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Poetry and wanderlust often go hand in hand. As Joseph Brodsky writes in his poem “Pilgrims”: “all that’s left is / the Road and the Dreaming.” Whether you’re dreaming of new vistas or hitting the road yourself, here are ten favorite travel poems from JSTOR’s digital library, available for free download:

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“Questions of Travel,” Elizabeth Bishop

“Her Island,” Rita Dove

“Crossing Boston Harbor,” Richard Blanco

“At the Bambi Motel,” Elizabeth Spires

“The Chemical Blonde,” Alice Goodman

“From California Sorrow,” Mary Kinzie

“The Ocean Liner,” Harriet Monroe

“In the Wilderness Motel,” David Bottoms

“Bournemouth,” Vona Groarke

“Pilgrims,” by Joseph Brodsky

poems and poetrytravelNew England Review (1990-)New Hibernia Review / Iris Éireannach NuaPoetryThe Poetry Ireland ReviewThe Russian Review

Resources

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.

QUESTIONS OF TRAVEL
By: Elizabeth Bishop
The Poetry Ireland Review, No. 101 (July 2010), pp. 36-37
Poetry Ireland
Her Island
By: Rita Dove
Poetry, Vol. 166, No. 2 (May, 1995), pp. 63-68
Poetry Foundation
Crossing Boston Harbor
By: Richard Blanco
New England Review (1990-), Vol. 24, No. 3 (Summer, 2003), pp. 87-88
Middlebury College Publications
At the Bambi Motel
By: Elizabeth Spires
Poetry, Vol. 134, No. 4 (Jul., 1979), pp. 194-195
Poetry Foundation
The Chemical Blonde
By: Alice Goodman
Poetry, Vol. 139, No. 5 (Feb., 1982), pp. 251-257
Poetry Foundation
From California Sorrow
By: Mary Kinzie
Poetry, Vol. 188, No. 3 (Jun., 2006), pp. 195-204
Poetry Foundation
The Ocean Liner
By: Harriet Monroe
Poetry, Vol. 4, No. 6 (Sep., 1914), pp. 224-226 (3 pages)
Poetry Foundation
In the Wilderness Motel
By: David Bottoms
Poetry, Vol. 138, No. 5 (Aug., 1981), pp. 263-264
Poetry Foundation
Bournemouth
By: Vona Groarke
New Hibernia Review / Iris Éireannach Nua, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Spring, 2004), p. 35
University of St. Thomas (Center for Irish Studies)
Three Poems by Joseph Brodsky
By: George L. Kline and Joseph Brodsky
The Russian Review, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr., 1966), pp. 131-134
Wiley on behalf of The Editors and Board of Trustees of the Russian Review