Poems in the Public Domain
InterPure
Poetry “sings the language” and connects people
Poetry can be a powerful way to express emotions and thoughts. It helps express and process feelings, which contributes to emotional development. In addition, poetry encourages creative thinking and language skills.Moreover, poetry can help us feel connected to others. Reading and writing poems allows us to share experiences and perspectives, which promotes empathy and understanding. And of course poetry can also be a source of comfort and inspiration, especially in difficult times.Two poems are added to the site every month. I would like others to enjoy these poems too. Poetry “sings the language” and connects people. A word is dead, when it is said Some say - I say it just begins to live That day Emily Dickinson | Listen
About
My name is Klaas and I live in The Netherlands. InterPure is a personal website. Over the years hundreds of poems in the public domain have been colleted. The poems and poets can be found on the worldwide web. If you are charmed by a poet, you can search the internet for more poems and background information on the poet. Two new poems are posted on the site every month. After ten poems have been replaced by new ones, the replaced poems are bundled into a PDF document and are available to download for free. This way, you can still enjoy the poems you missed. More poems on our Pinterest-site! Download poems 2025 Do you work in education? Then take a look at blomke.com. Here you will find poems with assignments for students.More poems on our Pinterest-site!
III
by James Joyce (1882-1941) At that hour when all things have repose, O lonely watcher of the skies, Do you hear the night wind and the sighs Of harps playing unto Love to unclose The pale gates of sunrise? When all things repose, do you alone Awake to hear the sweet harps play To Love before him on his way, And the night wind answering in antiphon Till night is overgone? Play on, invisible harps, unto Love, Whose way in heaven is aglow At that hour when soft lights come and go, Soft sweet music in the air above And in the earth below.A Mystery
by James Ephraim McGirt (1874-1930) I do not know the ocean’s song, Or what the brooklets say; At eve I sit and listen long, I cannot learn their lay. But as I linger by the sea, And that sweet song comes unto me, It seems, my love, it sings of thee. I do not know why poppies grow, Amid the wheat and rye, The lilies bloom as white as snow, I cannot tell you why. But all the flowers of the spring, The bees that hum, the birds that sing, A thought of you they seem to bring. I cannot tell why silvery Mars, Moves through the heav’ns at night; I cannot tell you why the stars, Adorn the vault with light. But what sublimity I see, Upon the mount, the hill, the lea, It brings, my love, a thought of thee. I do not know what in your eyes, That caused my heart to glow, And why my spirit longs and cries, I vow, I do not know. But when you first came in my sight, My slumbering soul awoke in light, And since the day I’ve known no night.III
James Joyce's III is a lyrical poem that evokes a dreamlike atmosphere of silence, music and longing. Set during the peaceful hours before sunrise, it invites readers to picture unseen harps and gentle breezes welcoming the arrival of Love. Using musical imagery and a reflective tone, Joyce explores the mysterious connection between nature, beauty and human emotion, depicting love as a force that seems to bring harmony to the world around us.A Mystery
In A Mystery, James Ephraim McGirt reflects on the many inexplicable wonders of life. The speaker contemplates the sea, flowers and stars, acknowledging that their deeper significance remains elusive. Yet everything in nature seems to evoke thoughts of a beloved person. Through graceful imagery and a contemplative tone, the poem portrays love as an enigmatic force that transcends reason and comprehension.Since feeling is first
E.E.Cummings (1894-1962) since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you; wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world my blood approves, and kisses are a better fate than wisdom lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry —the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids’ flutter which says we are for each other: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesisSay what you will, and scratch my heart to find
Edna St.Vincent Millay (1892-1950) Say what you will, and scratch my heart to find The roots of last year’s roses in my breast; I am as surely riper in my mind As if the fruit stood in the stalls confessed. Laugh at the unshed leaf, say what you will, Call me in all things what I was before, A flutterer in the wind, a woman still; I tell you I am what I was and more. My branches weigh me down, frost cleans the air. My sky is black with small birds bearing south; Say what you will, confuse me with fine care, Put by my word as but an April truth,— Autumn is no less on me that a rose Hugs the brown bough and sighs before it goes.Since feeling is first
In his poem 'Since Feeling Is First', E.E.Cummings celebrates intuition, love and living in the moment over strict logic and intellectual analysis. Through his distinctive experimental style and unconventional syntax, Cummings argues that emotion overrides reason. He reminds us that life and love should be experienced fully, stating that 'life is not a paragraph'.Say what you will, and scratch my heart to find
Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnet 'Say what you will, and scratch my heart to find' is a fierce declaration of emotional independence and quiet resilience. Written with her characteristic wit and candour, the speaker invites a critic or lover to explore her inner world. Rather than revealing vulnerability or weakness, she reveals an inner strength that remains undaunted.Poem in your mailbox
As well as reading poems on our website and on Pinterest, you can also receive a poem from the public domain, complete with a short introduction, by email every Sunday. To receive a poem in your inbox every week, please enter your name and email in the form using the link below. Your name and email address will be used solely for the purpose of sending you the weekly poem. If you have any suggestions for the website and/or the weekly poems, please mail us at mailADDinterpure.nl. We use Enormail to automate our email campaigns. By submitting the form via the ‘Subscribe’ button, you agree that your data may be stored and used in Enormail in accordance with their privacy policy and terms and conditions. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly poem HERE.Vintage
by Amy Lowell (1874-1925) I will mix me a drink of stars,— Large stars with polychrome needles, Small stars jetting maroon and crimson, Cool, quiet, green stars. I will tear them out of the sky, And squeeze them over an old silver cup, And I will pour the cold scorn of my Beloved into it, So that my drink shall be bubbled with ice. It will lap and scratch As I swallow it down; And I shall feel it as a serpent of fire, Coiling and twisting in my belly. His snortings will rise to my head, And I shall be hot, and laugh, Forgetting that I have ever known a woman.Life
by Henrietta Cordelia Ray (1849-1917) Life! Ay, what is it? E’en a moment spun From cycles of eternity. And yet, What wrestling ’mid the fever and the fret Of tangled purposes and hopes undone! What affluence of love! What vict’ries won In agonies of silence, ere trust met A manifold fulfillment, and the wet, Beseeching eyes saw splendors past the sun! What struggle in the web of circumstance, And yearning in the wingèd music! All, One restless strife from fetters to be free; Till, gathered to eternity’s expanse, Is that brief moment at the Father’s call. Life! Ay, at best, ’tis but a mystery!Vintage
In her poem 'Vintage', Amy Lowell uses imagery of sun-warmed vineyards and the process of winemaking to explore the depths of passion and memory. Through the use of sensual language and vivid metaphors, Lowell transforms the harvested grapes into symbols of preserved desire and distilled human emotion. The poem captures a fleeting moment in time and transforms it into an enduring essence that remains vibrant long after the initial harvest has passed.Life
In her sonnet "Life", Henrietta Cordelia Ray contemplates human existence, setting brief mortality against vast eternity. Through the use of evocative language, Ray strikes a balance between the inevitable struggles of unfulfilled hopes, or the 'fever and the fret', and the profound triumphs born of silent resilience and love. Ultimately, the poem acknowledges life as a divine and beautiful mystery, framing it as an intricate, restless quest for spiritual freedom.
Copyright 2026 | Interpure
Poems in the Public Domain
InterPure
Poetry “sings the language” and
connects people
Poetry can be a powerful way to express emotions and thoughts. It helps express and process feelings, which contributes to emotional development. In addition, poetry encourages creative thinking and language skills.Moreover, poetry can help us feel connected to others. Reading and writing poems allows us to share experiences and perspectives, which promotes empathy and understanding. And of course poetry can also be a source of comfort and inspiration, especially in difficult times.Two poems are added to the site every month. I would like others to enjoy these poems too. Poetry “sings the language” and connects people. A word is dead, when it is said Some say - I say it just begins to live That day Emily Dickinson | Listen
About
My name is Klaas and I live in The Netherlands. InterPure is a personal website. Over the years hundreds of poems in the public domain have been colleted. The poems and poets can be found on the worldwide web. If you are charmed by a poet, you can search the internet for more poems and background information on the poet. Two new poems are posted on the site every month. After ten poems have been replaced by new ones, the replaced poems are bundled into a PDF document and are available to download for free. This way, you can still enjoy the poems you missed. More poems on our Pinterest-site! Download poems 2025 Do you work in education? Then take a look at blomke.com. Here you will find poems with assignments for students.More poems on our Pinterest-site!
III
by James Joyce (1882-1941) At that hour when all things have repose, O lonely watcher of the skies, Do you hear the night wind and the sighs Of harps playing unto Love to unclose The pale gates of sunrise? When all things repose, do you alone Awake to hear the sweet harps play To Love before him on his way, And the night wind answering in antiphon Till night is overgone? Play on, invisible harps, unto Love, Whose way in heaven is aglow At that hour when soft lights come and go, Soft sweet music in the air above And in the earth below.A Mystery
by James Ephraim McGirt (1874-1930) I do not know the ocean’s song, Or what the brooklets say; At eve I sit and listen long, I cannot learn their lay. But as I linger by the sea, And that sweet song comes unto me, It seems, my love, it sings of thee. I do not know why poppies grow, Amid the wheat and rye, The lilies bloom as white as snow, I cannot tell you why. But all the flowers of the spring, The bees that hum, the birds that sing, A thought of you they seem to bring. I cannot tell why silvery Mars, Moves through the heav’ns at night; I cannot tell you why the stars, Adorn the vault with light. But what sublimity I see, Upon the mount, the hill, the lea, It brings, my love, a thought of thee. I do not know what in your eyes, That caused my heart to glow, And why my spirit longs and cries, I vow, I do not know. But when you first came in my sight, My slumbering soul awoke in light, And since the day I’ve known no night.III
James Joyce's III is a lyrical poem that evokes a dreamlike atmosphere of silence, music and longing. Set during the peaceful hours before sunrise, it invites readers to picture unseen harps and gentle breezes welcoming the arrival of Love. Using musical imagery and a reflective tone, Joyce explores the mysterious connection between nature, beauty and human emotion, depicting love as a force that seems to bring harmony to the world around us.A Mystery
In A Mystery, James Ephraim McGirt reflects on the many inexplicable wonders of life. The speaker contemplates the sea, flowers and stars, acknowledging that their deeper significance remains elusive. Yet everything in nature seems to evoke thoughts of a beloved person. Through graceful imagery and a contemplative tone, the poem portrays love as an enigmatic force that transcends reason and comprehension.Since feeling is first
E.E.Cummings (1894-1962) since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you; wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world my blood approves, and kisses are a better fate than wisdom lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry —the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids’ flutter which says we are for each other: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesisSay what you will, and scratch
my heart to find
Edna St.Vincent Millay (1892-1950) Say what you will, and scratch my heart to find The roots of last year’s roses in my breast; I am as surely riper in my mind As if the fruit stood in the stalls confessed. Laugh at the unshed leaf, say what you will, Call me in all things what I was before, A flutterer in the wind, a woman still; I tell you I am what I was and more. My branches weigh me down, frost cleans the air. My sky is black with small birds bearing south; Say what you will, confuse me with fine care, Put by my word as but an April truth,— Autumn is no less on me that a rose Hugs the brown bough and sighs before it goes.Since feeling is first
In his poem 'Since Feeling Is First', E.E.Cummings celebrates intuition, love and living in the moment over strict logic and intellectual analysis. Through his distinctive experimental style and unconventional syntax, Cummings argues that emotion overrides reason. He reminds us that life and love should be experienced fully, stating that 'life is not a paragraph'.Say what you will, and scratch
my heart to find
Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnet 'Say what you will, and scratch my heart to find' is a fierce declaration of emotional independence and quiet resilience. Written with her characteristic wit and candour, the speaker invites a critic or lover to explore her inner world. Rather than revealing vulnerability or weakness, she reveals an inner strength that remains undaunted.Poem in your mailbox
As well as reading poems on our website and on Pinterest, you can also receive a poem from the public domain, complete with a short introduction, by email every Sunday. To receive a poem in your inbox every week, please enter your name and email in the form using the link below. Your name and email address will be used solely for the purpose of sending you the weekly poem. If you have any suggestions for the website and/or the weekly poems, please mail us at mailADDinterpure.nl. We use Enormail to automate our email campaigns. By submitting the form via the ‘Subscribe’ button, you agree that your data may be stored and used in Enormail in accordance with their privacy policy and terms and conditions. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly poem HERE .Vintage
by Amy Lowell (1874-1925) I will mix me a drink of stars,— Large stars with polychrome needles, Small stars jetting maroon and crimson, Cool, quiet, green stars. I will tear them out of the sky, And squeeze them over an old silver cup, And I will pour the cold scorn of my Beloved into it, So that my drink shall be bubbled with ice. It will lap and scratch As I swallow it down; And I shall feel it as a serpent of fire, Coiling and twisting in my belly. His snortings will rise to my head, And I shall be hot, and laugh, Forgetting that I have ever known a woman.Life
by Henrietta Cordelia Ray (1849-1917) Life! Ay, what is it? E’en a moment spun From cycles of eternity. And yet, What wrestling ’mid the fever and the fret Of tangled purposes and hopes undone! What affluence of love! What vict’ries won In agonies of silence, ere trust met A manifold fulfillment, and the wet, Beseeching eyes saw splendors past the sun! What struggle in the web of circumstance, And yearning in the wingèd music! All, One restless strife from fetters to be free; Till, gathered to eternity’s expanse, Is that brief moment at the Father’s call. Life! Ay, at best, ’tis but a mystery!Vintage
In her poem 'Vintage', Amy Lowell uses imagery of sun-warmed vineyards and the process of winemaking to explore the depths of passion and memory. Through the use of sensual language and vivid metaphors, Lowell transforms the harvested grapes into symbols of preserved desire and distilled human emotion. The poem captures a fleeting moment in time and transforms it into an enduring essence that remains vibrant long after the initial harvest has passed.Life
In her sonnet "Life", Henrietta Cordelia Ray contemplates human existence, setting brief mortality against vast eternity. Through the use of evocative language, Ray strikes a balance between the inevitable struggles of unfulfilled hopes, or the 'fever and the fret', and the profound triumphs born of silent resilience and love. Ultimately, the poem acknowledges life as a divine and beautiful mystery, framing it as an intricate, restless quest for spiritual freedom.
Copyright 2026 | Interpure
