Moving on in life is never easy. Whether it’s from heartbreak, loss, disappointment, or simply a stage that has passed, the act of letting go is deeply human. Poetry, in its raw and lyrical form, often gives voice to these transitions. Across time and place, poets have explored the bittersweet beauty of release, healing, and growth.
In this article, we look at 15 powerful poems that speak to the heart of moving forward. These poems offer comfort, wisdom, and the courage to take that next step. Whether short or long, each piece reflects the deep emotional currents that run through the process of change.
15 Poems About Moving On in Life
1. “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop
Source: The Complete Poems 1927–1979, Elizabeth Bishop, 1983.
Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art” is a masterful villanelle that explores the art of losing as something that can be learned. With dry wit and quiet pain, Bishop escalates the stakes from losing keys to losing loved ones.
“The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.”
By the end, the poem reveals the emotional cost beneath its calm surface. It shows that moving on is an act of grace, even when our hearts resist.
2. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
Source: Mountain Interval, 1916.
This iconic poem is not just about choice—it’s about what we leave behind when we make one.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Frost’s speaker accepts the irreversibility of decisions. There is no going back. The poem reminds us that moving on means accepting the path we’ve chosen, even if we wonder about the other.
3. “Begin” by Brendan Kennelly
Source: Poetry Ireland Review, 1991.
“Begin” is a quietly powerful poem about starting again, no matter the pain.
“Begin to the roar of morning traffic all
along Pembroke Road. Every beginning
is a promise…”
Kennelly’s poem acknowledges darkness but insists on hope. It tells us to begin in spite of fear. This is the essence of moving on—not forgetting, but continuing.
4. “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott
Source: Collected Poems 1948–1984, 1986.
Walcott’s luminous “Love After Love” is about rediscovering yourself after a relationship ends.
“You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you.”
It is a call to self-recognition. When we move on, we don’t just leave someone—we return to ourselves.
5. “Shake the Dust” by Anis Mojgani
Source: The Pocketknife Bible, 2007.
Spoken word poet Anis Mojgani’s call to action urges listeners to embrace life, no matter the hardship.
“Shake the dust,
and take me with you when you do, for none of this has ever been for me.
All that pushes and pulls and breaks you… shake it off.”
This poem is a rallying cry. Moving on is framed not as an end, but as a beginning. It’s loud, proud, and alive.
6. “Let It Go” by Danna Faulds
Source: Go In and In: Poems From the Heart of Yoga, 2002.
A favorite in mindfulness circles, “Let It Go” is soft and instructive.
“Let it go,
the anger, the fear, the judging,
the doubt…”
Faulds encourages radical acceptance. Letting go, she says, is not defeat. It is the beginning of peace.
7. “Clearances” (excerpt) by Seamus Heaney
Source: The Haw Lantern, 1987.
In the sonnet sequence “Clearances,” Heaney mourns his mother. In one of the most touching moments, he writes:
“I thought of walking round and round a space
as usual until a hand was held
out, and a door opened and I was shown
into a room I thought I’d always known.”
Here, the act of moving on is not swift or loud. It is quiet, respectful, and filled with grace.
8. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
Source: And Still I Rise, 1978.
Maya Angelou’s empowering anthem is not just about surviving—it’s about rising above.
“You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
There’s no looking back in this poem. Angelou commands us to move forward with strength and pride, no matter who tries to hold us down.
9. “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Source: Voices of the Night, 1839.
Longfellow’s poem is old-fashioned but uplifting.
“Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.”
The poem urges the reader to live with purpose and not dwell in sorrow. It’s about action and progress—essential steps to move on.
10. “It Is What It Is” by Erich Fried
Source: It Is What It Is, translated by Georg Rapp, 1983.
Austrian-British poet Erich Fried’s famous love poem ends with a phrase now common in everyday speech.
“It is nonsense
says reason
It is what it is
says love”
This poem recognizes the limits of logic when it comes to emotion. Accepting that some things cannot be changed is often the beginning of moving on.
11. “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry
Source: The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry, 1998.
Berry’s poem offers serenity through nature.
“When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound…
I come into the peace of wild things…”
This poem is a gentle guide. It doesn’t offer solutions but reminds us that calm is possible. To move on, sometimes we need to be still first.
12. “Packing for the Future: Instructions” by Lorna Crozier
Source: What the Living Won’t Let Go, 1999.
Canadian poet Lorna Crozier offers metaphorical advice for those stepping into the unknown.
“Take the thickest socks.
Wherever you are going
you’ll have to walk.”
The poem is both literal and figurative. It’s about being ready, being brave, and knowing the road ahead requires both preparation and heart.
13. “The Layers” by Stanley Kunitz
Source: The Collected Poems, 2000.
Kunitz, reflecting on age and change, writes with wisdom hard-earned.
“I have walked through many lives, some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.”
This poem is a personal map of moving on. It captures the essence of growth, of transformation, of endurance.
14. “Let Me Go” by Christina Rossetti
Source: Poems by Christina Rossetti, 1904.
Often read at funerals, this poem is a call to release those who have passed.
“When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room—
Why cry for a soul set free?”
It speaks of acceptance and peace. Rossetti doesn’t demand grief—she invites us to find solace.
15. “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley
Source: Book of Verses, 1888.
Henley wrote this short poem while recovering from illness. It’s about control, dignity, and the will to go on.
“I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”
“Invictus” is a defiant stand. It reminds us that no matter the suffering, we hold the power to move forward.
Conclusion
Moving on is not linear. It bends, stalls, retreats, and then leaps forward. These 15 poems reflect that complexity. Some speak softly, others shout. Some offer comfort, others challenge us. But all affirm that moving on is possible—and often necessary.
Poetry doesn’t offer easy answers, but it gives us the language for our pain and the rhythm for our healing. In the words of Derek Walcott, we eventually return to ourselves—changed, but whole.
Let these poems walk beside you in your own season of change. And when it’s time to move on, may their words be a gentle push forward.
