He Never Expected Much

Don’t look back in anger, advises Thomas Hardy; but is he hiding deeper regrets?

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The Spirit is too Blunt an Instrument

Anne Stevenson’s philosophical poem asks what it means to be truly alive.

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Charles Tennyson Turner finds himself unexpectedly moved by a tiny tragedy.

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Edward Thomas’ not-quite-a-war poem inspired by a tempestuous downpour.

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Follow Henry Wotton’s step-by-step guide to peace and contentment.

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See the lengths A.R.D. Fairburn will go to bury the misery of romantic failure.

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A sleepless night prompts Derek Walcott’s intense, introspective poem.

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Mary Monck ruminates on death and life in this touching verse-letter.

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Elinor Wylie teaches us to face adversity with a dignified smile.

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Boey Kim Cheng reveals the sinister side of relentless urbanisation in his poem that delivers a timely warning.

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