Good Life Poems for Teenagers

Choosing a Path

• Teens can easily relate to Robert Frost's iconic poem, "The Road Not Taken," because of its simple imagery and symbolism. In the poem, Frost describes standing at a fork in the forest path, and having to choose between two roads. After weighing his choices, he decides to choose "the one less traveled by." It is not an easy decision for him -- he was "sorry I could not travel both." This is a poem about making choices in life. As teens grow more independent from their families, they are faced with making more choices for themselves. Big decisions, such as choosing a career path, can feel overwhelming.

Falling in Love

• Nothing is quite like the roller coaster ride of falling in love for the first time. Teens navigating a youthful romance might enjoy "The Young Man's Song," by Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In this poem, Yeats celebrates the thrill of young love. "Go and love, go and love, young man," advises Yeats. E.E. Cummings' "somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond," is another love poem that teens might connect with. Cummings uses his signature playful style to create evocative images, comparing falling in love to a rose opening.

Overcoming Adversity

• W.S. Merwin's "Thanks," is a poem about having gratitude in the face of adversity. He alludes to many challenges including illness, losing a loved one, and poverty. Merwin concludes the poem with the lines, "we are saying thank you and waving, dark though it is." You can talk with your teen about how, even when life seems dark, one can still find things to be thankful for. In "Still I Rise," Maya Angelou writes about overcoming the oppression she faced as a black woman. "You may kill me with your hatefulness," writes Angelou, "but, still like air, I'll rise."

Wealth and Power

• In his famous sonnet "Ozymandias," Percy Bysshe Shelley describes a statue of an ancient king. The engraving on the statue reads, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, look on my works ... and despair!" Shelley writes that the statue is now in the middle of a desert wasteland. The king's impressive empire has vanished with time. You might use this poem to spark a discussion with your teen about their values surrounding money and power.