Theme Timeline

Pick a theme and see how often it shows up across 50-year cohorts of V2Melody poets. Bars are normalised so small cohorts don't get drowned out by large ones.

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— none — world life love death beauty nature self social beloved divine memory desire spiritual heart grief power romantic suffering woman light soul dead loss body pain wind philosophical voice music landscape hope religious sorrow spring flowers children faith bird water rose mortality silence lover domestic presence childhood sound earth past consciousness truth women dream flower irish garden mind rain summer lovers

“body” across the centuries

Bar length = percentage of poems in that cohort whose critique surfaced this theme. Click an era to focus the poem list below (click again to show samples from all eras).

pre-1500 2 / 29 BCE 2 / 12 1500s 1 / 10 1550s 2 / 89 1600s 8 / 176 1650s 1 / 57 1700s 0 / 34 1750s 4 / 163 1800s 13 / 684 1850s 13 / 939 1900s 68 / 1119 1950s 2 / 15

Poems in 1900s · 68 with this theme Show all eras

A Cry

Available versions

A Cry

by Sara Teasdale · English

8 August 1884 - 29 January 1933 (~49)

A process in the weather of the heart

Available versions

A process in the weather of the heart

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

And Oh That the Man I Am Might Cease to Be—

Available versions

And Oh That the Man I Am Might Cease to Be—

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Avis

Available versions

Avis

by Paul Éluard · French

14 December 1895 - 18 November 1952 (~57)

Because the pleasure-bird whistles

Available versions

Because the pleasure-bird whistles

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Before I knocked

Available versions

Before I knocked

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Bells for John Whitesides' Daughter

Available versions

Bells for John Whitesides' Daughter

by John Crowe Ransom · English

30 April 1888 - 3 July 1974 (~86)

Available versions

Blank

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Burial

Available versions

Burial

by Edna St. Vincent Millay · English

22 February 1892 - 19 October 1950 (~58)

Cabaret

Available versions

Cabaret

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Conscious

Available versions

Conscious

by Wilfred Owen · English

18 March 1893 - 4 November 1918 (~25)

Cradle Song

Available versions

Cradle Song

by A. A. Milne · English

18 January 1882 - 31 January 1956 (~74)

Death

Available versions

Death

by Thomas MacDonagh · English

1 February 1878 - 3 May 1916 (~38)

December Night

Available versions

December Night

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Dirge to a Dead Owl

Available versions

Dirge to a Dead Owl

by Patrick Reginald Chalmers · English

27 June 1872 - 12 September 1942 (~70)

Disabled

Available versions

Disabled

by Wilfred Owen · English

18 March 1893 - 4 November 1918 (~25)

Elegy

Available versions

Elegy

by Edna St. Vincent Millay · English

22 February 1892 - 19 October 1950 (~58)

From love’s first fever to her plague

Available versions

From love’s first fever to her plague

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Futility

Available versions

Futility

by Wilfred Owen · English

18 March 1893 - 4 November 1918 (~25)

Garden Abstract

Available versions

Garden Abstract

by Hart Crane · English

21 July 1899 - 27 April 1932 (~33)

Heart, have no pity on this house of bone

Available versions

Heart, have no pity on this house of bone

by Edna St. Vincent Millay · English

22 February 1892 - 19 October 1950 (~58)

Here lie the beasts

Available versions

Here lie the beasts

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

High on a hill

Available versions

High on a hill

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

I dreamed my genesis

Available versions

I dreamed my genesis

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

I, Being born a Woman and Distressed

Available versions

I, Being born a Woman and Distressed

by Edna St. Vincent Millay · English

22 February 1892 - 19 October 1950 (~58)

If I were tickled by the rub of love

Available versions

If I were tickled by the rub of love

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Immortal

Available versions

Immortal

by Sara Teasdale · English

8 August 1884 - 29 January 1933 (~49)

In the beginning

Available versions

In the beginning

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Kisses in the Train

Available versions

Kisses in the Train

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Light breaks where no sun shines

Available versions

Light breaks where no sun shines

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Loss

Available versions

Loss

by Hilda Doolittle · English

10 September 1886 - 27 September 1961 (~75)

Madrigal

Available versions

Madrigal

by George O'Neil · English

13 September 1896 - 23 May 1940 (~44)

Michael-Angelo

Available versions

Michael-Angelo

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Moment Fugue

Available versions

Moment Fugue

by Hart Crane · English

21 July 1899 - 27 April 1932 (~33)

My Servant

Available versions

My Servant

by Eunice Tietjens · English

29 July 1884 - 6 September 1944 (~60)

Nearer

Available versions

Nearer

by Robert Nichols · English

6 September 1893 - 17 December 1944 (~51)

Nearly summer

Available versions

Nearly summer

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Noli Me Tangere

Available versions

Noli Me Tangere

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Out of a war of wits

Available versions

Out of a war of wits

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Requiem

Available versions

Requiem

by Anne Spencer · English

6 February 1882 - 27 July 1975 (~93)

Sands

Available versions

Sands

by Witter Bynner · English

10 August 1881 - 1 June 1968 (~87)

See, says the lime

Available versions

See, says the lime

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Seven Seals

Available versions

Seven Seals

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Sickness

Available versions

Sickness

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

Sketch of a Man on a Platform

Available versions

Sketch of a Man on a Platform

by Mina Loy · English

27 December 1882 - 25 September 1966 (~84)

The air you breathe

Available versions

The air you breathe

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

The Appeal

Available versions

The Appeal

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

Available versions

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

The Risen Lord

Available versions

The Risen Lord

by D. H. Lawrence · English

11 September 1885 - 2 March 1930 (~45)

The Show

Available versions

The Show

by Wilfred Owen · English

18 March 1893 - 4 November 1918 (~25)

The Skin-Sack

Available versions

The Skin-Sack

by Mina Loy · English

27 December 1882 - 25 September 1966 (~84)

The Soldier

Available versions

The Soldier

by Rupert Brooke · English

3 August 1887 - 23 April 1915 (~28)

The sun burns the morning

Available versions

The sun burns the morning

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

The Warning

Available versions

The Warning

by Adelaide Crapsey · English

9 September 1878 - 8 October 1914 (~36)

The Woman Speaks

Available versions

The Woman Speaks

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

There was a time

Available versions

There was a time

by Edward Thomas · English

3 March 1878 - 9 April 1917 (~39)

This beast that rends me

Available versions

This beast that rends me

by Edna St. Vincent Millay · English

22 February 1892 - 19 October 1950 (~58)

This bread I break

Available versions

This bread I break

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Thy fingers make early flowers of all things

Available versions

Thy fingers make early flowers of all things

by E. E. Cummings · English

14 October 1894 - 3 September 1962 (~68)

Time enough to rot

Available versions

Time enough to rot

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Too long, skeleton

Available versions

Too long, skeleton

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Voices Break on the Confines of Passion

Available versions

Voices Break on the Confines of Passion

by Mina Loy · English

27 December 1882 - 25 September 1966 (~84)

We Might Have Coupled

Available versions

We Might Have Coupled

by Mina Loy · English

27 December 1882 - 25 September 1966 (~84)

When Bony Death

Available versions

When Bony Death

by John Masefield · English

1 June 1878 - 12 May 1967 (~89)

When once the twilight locks no longer

Available versions

When once the twilight locks no longer

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

When you have ground such beauty down to dust

Available versions

When you have ground such beauty down to dust

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

You are the ruler of this realm of flesh

Available versions

You are the ruler of this realm of flesh

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

Your pain shall be a music

Available versions

Your pain shall be a music

by Dylan Thomas · English

27 October 1914 - 9 November 1953 (~39)

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