Welcome to a reading, summary, and analysis of "Introduction to Poetry" by two time US Poet Laurette, Billy Collins. In this poem, Collins examines the beautiful world of poetry, and how it all too often turns nightmarish in the...

Why would a poet use ambiguity? What do I do if I can't figure out what an image means? How come these words are haunting my dreams? All of these questions and more are addressed in this reading, summary, and analysis of Louis Gluck's...

As we approach the end of the poem, we see a man in crisis. Join us as we explore Stanzas 6, 7 and the poem’s final, disturbing line. As always, our analysis is stress-free, using vibrant visuals and easy explanations. To give you the...

Join us as we continue our detailed analysis of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. In this lesson, we will look at lines 37-54, examining T.S. Eliot’s use of poetic form and language to portray a man in...

In this lesson, we celebrate reaching the half-way point in our analysis of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. We will recap key points from previous lessons before we move on to look at lines 55-59. We enlist the help...

In this lesson, we’ll analyse lines 87-110 of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. We are projected into future scenarios as Prufrock speculates over the possible consequences of asking a woman his ‘overwhelming...

It is our pleasure to introduce one of the most important poets of the English-speaking canon: T.S. Eliot. Learn about his background, context and how he became the ‘voice of the Lost Generation’. We’ll also discuss Modernism and some...

Are you ready to perfect your understanding of one of the most important poems of the 20th century? Join us for a rigorous and entertaining analysis of the epigraph and lines 1-14 of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred...

In our final lesson on T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, we analyse lines 111-131. Find out how Prufrock resolves his dilemma and prepares himself for the future. As always, we make this challenging poem stress-free...

Join us as we continue our close analysis of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. In this lesson we’ll look at lines 70-86 which reveal Prufrock’s existential angst. This part of the poem contains some of the most famous...

Join us for a psychedelic stroll through the city streets of the early 1900s. As the clock strikes midnight, strange and sinister things begin to happen. Enjoy our step-by-step guide through Stanzas 1 and 2 of ‘Rhapsody on a Windy...

Between the hours of 2:30 and 3:30am, our journey through the lonely city streets takes a darker turn. Unpleasant memories are triggered and the world seems like a broken, twisted place. Our analysis of Stanzas 3, 4 and 5 makes studying...

Meet Rosemary Dobson, a great Australian poet. Find out who she was, where she came from and why her poems are remarkable. We’ll look at her personal and contextual influences, which ranged from her Australian identity to Classical art....

Enjoy this detailed analysis of Prelude 1 of T.S. Eliot’s famous quadriptych poem ‘Preludes’. Grab your notes as we guide you through this opening Prelude, filled with the wintry sights and smells of a nameless city in the early...

Roses are red, violets are blue… What on Earth CAN’T a poem do? In this episode of Crash Course Kids Literature, we dive into the poems that make up Thanhhà Lại’s verse novel, “Inside Out and Back Again” and the figurative language that...

Open up almost any children's book and what do you see? Pages and pages of beautifully fun poetry! Children grow up learning to read poetry, so why do so few high school students appreciate it? And when does this shift take place? In...

In this video, viewers explore Shakespeare's use of the Sonnet form in Act 1, Scene 5 of "Romeo and Juliet." Through analysis of the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet, the video highlights the structure of the Sonnet and its significance...

Poetry explications are one of the ultimate tests for any literature student. How do you conceive and defend an argument about a poem using nothing but the poem itself? This video shows you how to interpret, listen to, question, and...

From the Master of monologue poems, "The Unknown" is my favorite piece in Spoon River Anthology. This reading, summary, and analysis of Edgar Lee Master's poem explores the meaning behind the unnamed speaker's tragic journey through life...

Inspiration can be cruel, and artists often feel lost without it. And when it won't show up, which will happen, creative types turn to a myriad of restorative methods: running, isolation, reading, and, most infamously, drugs. But while...

In this lesson, we’ll analyse lines 15-36 of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’. Enjoy this relatable and thought-provoking journey into the mind of J. Alfred Prufrock as he struggles with anxiety and indecision. Learn...

Join us for the conclusion of our urban wanderings as we analyse Prelude 4 of T.S. Eliot’s ‘Preludes’. As the sun sets, there is an unexpected vision on the horizon. Is there hope for this corrupted metropolis?

Language...

Discover how Dobson uses the imagery of a picnic to explore the ephemerality of youth.

An autumnal bush scene sets the stage for a picnic. Sit with the speaker as she stews over the past while her billy threatens to bubble over!...

Discover how Dobson uses a childhood memory of meeting an old man to explore human connections.

An old man and a child gaze out over the landscape. A morning mist has spread out over the hills. The two individuals never talk – they...