Poems by Presidents: The First-Ever Anthology

This first-ever anthology unveils eleven presidents’ deepest thoughts and emotions through their poetry. George Washington’s teenage romantic yearnings, Thomas Jefferson’s death-bed adieu, Warren G. Harding’s steamy love poems to his mistress, and others.

"Well-written, thoroughly researched, and impeccably organizedPoems by Presidents explores an intriguing and unexpected side to many American presidents: they wrote poetry! In this excellent anthology of presidential poems, Michael Croland offers us a new way to celebrate some of our most celebrated leaders." —Susan Katz, author ofThe President’s Stuck in the Bathtub.

This first-ever anthology features poems by eleven presidents who, through good times and bad, turned to poetry to express themselves. This compelling collection brings presidents’ literary pursuits to light, unveiling their deepest thoughts and emotions. Highlights include George Washington’s teenage romantic yearnings, Thomas Jefferson’s death-bed adieu, John Quincy Adams’s sonnet memorializing his father, Abraham Lincoln’s mockery of the Confederacy, Woodrow Wilson’s humorous limericks, Warren G. Harding’s steamy love poems to his mistress, and Ronald Wilson Reagan’s existential reflections. Appendixes explore additional presidents who wrote poetry, misattributions, prose formatted as verse, and fondness for poetry.Poems by Presidents is a rewarding resource for poetry lovers and readers interested in presidential biographies and American history.

"From Madison’s collegiate satires to Harding’s racy romantic rhymes, this anthology has something to surprise and delight even the most dedicated history buff. It will teach you something about our presidents’ personal lives, their poetic talents, and even their political ambitions."
—Craig Fehrman, author of Author in Chief
 
"This distinctive collection is a pleasure to read and enjoy. It provides another dimension to our awareness of the personalities and talents of many of our presidents." —Fred Kaplan, author of His Masterly Pen: A Biography of Jefferson the Writer
 
"Michael Croland has assembled an interesting and unexpected anthology of presidential poetry.Poems by Presidents leaves the reader with a better understanding of the concealed humanity often buried within the seemingly stoic men who have held our nation’s highest office." —Michael B. Costanzo, author of Author in Chief
 
"This unique collection by US presidents, featuring poems ranging from spiritual to humorous to erotic, is surprising, fascinating, and humanizing."
—Marilyn Singer, author of Rutherford B., Who Was He?: Poems about Our Presidents
 
"A wonderful volume, full of keen insights into a wide array of American presidents. . . . The superb focus of this book brings fascinating details to light." —Jonathan Gross, editor ofThomas Jefferson’s Scrapbooks
 

Introduction 
George Washington 
Thomas Jefferson 
James Madison 
John Quincy Adams 
John Tyler 
Abraham Lincoln 
Ulysses S. Grant 
James Abram Garfield 
Woodrow Wilson 
Warren G. Harding 
Ronald Wilson Reagan 
Appendix A: Four Additional Presidents Who Wrote Poetry 
Appendix B: Misattributions
Appendix C: Prose Formatted as Verse
Appendix D: Fondness for Poetry
Selected Bibliography