The following bibliography consists of about fifty poems which either may be found in anthologies for the foreign language classroom or which have been recommended for teaching purposes: in the sources quoted the reader very often finds attempts at interpretations as well as suggestions for teaching. The poems have been divided into some essential categories which are simply meant as a quick source of orientation. Anyone who is interested in the text of poems generally speaking may consult the following internet resource which is linked with this site: http://people.freenet.de/lyrikzirkel

Poems for Foreign Language Teaching Purposes: a Selected Bibliography of Fifty Titles and Sources

Les Parsons: "Why Can’t I?"; Cf. Poetry. Themes and Activities Exploring the Fun and Fantasy of Language (Markham/Ontario: Pembroke, 1992), pp. 48-58.

Les Parsons: "The 'Awful' A, B, Cs". Cf. Poetry. Themes and Activities Exploring the Fun and Fantasy of Language (Markham/Ontario: Pembroke, 1992), pp. 84-90.

William Shakespeare: "My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun" (Sonnet 130). Cf. Peter Noçon (ed.), The English Sonnet. An Introduction to the Study of Poetry. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), p. 45.
Cf. also Helmut Slogsnat, "Eine Sonettfolge als Index epochaler Prozesse", Anglistik und Englischunterricht 11 (1980), pp. 125-164.

William Wordsworth: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Cf. Adelheid Petruschke/Angelika Rösner, Stundenblätter. Lyrische Texte im Englischunterricht. Drei Bausteine für die Sekundarstufe II (Stuttgart: Klett, 1988), pp. 45-51.
Cf. also Stephan Kohl, "Landschafts-Erfahrung: von der sensiblen zur mechanischen Reise", in: Hans Jürgen Diller (ed.), Lyrische Kontraste. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 26 (1985), pp. 87-91 and pp. 100-101.

Matthew Arnold: "Dover Beach". Cf. Adelheid Petruschke/Angelika Rösner, Stundenblätter. Lyrische Texte im Englischunterricht. Drei Bausteine für die Sekundarstufe II (Stuttgart: Klett, 1988), pp. 56-65 [compared to the above quoted Wordsworth poem].

Randall Dudley: "The Melting Pot". Cf. Peter Bischoff (ed.), America the Melting Pot (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1978), p. 10.

John Donne: "Batter my Heart, Three-personed God". Cf. Peter Noçon (ed.), The English Sonnet. An Introduction to the Study of Poetry. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), p. 53.

William Wordsworth: "Composed on Westminster Bridge". Cf. Peter Noçon (ed.), The English Sonnet. An Introduction to the Study of Poetry. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), pp. 63-64.
Cf. also Peter Günther, "Anglo-amerikanische Großstadtlyrik im Englischunterricht der Sekundarstufe II", Die Neueren Sprachen 79 (1980), pp. 604-618.
Cf. also Peter Lach-Newinsky/Martin Seletzky (eds.), Working With Poetry (Bochum: Kamp, 1985), p. 18.
Cf. Horst Meller/Helmut Slogsnat (eds.), London: The Urban Experience in Poetry and Prose. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1987), pp. 54-57.
Cf. also Willi Real, "Satire in Class: Methodological Reflections", in: Hermann Josef Real (ed.), Teaching Satire: Dryden to Pope (Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1992), pp. 28-32.
Cf. also Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 181.

William Blake: "London". Cf. Horst Meller/Helmut Slogsnat (eds.), London: The Urban Experience in Poetry and Prose. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1987), pp. 48-51.
Cf. also Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 180.

W. H. Auden: "As I Walked Out One Evening". Cf. Horst Meller, "Audens 'As I Walked Out One Evening' and Blakes 'London'. Zwei Epiphanien großstädtischer Unheimlichkeit", in: Hans Jürgen Diller (ed.), Lyrische Kontraste. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 26 (1985), pp. 107-125.

Carl Sandburg: "Chicago". Cf. Peter Günther, "Anglo-amerikanische Großstadtlyrik im Englischunterricht der Sekundarstufe II", Die Neueren Sprachen 79 (1980), pp. 604-618.
Cf. also Adelheid Petruschke/Angelika Rösner, Stundenblätter. Lyrische Texte im Englischunterricht. Drei Bausteine für die Sekundarstufe II (Stuttgart: Klett, 1988), pp. 33-38.

John Betjeman: "The City". Cf. Michael Bludau, "Kulturelle Kompetenz und der Umgang mit Gedichten im Englischunterricht", Neusprachliche Mitteilungen 39 (1986), p. 20.

Gareth Owen: "Song of the City". Cf. Friedhold Schmidt/Gerd Ulmer and T. Lothar Wullen (eds.), Literature Live. An Introduction to Active Reading (Stuttgart: Klett, 1995), p. 106.

Langston Hughes: "Mother to Son". Cf. Klaus Ensslen: "Plain Living and Plain Talk in Langston Hughes' 'Mother to Son': A Poetics of the Black Folk Voice", in: Manfred Pfister (ed.), Teachable Poems. From Sting to Shelley. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 53 (1994), pp. 87-96.

Countee Cullen: "Incident". Cf. Peter Freese (ed.), Growing up Black in America. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), p. 22.
Cf. also Willi Real, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird. Ein Unterrichtsmodell (Heidelberg: Raabe-Verlag, April 1997), Material, p. 16. (10 RAAbits Englisch).

Nikki Giovanni: "Poem for Black Boys". Cf. Peter Freese (ed.), Growing up Black in America. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), p. 107.

Wole Soyinka: "Telephone Call". Cf. Joanne Collie and Stephen Slater, Literature in the Language Classroom (Cambridge University Press, 1987), pp. 235-236.

LeRoi Jones: "Ba'Ka". Cf. Michael Bludau, "Kulturelle Kompetenz und der Umgang mit Gedichten im Englischunterricht", Neusprachliche Mitteilungen 39 (1986), pp. 17-20.

Bob Dylan: "The Death of Emmett Till". Cf. Erwin Otto, "Balladeske Gegenbewegungen: Folk Ballad and Topical Song", in: Hans Jürgen Diller (ed.), Lyrische Kontraste. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 26 (1985), pp. 54-55.

Rupert Brooke: "Peace". Cf. Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 206.

Rupert Brooke: "The Dead". Cf. Johannes Klemenz, "Englische Lyrik des ersten Weltkriegs am Beispiel Rupert Brooke and Siegfried Sassoon", Die Neueren Sprachen 84 (1985), pp. 18-27 [contrastive analysis of "The Dead" and "A Working Party"].

Wilfried Owen: "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Cf. Peter Noçon (ed.), The English Sonnet. An Introduction to the Study of Poetry. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), pp. 97-98.
Cf. also J. Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 207.

Siegfried Sassoon: "Glory of Women". Cf. Ian Watson, War and Peace. Voices from the Battlefield (Stuttgart: Klett, 1995), p. 15.

Siegfried Sassoon: "A Working Party". Cf. Johannes Klemenz, "Englische Lyrik des ersten Weltkriegs am Beispiel Rupert Brooke and Siegfried Sassoon", Die Neueren Sprachen 84 (1985), pp. 18-27 [contrastive analysis of "The Dead" and "A Working Party"].

A. G. Herbert: "After the Battle". Cf. Ronald Carter and Michael N. Long, The Web of Words. Exploring Literature through Language (Cambridge University Press, 3rd printing 1992), p. 135.

Barry Sadler: "Ballad of the Green Berets". Cf. Peter Lach-Newinsky/Martin Seletzky (eds.), Working With Poetry (Bochum: Kamp, 1985), p. 70.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: "The Universal Soldier". Cf. Peter Lach-Newinsky/Martin Seletzky (eds.), Working With Poetry (Bochum: Kamp, 1985), pp. 69-70.

Bob Dylan: "With God on our Side". Cf. Gordon Green (ed.), Pop Texts and Analysis (Dortmund: Lensing, 1973), pp. 32-33.

a) protest/conflict between the generations:

John Lennon/Paul McCartney: "She's Leaving Home". Cf. Alan Maley/Sandra Moulding, Poem into Poem (Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 27-29.
Cf. also Wulf Künne/Helga Theis/Helmut Volkhausen, "Conformity and Dissent. Eine Lyrikreihe auf der Oberstufe", in: Joachim Kornelius/Erwin Otto (eds.), Anglistik, Richtlinien & Englischunterricht (Trier: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1983), pp. 117.

Peter Appleton: "Responsibility". Cf. Alan Maley/Alan Duff (eds.), The Inward Ear. Poetry in the Language Classroom (Cambridge University Press, 1989), pp. 80-82.

Adrian Mitchell: "Autobahnmotorwayautoroute". Cf. Karl J. Häußler, "Europe’s Vicious Circle: Adrian Mitchell’s 'Autobahnmotorwayautoroute'", in: Manfred Pfister (ed.), Teachable Poems. From Sting to Shelley. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 53 (1994), pp. 87-96.

b) loneliness:

Frances Park: "A Sad Song About Greenwich Village". Cf. Alan Maley/Sandra Moulding, Poem into Poem (Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 110-111.
Cf. also Alan Maley/ Alan Duff (eds.), The Inward Ear. Poetry in the Language Classroom (Cambridge University Press, 1989), p. 85.
Cf. also Willi Real, Harper Lee, 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Ein Unterrichtsmodell (Heidelberg: Raabe-Verlag, April 1997), Material, p. 10. (10 RAAbits Englisch).

Paul Simon: "I Am a Rock". Cf. Hilde Segna, "Annäherung an Lyrik mit Spaß und Phantasie", Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht - Englisch 28:15 (1994), p. 42.

John Lennon/Paul McCartney: "Eleanor Rigby". Cf. Alan Maley/Sandra Moulding, Poem into Poem (Cambridge University Press, 1994), p. 111.

c) illness/suffering:

Norman MacCaig: "Visiting Hour". Cf. Alan Maley/Sandra Moulding, Poem into Poem (Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 122-123.

Philip Larkin: "The Building". Cf. Hans Ulrich Seeber, "Philip Larkin’s 'The Building' and the Art of Sociography", in: Manfred Pfister (ed.), Teachable Poems. From Sting to Shelley. Anglistik und Englischunterricht 53 (1994), pp. 51-62.

W.H. Auden: "Musée des Beaux Arts" and William Carlos Williams, "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus". Cf. Alan Maley/Alan Duff (eds.), The Inward Ear. Poetry in the Language Classroom (Cambridge University Press, 1989), pp. 60-61 [contrastive analysis of the two poems].

Steve Turner: "The Jogger's Prayer". Cf. Friedhold Schmidt/Gerd Ulmer and T. Lothar Wullen (eds.), Literature Live. An Introduction to Active Reading (Stuttgart: Klett, 1995), p. 108.

Edgar Lee Masters: "Silence". Cf. Alan Duff/Alan Maley (eds.), Literature. Resource Books for Teachers (Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 121.

d) modern love poems:

Adrian Henry: "Love is ...". Cf. Heinz-Otto Hohmann, "Begegnung mit englischer Poesie", Neusprachliche Mitteilungen 39 (1986), p. 39.
Cf. also Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 49.
Cf. also Peter Lach-Newinsky/Martin Seletzky (eds.), Working With Poetry (Bochum: Kamp, 1985), p. 139.

William J. Harris: "Modern Romance", Cf. Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), pp. 82-83.

Adrian Henry: "Who?", Cf. Heinz-Otto Hohmann, "Begegnung mit englischer Poesie", Neusprachliche Mitteilungen 39 (1986), pp. 37-39.

Carol Ann Duffy: "Valentine". Cf. Friedhold Schmidt/Gerd Ulmer and T. Lothar Wullen (eds.), Literature Live. An Introduction to Active Reading (Stuttgart: Klett, 1995), pp. 33-34.

e) emancipation of women:

Simone Black: "Because I’m a Woman". Cf. Joachim Baldus/Liesel Hermes/Heinz Mathias Meltzer (eds.), Invitation to Literature (Berlin: Cornelsen, 1993), p. 33.
Cf. also Hilde Segna, "Annäherung an Lyrik mit Spaß und Phantasie", Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht - Englisch 28:15 (1994), p. 43.

Judith Viorst: "Where is it Written?". Cf. Horst Eickenberg, "Gedichte und Lieder in Kurssequenzen", Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht 21, Heft 83 (1987), p. 19.

f) identity:

e.e. cummings: "pity this busy monster, manunkind". Cf. Peter Noçon (ed.), The English Sonnet. An Introduction to the Study of Poetry. Students' Book (Paderborn: Schöningh, 1977), p. 103.
Cf. also Helmut Slogsnat, "Eine Sonettfolge als Index epochaler Prozesse", Anglistik und Englischunterricht 11 (1980), pp. 126-164.