Communication is a fundamental aspect of human life, woven into our every interaction. Through the centuries, poets have explored the nuances of communication, from the simple exchange of words to the more profound expressions of emotion, connection, and misunderstanding. Language, both written and spoken, plays a pivotal role in how we relate to one another, and poetry often captures this dynamic in unique and expressive ways. In this article, we explore 14 famous poems about communication, examining how poets have articulated the complexities and beauty of conveying thoughts and emotions. Each section includes excerpts from the poem and an analysis of its approach to the theme of communication.
1. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
Excerpt:
“What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water.”
Analysis:
In The Waste Land, Eliot explores communication on a grand scale—societal and spiritual communication in a fractured world. The poem is filled with broken images and fragmented language, mirroring the disconnection and inability to truly communicate in modern society. The imagery of “broken images” suggests the difficulty in understanding one another, while the repeated references to silence and desolation highlight the collapse of meaningful dialogue. Eliot’s complex structure reflects the confusion and alienation often inherent in communication, especially in a world overwhelmed by noise, miscommunication, and despair.
2. I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
Excerpt:
“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam;
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work.”
Analysis:
Whitman’s I Hear America Singing celebrates the diverse voices of individuals across the United States, each communicating in their own unique way through their work and daily lives. The poem suggests that communication is not solely verbal, but can be expressed through actions, creativity, and labor. Whitman captures the individuality and collective harmony that arise when people express themselves, showcasing communication’s central role in society. The variety of “carols” symbolizes the richness of human expression and how diverse voices contribute to the collective understanding.
3. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot
Excerpt:
“Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels.”
Analysis:
In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Eliot delves into the inner turmoil and indecision of the speaker, who struggles with communication, particularly in expressing his feelings. The famous opening lines—”Let us go then, you and I”—suggest a desire to connect with another person, but the image of the “etherized” patient highlights a sense of paralysis and inability to engage meaningfully. Prufrock’s internal monologue, filled with hesitation and self-doubt, reveals the complexities of trying to communicate emotions and intentions in a world that feels overwhelming and isolating. Through Prufrock’s fragmented thoughts, Eliot explores the barriers to effective communication, from fear of judgment to insecurity.
4. To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell
Excerpt:
“Love you ten years before the Flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.”
Analysis:
Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress takes a humorous, yet sincere approach to the theme of communication in love. The speaker is attempting to persuade his lover to engage with him, using exaggerated expressions of devotion and timeless love. His argument hinges on the passage of time, suggesting that if there were enough time to express his love fully, he would do so in grand, poetic terms. However, the underlying message of the poem is the urgency of communication, especially when the clock is ticking. The use of humor and hyperbole in Marvell’s poem not only explores the challenge of conveying love but also underscores the importance of timely communication.
5. A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman
Excerpt:
“A noiseless patient spider,
I marked where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever untried, ever finding itself, ever more about to weave.”
Analysis:
In this poem, Whitman uses the image of a spider spinning its web to symbolize the act of communication. The spider’s patient, persistent search for connections mirrors the human endeavor to reach out, to understand, and to make connections in a seemingly vast and indifferent world. The spider’s effort to weave its filament symbolizes the attempts we make, through language and action, to communicate with others and create meaning. Whitman reflects on the isolation of existence, yet the poem also conveys hope that communication, like the spider’s web, can eventually span the emptiness and bring connection.
6. A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe
Excerpt:
“Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep… I weep!”
Analysis:
Edgar Allan Poe’s A Dream Within A Dream explores the fragility of human communication and perception. The speaker’s emotional plea reveals his inability to hold onto anything, both in the physical and emotional sense. The grains of sand slipping through his fingers represent the transient nature of words and human expression—how even the most earnest communication may ultimately be lost or misunderstood. Poe’s reflection on the fleeting nature of reality serves as a meditation on the limitations and uncertainties of communication, as we attempt to make sense of an ever-changing world.
7. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Excerpt:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.”
Analysis:
While The Road Not Taken is often interpreted as a poem about choices, it also speaks to the communication of decisions. The narrator contemplates the roads ahead and reflects on the significance of each potential path. This meditation on communication reveals how our choices—whether in conversation or action—affect our lives. The speaker’s pondering of the paths ahead mirrors how we often communicate with ourselves and others, debating and weighing our options before making decisions. The ambiguity of the roads symbolizes the uncertainty inherent in communication, where the consequences of our choices are not always immediately clear.
8. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
Excerpt:
“Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.”
Analysis:
In The Raven, Poe explores communication not only through the human voice but also through silence and repetition. The speaker engages in a one-sided conversation with the raven, whose only response is “Nevermore.” This repetition serves as a form of communication that is at once puzzling and ominous. The raven’s silence speaks volumes, highlighting how communication can sometimes be non-verbal or even cryptic. Poe uses the interaction between the speaker and the bird to illustrate the ways in which words can be both powerful and limiting, as the raven’s simple, repetitive answer underscores the speaker’s inability to truly connect or understand.
9. This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams
Excerpt:
“I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox
And which you were probably saving for breakfast
Forgive me, they were delicious, so sweet
And so cold.”
Analysis:
In this brief, simple poem, Williams captures the essence of everyday communication. The speaker’s note is an apology, but also an expression of pleasure and satisfaction. The communication here is informal, almost conversational, but it conveys deep feelings of remorse and indulgence. Williams uses humor and directness to create a playful atmosphere around the act of communication, showing how language can serve both to apologize and to convey the joy of a simple experience.
10. If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking by Emily Dickinson
Excerpt:
“If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”
Analysis:
Dickinson’s poem expresses the idea that communication is not just about words but also about empathy and compassion. The speaker’s desire to ease suffering and help others, even through small gestures, reflects the power of communication in fostering connection and healing. Dickinson’s simple language conveys a profound truth—that even the smallest acts of kindness can be a form of communication that has lasting impact.
11. Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
Excerpt:
“Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations’ swamp thee again;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that oft-times hath
Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.”
Analysis:
In Ode to a Nightingale, Keats explores communication through both the song of the nightingale and the speaker’s interpretation of its message. The bird’s song, timeless and eternal, transcends time and human experience, communicating something deeper about the human condition. The speaker’s reflection on the power of the nightingale’s song invites us to consider how communication, especially in the form of art or music, can transcend the limitations of language and touch on universal themes.
12. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Excerpt:
“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”
Analysis:
Carroll’s Jabberwocky plays with language in a whimsical way, demonstrating that communication doesn’t always need to be clear to be effective. The poem uses nonsensical words to create a sense of fantasy and fun. Through its playful use of language, Jabberwocky encourages us to think outside traditional communication and highlights the joy that can come from the absurdity of language itself.
13. The Tyger by William Blake
Excerpt:
“Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”
Analysis:
Blake’s The Tyger uses powerful imagery and rhythmic language to convey both awe and fear, exploring the complexity of communication in the face of the divine and the unknown. The speaker’s questions reflect humanity’s ongoing search for understanding, and the poem’s ambiguity underscores the challenge of truly comprehending the mysteries of existence. The tyger’s burning brightness and fearful symmetry communicate an awe-inspiring presence that words can barely capture.
14. Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
Excerpt:
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Analysis:
Thomas’ poem is a passionate call to fight against death, using the force of language as a means of resistance. The repetition of “Do not go gentle” serves as an urgent communication from the speaker, urging others to assert their will and not submit quietly to the inevitable. This poem highlights the power of words to stir emotions and to communicate defiance in the face of life’s greatest communication barrier—death itself.
Conclusion
These 14 poems illustrate the many ways poets have grappled with communication, whether through words, silence, or even the complexities of human emotion. From the fragmented language of Eliot’s The Waste Land to the playful nonsense of Carroll’s Jabberwocky, these works demonstrate the richness of communication in poetry. Whether exploring the difficulty of connecting with others, the joy of expression, or the limitations of language, these poems provide insight into the complexities and beauty of how we communicate, both with others and ourselves.
