Inside: July Poems that will keep you rhyming all summer long.
July is one of the best months of the year. It’s right smack dab in the middle of summer, the weather is great, you spend time with your loved ones, and of course…you get to celebrate the 4th of July.
The 4th of July is such a special time for us in the States. It was one fateful day back in 1776, that we finally announced our break up with Great Britain, and became our own country. Since then it was forever known as independence day!
There are so many ways that Americans celebrate this fun holiday: BBQs, Games, Parties, and best of all fireworks.
This is an extra special day for our veterans. They risked their lives for our country, and they work hard for us every single day. The amount of pride and proudness they must feel being able to celebrate what they work so hard for is unimaginable.
Though the classic BBQ & Firework shindig is a great way to celebrate, I like to get in the 4th of July spirit by doing crafts, activities, and my ultimate favorite: Reading poetry. I have found that poetry puts you right into the beautiful space of being grateful and proud to be an American quicker than anything else.
Recounting some favorite and famous July poems is a wonderful way for us to not only pay our respects to our country and the people who have died for it but to also get a sense of collect appreciation. It brings you together with the whole country.
Although we have our issues that we continue to work through, The United States is still a wonderful place to live. So take a look at this list of my the best July Poems!
4th of July Poems
1. Forth of July
2. I Hear America Singing
3. America
4. Unknown
5. Paul Revere’s Ride
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch
Of the North-Church-tower, as a signal-light,—
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country-folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said “Good night!” and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war:
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon, like a prison-bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.
6. The Star Spangled Banner
O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
‘Tis the star-spangled banner; O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!
O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land,
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just.
And this be our motto— “In God is our trust; ”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
-Francis Scott Key
7. The American Soldier
Deep in a vale, a stranger now to arms,
Too poor to shine in courts, too proud to beg,
He, who once warred on Saratoga’s plains,
Sits musing o’er his scars, and wooden leg.
Remembering still the toil of former days,
To other hands he sees his earnings paid;—
They share the due reward—he feeds on praise.
Lost in the abyss of want, misfortune’s shade.
Far, far from domes where splendid tapers glare,
‘Tis his from dear bought peace no wealth to win,
Removed alike from courtly cringing ‘squires,
The great-man’s Levee, and the proud man’s grin.
-Philip Freneau
8. Flags
Everywhere, in the fertile soil of this land,
we’ve planted flags. Flags sprout like the hair
from an old man’s nostrils. Blue and white
or red, black, green and white, they shroud
windows, standing in for a family
you can’t see: a flag instead of the mother
who hums and spices the lentils, a flag
for father, who runs the blade against his cheek
each morning with the rooster’s kukuku.
Later, in the dark, he holds his wife
while the children sleep wrapped in flags.
Flags grow in the garden, flags from the beaks
of muted birds. Shredded flags drape phone wires,
flags hang from the pines like dead hands—
-Elana Bell
July Poetry
The month of July alone deserves all of the poetry to be written about it. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And I can say that because Christmas in July is a thing, remember? Plus the longer days, the fun summer memories, and many more…all of these things are in their prime in the month of July. Many people agree with this viewpoint, just see below.
9. Pleasant July
A very pleasant month is this
To be in a country town.
The sunlight doth the foliage kiss,
Each verdant leaflet beams with bliss,
I see not one that’s brown.
Fresh zephyrs fan the thrifty trees
The oaks, the elms, the willows,
The lake’s face caressed by the breeze
In imitation of the seas,
Is flecked with tiny billows.
-Robert F. Skillings
10. Fourth of July
Fourth of July, how sweet it sounds,
As every year it rolls around.
It brings active joy to boy and man,
This glorious day throughout our land.
We hail this day with joy and pride,
And speak of our forefathers who died;
Who fought for liberty in days of yore,
And drove the British from our shore.
We, as descendants of that race,
Should not now our land disgrace.
Arise, freeman, arise once more,
Be earnest as in the days of yore.
– Julia A Moore
11. July Forth By The Ocean
The continent’s a tamed ox, with all its mountains,
Powerful and servile; here is for plow land, here is
for park and playground, this helpless
Cataract for power; it lies behind us at heel
All docile between this ocean and the other. If
flood troubles the lowlands, or earthquake
Cracks walls, it is only a slave’s blunder or the
natural
Shudder of a new made slave. Therefore we happy
masters about the solstice
Light bonfires on the shore and celebrate our power.
The bay’s necklaced with fire, the bombs make crystal
fountains in the air, the rockets
Shower swan’s-neck over the night water…. I
imagined
The stars drew apart a little as if from troublesome
children, coldly compassionate;
But the ocean neither seemed astonished nor in awe:
If this had been the little sea that Xerxes whipped,
how it would have feared us.
-Robinson Jeffers
Famous July Poems
12. July Bounty
The figs we ate wrapped in bacon.
The gelato we consumed greedily:
coconut milk, clove, fresh pear.
How we’d dump hot espresso on it
just to watch it melt, licking our spoons
clean. The potatoes fried in duck fat,
the salt we’d suck off our fingers,
the eggs we’d watch get beaten
’til they were a dizzying bright yellow,
how their edges crisped in the pan.
The pink salt blossom of prosciutto
we pulled apart with our hands, melted
on our eager tongues. The green herbs
with goat cheese, the aged brie paired
with a small pot of strawberry jam,
the final sour cherry we kept politely
pushing onto each other’s plate, saying,
No, you. But it’s so good. No, it’s yours.
How I finally put an end to it, plucked it
from the plate, and stuck it in my mouth.
How good it tasted: so sweet and so tart.
How good it felt: to want something and
pretend you don’t, and to get it anyway.
-Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz
13. 4th of July Carnival
14. The Month of July
Under the shade of willow boughs dipping low, Beside the lily pond where lovely larkspur grow. My love and I recline in the midday of summer, In the month of July when temperatures swelter. I ravish her beauty and charm her with poetry, And we laugh together with pleasure in gaiety. Our hearts meld in a rush to see our cheeks blush, With words of commitment, dear to both of us. And we forget ourselves as our passions succumb, Led by love’s direction, so wonderfully sung, As our arms forward and envelop each other, And our eyes close and lips kiss with ardent desire. Should not youth savour its moment under the sun; Before water lilies wither and winter comes?
–Dennis Spilchuk
In the Month of July Poem Lines
July truly is such a great month. Oh, and did you know that July is actually good for you? Sounds like a funny statement but it’s true. Studies have shown that people are more likely to be active during the month of July, which then leads to healthier people, happier minds, and less depression. Who would of thought! If you haven’t been convinced that July is the greatest yet, then these last 3 should be the nail in the coffin, so to speak.
15. Beautiful Month
No doubt that July is a beautiful summer month
It is the year’s best month is named after Julius Caesar himself
Summer raindrops pierced by sunbeams
Just think of how precious privilege it is to wake up to bird song
Columbines are still in full bloom, they are charming
Spices herbs for diversity and for flavor
Who would have anything against sitting in the garden all day
and let you tickle a bit of a grape plant in the neck
Flowers and plants are an important part of summer
Enjoy it all with family and good friends
Fair weather clouds that just gives a little variety in all the blue
July is synonymous with holidays for most
The temperature and enthusiasm rises
This summer we will swim in the ocean and eat lots of ice cream.
-Sunshine Smile
16. July Gardens
Walking through gardens
Feeling your presence beside me
Strangers passing by, lost in the darkness
I see the reflection of the city lights in your eyes like stars so near
The icy july wind carries your perfume to me
Your voice echoes through the winter air and your smile, my God your smile…
My hands are cold but i am calm, serene and happy
Where are we going?
Someone once told me that what matters is the journey not the destination
I forget the past, don´t worry about the future, only the present matters
And gradually the twilight turns into night
I look at the sky and I find the moon smiling timidly starting its journey
I want to touch, surround you and drown in your hair
But I do nothing, afraid of ruining everything
Strange… Nothing and Everything
All the while the sound of waves crashing on the sand accompanies us
A familiar sound to me, after all this is my city
The surprise hits me for I am not blind to the world, on the contrary
Everything looks sharper, brighter
And time has not stopped as the old love poems tell us
It goes faster, flies.
My thoughts are clear despite your intoxicating presence
I know I have only a fraction of the time I would like to live beside you
I know that your time here will be as short as a shooting star in the purple sky
And I also know that you will take a piece of me away
That might be returned to me one day or lost forever
Who knows about these things?
But I´m not afraid
I would do it all again
Because you are worth it.
-Joseph Santiago
17. July Sky
Creamsicle sky melts in July
and drips down on our souls renewed.
From midsummer’s unstifled sigh,
creamsicle sky melts in July.
Our tent keeps secrets, we imply.
A fire sparks a sultry mood.
Creamsicle sky melts in July
and drips down on our souls renewed!
7 July Poems For Your Independence
While there’s so much more to the month of July than just Independence Day in the US, it seems to be the common theme throughout the entire month.
It’s the middle of the summer, so we embrace a full pool party season, the firework shows, the days at the lake, you name it, we’re all about it!
These are typically things we associate with the Fourth of July, anyway, and that seems to be how we go about our time in the month of July Independence Day is a big one to celebrate anyway, but whether you’re looking to carry that same throughout the entire month or just read a few poems about the month of July, here are seven for you!
Some focus on Independence Day, and the honor that it is to live in our country, and some focus on the joys of summer in the month of July. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy the fun poems here.
Who Wrote The Poem “July”?
This question is going to yield a lot of different answers, as it’s such a vague question to begin with. There are probably hundreds of poems titled July. But there are a few that are more famous than the others. If you’re referring to the poem, “July” written by George Meredith, this is one of the most famous. Meredith lived during the mid to early 1800s, and was a novelist and poet during his time.
He didn’t just write poetry from nature that inspired him, he wrote sonnets, and he wrote beautifully written and eloquent poetry about the nature around him, and his observations on the beauty of the month of July. There are deeper and more clever meanings behind his poetry,, as it reflects the going on’s of his marriage, but regardless, he writes beautiful poetry about the month of July that can inspire us to go along and get outside.
Independence Day Themes: Patriotism
Patriotism in poetry can be a very bold and very outright theme that we see throughout time.
Since one of the most poetic eras was that of early America and during the Revolutionary War, we find a lot of soldiers that were fighting in the war that expressed themselves through poetry, families back home, hoping for the best turnout, also expressing themselves through poetry, and so many others along the way that have looked back and reflected on their independence with gratitude, and expressed it through poetry.
Since the art of writing is such an expressive and beautiful form of art, we find a lot of strong feelings and strong passions in many poems written throughout time. Even now, while less common, people do still express their patriotism and thankfulness for those that fight for our country through poetry and art. We’re going to look at a few today, and remember that that’s why we celebrate the Fourth of July, not just the nation, but honor those that have lost their lives or risked their lives for us to find freedom here.
That is what patriotism is more about, and less about the holiday. So let’s look at some of these poems in honor and value those out of thought for us!
18. July
I
Blue July, bright July,
Month of storms and gorgeous blue;
Violet lightnings o’er thy sky,
Heavy falls of drenching dew;
Summer crown! o’er glen and glade
Shrinking hyacinths in their shade;
I welcome thee with all thy pride,
I love thee like an Eastern bride.
Though all the singing days are done
As in those climes that clasp the sun;
Though the cuckoo in his throat
Leaves to the dove his last twin note;
Come to me with thy lustrous eye,
Golden-dawning oriently,
Come with all thy shining blooms,
Thy rich red rose and rolling glooms.
Though the cuckoo doth but sing ‘cuk, cuk,’
And the dove alone doth coo;
Though the cushat spins her coo-r-roo, r-r-roo –
To the cuckoo’s halting ‘cuk.’
…
19. Just Beyond The Sunset
Just beyond the sunset
Someone waits for me
Just beyond the sunset
Lies my destiny
Where the purple mountains
Lie in deep tranquillity
There I’ll find the treasure
Of love eternally
Just beyond the sunset
Waits someone so fair
Just beyond the sunset
All alone they wait there
Their hair is golden
The colour of the sand
Their eyes sparkle in the night
Like diamonds in your hand
Just beyond the sunset
Lies a home for me
Where the world is peaceful
Like a paradise should be
Just beyond the sunset
Someday is where you’ll find me
20. Answer July
Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?
Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—
Nay—said the May—
Show me the Snow—
Show me the Bells—
Show me the Jay!
Quibbled the Jay—
Where be the Maize—
Where be the Haze—
Where be the Bur?
Here—said the Year—
Independence Day Poems
21. On Independence
COME all you brave soldiers, both valiant and free,
It’s for Independence we all now agree;
Let us gird on our swords, and prepare to defend,
Our liberty, property, ourselves and our friends.
In a cause that’s so righteous, come let us agree,
And from hostile invaders set America free,
The cause is so glorious we need not to fear,
But from merciless tyrants we’ll set ourselves clear.
Heaven’s blessing attending us, no tyrant shall say,
That Americans e’er to such monsters gave way,
But fighting we’ll die in America’s cause,
Before we’ll submit to tyrannical laws.
George the Third, of Great Britain, no more shall he reign,
With unlimited sway o’er these free States again,
Lord North, nor old Bute, nor none of their clan,
Shall ever be honor’d by an American.
May Heaven’s blessings descend on our United States, And grant that the union may never abate;
May love, peace, and harmony, ever be found,
For to go hand in hand America round.
…
by Jonathan Mitchell Sewall
22. Firecrackers
For a way to show your feelings —
And be very nicely heard!
On the glorious Fourth, I think,
That “firecrackers” is the word.
Yes, big and noisy red ones that
Explod with high and mighty bang,
And if the neighbors glare, well, I
Just simply do not give a dang!
And then the soaring rockets that
Burst into stars agains the sky.
I think they’re simply grand and when I
See them flare I give a cry.
And oh, the lovely pinwheels that
Are whirling rings of flame and fire,
Some of them like roses that
Can change the golden magic spire.
I could spend an hour just telling
Of the carious kinds there are.
Snakes! And birds! And flying flags,
And firecrackers brighter than any star.
But I’ll finish by saying
What you, of course, have often hear.
One the glorious Fourth I’m here to say
That “firecrackers” is the only word!
23. I’m Patriotic
There isn’t a think that I won’t do
To show my feelings today.
I’m patriotic right through and through,
And I hope I stay that way.
With such a country as this one is
I’d better be waving the flag!
When I have a land like mine to cheer
I’m not the person to lag.
And the Fourth of July demands the best.
It calls for all I’ve got.
Firecrackers, cheers, and plenty of flags
To make the day a jackpot!
I’m patriotic, you just bet.
I’ll make a grand display,
And when I’ve finished be sure it’ll be
Time to call it a day.
What are your favorite things about the month of July? Hot dogs? An afternoon lazing by the pool? These are some of my favorites, and reading these poems about the month of July just really puts me in the mood to engage in this vibe.
This is one of my favorite months specifically due to the activity that we engage in this time, so reading all the poems about it definitely makes me more and more excited to have fun this July. This question is going to yield a lot of different answers, as it’s such a vague question to begin with. There are probably hundreds of poems titled July, Summer, even though I’m a full adult without summer breaks to look forward to, is all still about fun and adventure, and I plan to keep that theme going all month long.
Summer always makes me feel like a kid again, and these poems are really tapping into that energy. I plan to make every summer the best summer, and sometimes when I’m even just sitting on my couch in the air conditioning, hiding from the Texas heat, I love to read poems that keep the summer vibes alive.
Need some more sunshine? Here are 29 sunshine poem examples for you.
More Poem Ideas you’ll Love
- 13 Ice Cream Poems That You’ll Crave – Since we are on the topic of summertime fun, I just had to include this list of 13 of the yummiest Ice cream poems I could find. You’ll definitely need a scoop waiting for you when you are done reading these…that’s for sure. Take a look!
- 19 Best Peach Poems – Peaches are the best fruit. Prove me wrong. They’re transportable, Juicy, and so yummy. It should not be surprising for you to learn that there are many poems dedicated to this delectable fruit. I created a list of the best ones I could find, so check them out.
- 21 Poems About Siblings For Love & Life – Since we are in the mood for appreciating the things we normally take for granted, I thought our siblings deserved the spotlight for a change. Our siblings are always there throughout our lives. They are our built-in best friends, and there are so many poems that cover this topic.