While there is no shortage of romance poems in the world, there are equally as many beautiful poems about connection and platonic love. As we gear up for National Poetry Month in April, consider sharing one of these poems with a friend, whether it’s a coworker you see every day, or that childhood neighbor you haven’t seen in years. Here are our ten favorite poems about friendship.
10. “Red Brocade” by Naomi Shihab Nye
One of the most prominent Arab-American poets working today, Naomi Shihab Nye is famous for both her poetry and her profoundly sensitive children’s literature. In “Red Brocade,” Nye describes a custom wherein “when a stranger appears at your door, / feed him for three days / before asking who he is.” Her poem is a reminder to us all to be a bit more open-minded and to always save a place in our hearts for old friends.
RelatedDiscover the Different Types of Poetry: A Comprehensive Guide
9. “First full moon of a new and final decade” by June Jordan
This poem by Jamaican-American poet June Jordan is bursting with life. Published in the 1994 collection “Haruko: Love Poems,” it describes the quiet exhilaration of a night spent with friends. It’s a celebration of the moment and the importance of being present with your loved ones: “and the tides dissolve in dizzy / disarray,” she writes before concluding with a salute to “your smile / three thousand miles / away.”
8. “Poem” by Frank O’Hara
This short poem is characteristic of Frank O’Hara’s style: conversational, casual, and full of emotion. First published in 1954, it depicts a simple winter afternoon spent with a friend. The poem concludes by reminding us that we need nothing “more than earth and friends” to appreciate the quiet beauty of the world around us.
7. “On Friendship” by Kahlil Gibran
“The Prophet,” Kahlil Gibran’s 1923 poetry collection, is one of the best-selling books of all time. And for good reason: it beautifully explores universal themes like love, grief, connection, and change. “On Friendship” is one of the book’s highlights. Gibran asserts that “in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.”
6. “Your Catfish Friend” by Richard Brautigan
Published in 1969, this poem is about the sense of peace one finds in friendship. “I’d love you and be your catfish / a friend and drive such lonely / thoughts from your mind,” he writes, imagining his life as a catfish in a dark pond. The poem ends with a reminder that love from our truest friends is always there, even if it’s sometimes hard to see.
RelatedTop 5 Female Poets You Need to Discover
5. “To All My Friends” by May Yang
Often writing under the pen name “Hauntie,” May Yang is a first-generation Hmong-American poet from California. Her poem “To All My Friends” is a recognition of the sheer magic of simple existence and an expression of gratitude for friendship during difficult moments. “To all my friends who have been with me in weakness / when waterfalls rush down my two sides… I know you / I see you / I hear you,” she writes, “although the world is silent around you.”
4. “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost
Arguably one of the most famous American poets of the last century, Frost’s poetry and its influence are everywhere. In “Mending Wall,” Frost describes two neighbors collaborating to build a rock wall. The poem is famous for its line “Good fences make good neighbors,” but it’s equally a reminder of the joy of shared labor and reciprocity.
3. “Alone” by Maya Angelou
Equally famous for her work as a civil rights activist as for her writing, Maya Angelou was a staunch advocate for the power of community. A close friend of activists and writers like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Baldwin, her writing often bears the mark of their encouragement and impact on her life. In the poem “Alone,” Angelou reminds us that “Nobody, but nobody / Can make it out here alone.”
Related“It is Sweet and Glorious to Die for One’s Country”: The War Poetry of Wilfred Owen
2. “Skunk Hour” by Robert Lowell
Considered to be one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century American poetry, Robert Lowell was an innovator in “confessional poetry,” a style that was embraced by other contemporaries like Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.
Lowell’s decades-long friendship with the poet Elizabeth Bishop was incredibly important, and he wrote the poem “Skunk Hour” as a direct response to his friend’s earlier poem “The Armadillo.” Many readers have interpreted the titular skunk of the poem to be a stand-in for Bishop, a strong figure who “will not scare.”
1. “The Armadillo” by Elizabeth Bishop
Winner of the 1956 Pulitzer Prize, Elizabeth Bishop’s impact on contemporary American poetry cannot be overstated. (She also happens to be my favorite poet.) While her love poems are dazzling, what is more notable is Bishop’s ability to capture ideas of loneliness and the refuge that comes from close friendship.
“The Armadillo” was first published in The New Yorker magazine in 1957 and is dedicated to her friend Robert Lowell. It depicts a fiery celebration in Brazil, where Bishop lived, and can be interpreted as a reassurance to her friend that sometimes, it’s okay to be scared.
And there you have it. Ten of our favorite poems about friendship. If you’re looking for further inspiration, check out our piece on five of our top female poets. Happy reading!
