the beach isles.
3. The Despair Poem
Discontentment can be very cathartic; though it's usually good advice to "focus on the positive," it's very important for your mental health to allow yourself to truly sink in and feel those negative, ulcering emotions. We all feel better after a little indulgence in the sad movie, the angry song, the teeth-grinding, tear-inducing book, or, when those aren't immediately accessible, a discontent poem.
My personal favorite: "The World Is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth. Many of us can identify strongly with its discontentment with the detached nature of modern society, of the way we can often be oblivious to nature, and a desire to re-connect with the mysticism and reverence of days past.
"Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"
Other awesome poems:
"Michiko Dead" by Jack Gilbert. Though originally about despair after the loss of a loved one, the poem is written in such a way to make grief of all sorts tangible.
"Denouncement" by Sylvia Plath. A poem about loss and the emptiness that sometimes accompanies it.
"Acquainted with the Night" by Robert Frost. A quiet reflection on sadness and on walking with it.
"Alone" by Edgar Allen Poe. A retrospective look on being unable to relate to others in childhood and of the noticing of impending doom.
4. The Battle Poem
Just as sadness and bitterness can be cathartic, so can anger, fear, frustration, and all those feelings that make our blood boil more than they make our eyes water. This is probably why so many of us are drawn to war-movies and fight scenes. A poem can also pack a nice punch while putting you in a mindset of strength and courage to fight whatever battles you may be facing.
My personal favorite: "Life Is Fine" by Langston Hughes. The poem initially addresses a battle against the self but gradually evolves into a victory over complete dejection and hopelessness. It's not exactly the fist-throwing, gun-swinging action that some might seek in a battle poem (though there is some violence), but it still gets the blood rushing.
"Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry—
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die."
Other awesome poems:
"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. A typical battle in the "blood, sweat, and tears" sense with a twist of abstraction and peculiar creatures.
"If We Must Die" by Claude McKay. A short piece about bravery in the face of inevitable defeat.
"Boots" by Rudyard Kipling. A very rhythmic poem reminding the reader that "there's no discharge in the war!"
"Mist Everywhere" by Nate Pritts. The aftermath of times forgotten and the weary determination to sail to new heights.
5. The Self-Affirmation Poem
You're awesome. Whoever you are and whatever you're like, you're an amazing person. We're prone to losing sight of that, though, which is why it can be useful to have a poem or few at hand to help you remember that your "you-ness," whatever that may look like, is valid and is worthy of celebration.
My personal favorite: "And Myself, Myself" by Gabriel Gadfly. The poem points out imperfections which the speakers finds beautiful, such as chipped coffee cups and split trees--images which, although denoting something broken or damaged, have that photogenic allure of a sepia-tone photograph. It is in the title of the poem, though, that the beauty of the self is illustrated and celebrated.
"I’m teaching myself
to love broken things.
Books with loose bindings
and misplaced pages."
[And Myself, Myself]
Other awesome poems:
"I'm Nobody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson. A shout-out to the less socially renowned and a celebration of the silent serenity of introversion.
"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. One of the most successful self-affirmation poems ever written by one of the most successful women to have ever written poetry.
"To Laugh Often And Much" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A concise yet telling piece about the little joys that fulfill a life.
"A Place For Me" by an unknown author (possibly Grace E. Easley?). A feel-good poem in every sense and a powerful reminder of one's purpose and place in this world.
Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list; your individual taste and experience will draw you to many different poems, many of which can not be so easily classified as "The Despair Poem" or "The Love Poem." Keep your eyes and hearts open for the poems that "click" with you-- you never know when you can call upon them to give you a mental push.
