Food has been a subject of both literal and metaphorical exploration in poetry for centuries. Poets often use food as a symbol to reflect deeper human experiences, from love and joy to hunger and desire. Whether highlighting the sensory pleasures of eating or reflecting on the cultural significance of meals, poems about food allow us to explore the connections between nourishment, emotions, and identity. This article delves into 14 famous poems about food, exploring how different poets capture the essence of food in their work and the themes they evoke.
1. “This Is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams
Excerpt from the Poem:
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:
William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say” is one of the most famous poems that revolves around food. The poem is a simple yet playful confession, where the speaker admits to eating the plums that someone else was likely saving for breakfast. The poem explores the pleasure of eating, especially the enjoyment of food that brings satisfaction in the moment. It also touches on the guilt and sweetness of indulging in something that was not meant for you. Through this small act, Williams captures the complexities of desire, temptation, and enjoyment, illustrating how food can symbolize both pleasure and guilt.
2. “The Song of the Shirt” by Thomas Hood
Excerpt from the Poem:
With fingers weary and worn,
With eyelids heavy and red,
A woman sat in the snow,
Eating a crust of bread.
She was not hungry, but there was a
Hunger gnawing her soul.
Analysis:
In “The Song of the Shirt,” Thomas Hood uses food as a representation of deprivation and struggle. The image of a woman eating “a crust of bread” reflects her poverty and weariness, and food in this poem becomes a symbol of survival rather than pleasure. The contrast between the act of eating and the absence of hunger captures the emotional and physical toll of hardship. The poem uses food to highlight issues of inequality and the plight of the working class, offering a powerful commentary on the role food plays in shaping lives under difficult circumstances.
3. “The Pancake” by Dorianne Laux
Excerpt from the Poem:
I made pancakes this morning,
my daughter sitting beside me
reading the paper,
and I thought about my mother,
how she used to stand over the stove
and stir, pour, and flip the batter.
Analysis:
Dorianne Laux’s “The Pancake” uses food to evoke memory and nostalgia. The simple act of making pancakes becomes an opportunity to reflect on the speaker’s relationship with her mother. Food, in this case, acts as a bridge between past and present, evoking the warmth and comfort of family traditions. The process of making pancakes is not just about nourishment but about passing down rituals and creating memories. Laux demonstrates how food can act as a medium for emotional connection, particularly through the sharing of everyday meals that take on deeper significance over time.
4. “Ode to a Lemon” by Pablo Neruda
Excerpt from the Poem:
You are so small,
so much smaller than a fist,
and yet you are
a magic fruit.
You grow on a tree
but you are not of the tree,
not of the ground.
You are of the sun
and of the sky.
You are the sun in the sky.
Analysis:
In “Ode to a Lemon,” Pablo Neruda celebrates the lemon in an almost reverential tone, elevating this simple fruit to the status of a “magic fruit.” The poem is an example of Neruda’s mastery of “odes,” in which everyday objects, in this case food, are imbued with grandeur and significance. The lemon is praised not just for its taste but for its connection to the sun and the sky, highlighting the way food, though grounded in the earth, can carry with it the essence of nature. The poem is an exploration of the beauty found in the simplest of foods and the emotional and sensory experiences that food evokes.
5. “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti
Excerpt from the Poem:
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit.
Analysis:
Christina Rossetti’s “A Birthday” is a celebration of love and renewal, and while it does not focus directly on food, it uses food imagery to convey the richness of the emotions the speaker is experiencing. The comparison of the heart to an apple tree “bent with thick-set fruit” uses food to symbolize abundance, joy, and the fullness of love. The fruit, in this case, represents a gift — something sweet and nourishing, echoing the sense of fulfillment and love the speaker feels. Through food imagery, Rossetti conveys the emotional satisfaction that comes with love, showing how food can symbolize the richness of human experience.
6. “The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks
Excerpt from the Poem:
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is served in the living room.
They sit at the table and eat beans.
They eat beans mostly.
Analysis:
Gwendolyn Brooks’ “The Bean Eaters” presents a portrait of an elderly couple who eat beans as their primary meal. The repetitive nature of “They eat beans mostly” emphasizes the simplicity and modesty of their lives. Food here symbolizes both sustenance and the passage of time. The repetition suggests a routine, possibly born out of necessity, but also evokes a sense of comfort and continuity. The poem’s focus on beans, a simple and humble food, also reflects the couple’s resilience and quiet dignity in the face of aging. Brooks uses food to convey themes of simplicity, memory, and endurance.
7. “The Cherry Trees” by A.E. Housman
Excerpt from the Poem:
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Analysis:
A.E. Housman’s “The Cherry Trees” is a celebration of nature’s beauty, with food playing a symbolic role. While the poem does not focus directly on the act of eating, it highlights the cherry trees in full bloom during Eastertide, suggesting the promise of fruit to come. Food, in this case, represents the cycle of life and the fleeting nature of time. Housman uses the imagery of the cherry trees to remind the reader to appreciate the present moment and the beauty that nature provides, which will soon bear fruit — a cycle that mirrors the rhythms of life.
8. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
Excerpt from the Poem:
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
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells…
Analysis:
T.S. Eliot‘s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” uses food imagery to enhance the disillusionment and alienation felt by the speaker. The “sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells” evoke a sense of decay and desolation, showing the speaker’s dissatisfaction with his life. The reference to food here is not about nourishment or pleasure but rather about the emptiness of a world where food and comfort are disconnected from meaning. Eliot uses food to reflect the bleakness and fragmentation of modern existence, demonstrating how food can also symbolize deprivation and emotional hunger.
9. “The Carrot” by Marie Ponsot
Excerpt from the Poem:
This is the carrot I like best,
Its orange top curling like a tail
its leaves, full of sunshine.
Analysis:
In “The Carrot,” Marie Ponsot explores the humble beauty of food. The carrot, as described in the poem, is not just a vegetable but an object of admiration. The sensory details — its “orange top” and the way its leaves curl — convey the richness of the carrot’s form, evoking a sense of appreciation for the simplicity and nourishment it provides. The poem celebrates food not only as sustenance but as an object of aesthetic pleasure, reminding readers to see beauty in everyday things.
10. “Soup” by Anne Sexton
Excerpt from the Poem:
We are all soup,
we are all hot soup
but that is why I prefer to say
we are all going to the kitchen
to serve ourselves.
Analysis:
In “Soup,” Anne Sexton reflects on the connection between food and human experience. The metaphor of soup serves as a way to discuss life itself — its mixture of ingredients, its variety, and its warmth. The notion that “we are all soup” suggests that we are all interconnected, both in our composition and in our consumption. Food here symbolizes both unity and individuality, with the act of preparing and sharing a meal becoming a metaphor for understanding our place in the world.
11. “A Strawberry” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Excerpt from the Poem:
What is a strawberry?
Is it a simple fruit,
Or is it the soul of a moment,
Bursting with sweetness?
Analysis:
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “A Strawberry” uses the fruit as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. The strawberry, a fruit that is both delicate and fleeting, is a symbol of the fleeting nature of pleasure and beauty. Millay uses the strawberry to explore themes of desire, indulgence, and temporality, reminding the reader to appreciate the sweetness of life while it lasts. Food here is a metaphor for the richness and brevity of experience.
12. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
Excerpt from the Poem:
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountains yields.
Analysis:
Christopher Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” invites the beloved to live a life of pleasure and abundance, including food. Though the poem is more focused on the idealized, idyllic life, food plays a role in the pleasures that nature offers. The image of “food” in the “groves” and “fields” connects food with natural beauty and the pleasures of simple, rustic living. In this way, food becomes a symbol of an idyllic, sensual life shared between two lovers.
13. “Tommy” by Rudyard Kipling
Excerpt from the Poem:
We are the poor man’s pride,
And we can eat anything
And laugh at the world, and say
We are Tommy Atkins.
Analysis:
In Rudyard Kipling’s “Tommy,” the food that soldiers consume is symbolic of their toughness and endurance. The phrase “We can eat anything” speaks to the resilience and adaptability of soldiers, who are often called upon to eat whatever is available. Food in this poem becomes a symbol of strength, survival, and identity, reflecting the way soldiers derive power from their ability to endure hardship, including eating what others may consider unpleasant or difficult.
14. “Honey” by Mary Oliver
Excerpt from the Poem:
The bees are flying everywhere,
filling the air with their hum
of pure sweetness.
The honey is being made
as the sun moves across the sky.
Analysis:
Mary Oliver’s “Honey” reflects the natural process of bees gathering nectar and turning it into honey, symbolizing the sweet rewards of nature. The process of food creation — honey, in this case — is both literal and metaphorical. It speaks to the interconnectedness of life and the cycles of nature, where food is produced not just for nourishment but for the sustaining of life itself. Honey, as a symbol of sweetness and hard work, is a reminder to appreciate the beauty of the natural world and the efforts that go into the simplest pleasures.
Conclusion
Food has long been an essential theme in poetry, providing not only sustenance but also deep metaphors for the human experience. From the simple joy of eating to the symbolic representations of abundance, deprivation, and tradition, these 14 poems show how food can be a powerful force in shaping our understanding of life, love, and existence. Whether exploring the pleasures of a sweet fruit, the hardship of scarcity, or the rituals surrounding shared meals, these poems about food offer a rich exploration of the many ways in which food nurtures the body, mind, and soul.
