Missing You - A Collection of Poetic Expressions

　　There is no denying that the feeling of missing someone special is a universal emotion that has been depicted, explored and celebrated in poems, songs, literature and art across cultures and eras. From Shakespeares love sonnets to Leonard Cohens haunting lyrics, from Pablo Nerudas passionate verses to T.S. Eliots poignant lines, from ancient Chinese poetry to modern-day rap, the theme of longing, separation, and yearning for the presence of someone dear resonates deeply with countless hearts. In this article, we will take a journey through some of the most evocative and inspiring English poetry about missing - the beloved, the friend, the parent, the child, the partner, the soulmate.

　　

1. Songs of Love and Loss

　　"Your absence has gone through me Like thread through a needle Everything I do is stitched with its color." - W. S. Merwin, "Separation"

　　Perhaps the most common context for missing someone is in matters of romantic love, where the absence of the beloved can create a void that feels unbearable. The poets who have explored this feeling range from the sublime to the wistful, from the bittersweet to the anguished. The above lines by Merwin illustrate how the absence of a loved one can imbue even the most mundane actions with a sense of longing. Other poetic expressions of this emotion include:

　　

1. "When I had you, I never knew From you I went, and never could be merry So here I sit in melancholy mood For every thing Ive done since, tends just to make me sorry" - John Keats, "To Fanny"
2. "The night above the dingle starry, Time let me hail and climb Golden in the heydays of his eyes" - Dylan Thomas, "Love in the Asylum"
3. "I wish I could remember the first day, First hour, First moment of your meeting me; If bright or dim the season it might be Summer or winter for aught I can say. So unrecorded did it slip away," - Christina Rossetti, "Remember"

2. Missing a Friend

　　"The lost friends who passed Like year on fading year For them is no relief But animating grief That springs afresh from every daily thing." - Samuel Coleridge, "To Nature"

　　Friends are among the most cherished and valued people in our lives, and their absence can cause a profound sense of loneliness and melancholy. Whether due to distance, disagreements, or death, the loss of a friend can leave one feeling adrift. The following poems capture this sentiment:

　　

1. "Ah, my dear angry Lord, Since thou dost love yet strike; Cast down, yet help afford; Sure I will do the like. I will complain, yet praise; I will bewail the sin, Yet not forget thy grace, But fix my griefs within. - George Herbert, "The Collar"
2. "Oh, the comfort of feeling safe with a person, Having neither to weigh thoughts, Nor measure words--but pouring them All right out--just as they are-- Chaff and grain together, Certain that a faithful hand will Take and sift them, Lengthen out the joyous treatment, And bear them away, Serenely unaware Of the Swift, keen scrutinym Which my thoughtless words have Probably provoked." - Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, "A Life for a Life."
3. "What you have lost will not be returned to you; It will always be lost. Youre left with only your scars to mark the void. All you can choose to do is go on, Or not" - Joyce Carol Oates, "The Lost Friend"

3. Longing for a Parent

　　"Speak to me, father, speak to your little boy Or else I shall be lost, The breeze whispers in my ear that you are gone, But the sun has not abandoned the sky." - Langston Hughes, "My Father is Gone"

　　The bond between a parent and child is perhaps one of the most fundamental and enduring connections in our lives. The loss of a parent can be especially difficult to bear, as it may evoke memories of childhood, feelings of insecurity and dependency, and a sense of regret for unfinished conversations or unfulfilled dreams. These poems offer a glimpse into the complexity and poignancy of missing a parent:

　　

1. "In the shade of a quiet rage, tugging at my sleeve, you whispered, "I am not the child anymore." And we both knew the truth of it - from Margaret Atwood, "The Woman Who Could Not Live With Her Faulty Heart"
2. "I dream of you walking at night along the streams Of the country of my birth, Warm blooms and the nightsongs Of birds opening around you as you walk" - Margaret Atwood, "Variation on the Word Sleep"
3. "You might be thinking of me as well, smelling my scent in the air, hearing my voice in the trees. You might be wondering if I am out there, searching for you as well." - Andrea Gibson, "A Letter to My Old Love"

4. Separation from a Partner or Spouse

　　"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." -Maya Angelou, "All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes"

　　The end of a love relationship, whether by choice or circumstance, can be one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. The loss of physical presence, emotional support, and shared memories can feel like a gaping wound that refuses to heal. These examples of poetry convey the depth of emotion often associated with parting with a partner:

　　

1. "What you see is the surface sadness And what sings in me underneath Seamlessly molding itself to each contour" - Kim Addonizio, "What Do Women Want?"
2. "But now you have gone and joined the clouds To find a better place So, like loneliness, grief now shrouds The smile upon my face" - Emily Dickson, "I Measure Every Grief I Meet."
3. "It will be strange When you come back It will be terribly strange On account of my missing you
4. - John Ashbery "There Are Nights"

5. Searching for a Soul Mate

　　"If I call out to you, its only a whim And I wonder what has come over you The loneliness that makes a life too grim And unworthy of trying to see this human zoo." - Frank Zappa, "Im Not Satisfied"

　　The quest for a soul mate, a person who shares your values, passions, and dreams, and who completes you in ways you can hardly express, is a recurring theme in poetry. The poets who feel this "homesickness" cherish the idea of finding their missing half, and lament the difficulty of meeting someone who fits their mold. Here are some examples of such poetry:

　　

1. "Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove, That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods, or steepy mountain yields. And we will sit upon rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks" - Christopher Marlowe, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
2. "There is longing here for something vaguely true That will make sense of all these broken rhythms And the fields will lie still in wonder Glowing with the last heat of day Until I find you And the world crashes open" - Audre Lorde, "The Black Unicorn"
3. "I cannot but remember when the year Grew damp with rain, and plumes waved dark and drear; Then lonely lodging used to tease And mocks me with its memories;" - Thomas Hardy, "The Going"

In conclusion, the feeling of missing someone is a natural and inescapable part of the human experience. Our hearts are wired to form bonds, to seek connection and companionship. When these connections are broken, the longing for them may linger on, like an echo or a ghost. The poetry that expresses this sentiment touches us deeply, allowing us to share in the joys and sorrows of others, to find solace and comfort in their words, and to feel, through our own tears and struggles, the shared humanity that unites us all.