Journey
Youth - My reading affair began at 12, and a Jesuit school taught me grammar and the basics of writing.
Adulthood - College was an unhappy time, reading continued, and real-world editors taught me how to write.

Following are classic poems and short stories that appear in the English category, and many are read aloud by gifted narrators or acted out by talented thespians. An opinion is expressed by choices. The numbering is merely that, not a ranking. Virtually all the classics listed dissect and examine morality.

With one exception, and that is Doyle, authors who are vociferously anti-Catholic are not listed. That's where I draw a line.

classic poetry

1. The Bridge, Longfellow The Bridge
2. A Dream Within a Dream, Poe a dream within a dream
3. The Cremation of Sam McGee, Robert W. Service cremation
4. Scorn Not the Least, Southwell scorn not the least
5. The Soldier, Rupert Brooke The Soldier & Mary's Son (Kipling)
6. Only Cherries & The Temple, Patchen only cherries & the temple
7. The Adventures of Isabel, Ogden Nash adventures of Isabel
8. The White Man’s Burden, Kipling the white man's burden
9. Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge rime of the ancient mariner
10. The Hound of Heaven, Francis Thompson hound of heaven
11. The Dance of Death, Baudelaire The dance of death
12. How Do I Love Thee? Browning How Do I Love Thee
13. Channel Firing, Hardy channel firing
14. The Prisoner, Emily Brontë the Prisoner
15. The Diplomatic Platypus, Patrick Barrington the diplomatic platypus
16. “Hope”, Dickinson hope is the thing with feathers
17. 10 poems, Dickinson Dickinson's prime
18. The Quality of Mercy, Shakespeare Shakespeare and Jews
19. The Dying Swan, Tennyson The Dying Swan
20. Juliet's serenade, Binge Juliet's serenade
21. The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tennyson Charge of the Light Brigade 
22. Pocahontas, Thackeray pocahontas
23. ​The Song of Hiawatha (partial), Longfellow The song of hiawatha
24. Travel, Stevenson Victorian Era
25. Because I could not stop for death, Dickinson emily dickinson, poet
26. Daffodils, Wordsworth Daffodils
27. ​The Conqueror Worm, Poe the conqueror worm
28. Recessional, Kipling Recessional
29. ​Trees, Kilmer trees
30. The Ocean, Hawthorne The Ocean
31. In Flanders Field, John McCrae In Flanders Fields
32. Mother & Soldier Son, anonymous mother & soldier son
33. Mary Magdalen’s Blushe, Southwell blush
34. The Phoenix and the Turtle, Shakespeare The Phoenix and the Turtle
35. The Cat That Walked By Himself, Kipling the cat that walked by himself
36. Evening Solace, Charlotte Brontë evening solace
37. Last Rites, Christina Rossetti, Last Rites
38. The Day Is Done, Longfellow the day is done
39. Tarantella, Belloc tarantella
40. Magdalene's Complaint at Christ's Death, Southwell, McElroy
41. Loves Horoscope, Crashaw loves horoscope
42. Great Men, Emerson great men
43. After, Browning After
44. I Have a Rendezvous with Death, Seeger I Have a Rendezvous with Death
45. I die alive, Southwell, I die alive
46. Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Faulkner, radio fantasy, Diamond
47. Sonnet V, Edna St. Vincent Millay end of the world
48. Sonnet XVII, Pablo Neruda, Pablo Neruda
49. ​Alone, Poe alone
50. Our Watermelon Patch, Ottis Shirk Our Watermelon Patch
51. The Captain’s Daughter, James T. Fields captain's daughter
52. The Raven, Poe prowlers or the raven
53. Annabel Lee, Poe Annabel Lee
54. Tymes Goe by Turnes, Southwell tymes goe by turnes
55. The House on the Hill, Edwin Arlington Robinson The House on the Hill
56. Gifts, Belloc Gifts
57. Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost Robert Frost
58. Christmas Bells, Longfellow christmas bells
59. A word is dead, Emily Dickinson dickinson
60. If, Kipling kipling​
61. The Donkey, G.K. Chesterton The Donkey
62. Lepanto, G.K. Chesterton Lepanto
63. ​Inferno, Dante Alighieri Dante's Inferno 지옥
64. Sonnet 29, Shakespeare Sonnet 29
65. Sonnet 73, Shakespeare Sonnet 73
66. Sonnet 116, Shakespeare Sonnet 116
67. ​Sonnet 130, Shakespeare Sonnet 130
68. ​Spring and Fall, Hopkins spring and fall
69. Leaden Echo Golden Echo, Hopkins Catholic/Jew

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classic short story

1. The Outsider, Lovecraft, science fiction The Outsider
2. The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe, gothic horror The Tell-Tale Heart​
3. The Coin of Dionysius, Ernest Bramah Smith, detective Coin of Dionysius
4. Secret of the Growing Gold, Stoker, mystery The Secret of the Growing Gold
5. The Tomb, Lovecraft, science fiction The Tomb
6. After Twenty Years, O. Henry, police procedural after twenty years
7. The Rebellion, Michelle Lore, science fiction the rebellion
8. Toy Shop, Harry Harrison, science fiction Toy Shop
9. Crooked Souls, Dashiell Hammett, detective crooked souls
10. The Man of the Crowd, Poe, ratiocinative The Man of the Crowd
11. The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe, gothic horror Usher
12. A Little Journey, Bradbury, science fiction A Little Journey
13. The Gun, Philip K. Dick, science fiction The Gun
14. The Adventure of the Dying Detective, Doyle, detective dying detective
15. The Devil and Tom Walker, Washington Irving, folklore Devil & Tom Walker
16. Indian Camp, Hemingway, realism Indian Camp
17. ​The Trap, Betsy Curtis, science fiction The Trap
18. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Fitzgerald, sci-fi fantasy Diamond as Big
19. The Candle, Tolstoy, morality tale The Candle
20. Confession Time, Stella Whitelaw, detective misadventure Confession Time
21. Boston Blackie, Jack Boyle, detective Boston Blackie
22. The Yellow Wallpaper, Gillman, gothic horror The Yellow Wallpaper
23. The Box of Robbers, L. Frank Baum, morality tale The Box of Robbers
24. ​The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams, allegory The Velveteen Rabbit
25. Three Thieves and a Donkey, Tahir, morality tale ثلاثة لصوص وحمار
26. ​Big Two-Hearted River, Hemingway, minimalist Big Two-Hearted River
27. The Blue Hotel, Crane, naturalistic tale The Blue Hotel
28. ​The Fog Horn, Bradbury, science fiction The Fog Horn​
29. Blood Son, Matheson, horror/supernatural Blood Son
30. The Happy Prince, Wilde, allegory The Happy Prince
31. The Giving Tree, Silverstein, phenomenography The Giving Tree
32. Icarus and Daedalus, Ovid, morality tale daedalus
33. Why I Live at the P.O., Welty, Southern realism Why I live at the PO
34. Small Town, Philip K. Dick, science fiction Small Town
35. Farewell to the Master, Harry Bates, science fiction Farewell to the Master
36. Tomorrow's Child, Bradbury, science fiction Tomorrow's Child
37. Three short stories, Fritz Leiber, science fiction Fritz Leiber
38. One Hour, Dashiell Hammett, detective One Hour
39. The Last Evolution, John Wood Campbell Jr., science fiction The Last Evolution
40. The Cardboard Box, Doyle, detective Cardboard Box
41. A Lodging for the Night, Stevenson, historical fiction Lodging for the Night
42. The Graveyard Rats, Kuttner, horror Graveyard Rats
43. Lemmings, Matheson, flash fiction Lemmings
44. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Fitzgerald, radio fantasy, Diamond
45. Dagon, Lovecraft, horror Dagon
46. The Man, Bradbury, science fiction The Man
47. Girl, O. Henry, mystery Girl
48. To Build a Fire, Jack London, adventure To Build a Fire
49. Two Military Executions, Bierce, war/supernatural Two Military Executions
50. Bottom of the World, Arnold Moss, science fiction Bottom of the World
51. A School Story, M. R. James, ghost school story
52. A Joy Ride, A. J. Alan, humorous drama A Joy Ride
53. Left-Handed Fan, Brett Halliday, detective The Case of the Left-handed Fan
54. The Moustache, Robert Cormier, Young Adult The Moustache
55. ​The Four-Fifteen Express, Amelia B. Edwards, ghost The Four-Fifteen
56. The Possibility of Evil, Shirley Jackson, domestic horror the possibility of evil
57. Mars Is Heaven, Bradbury, radio drama, science fiction Mars Is Heaven
58. The Midnight Sun, Rod Serling, radio drama, science fiction midnight sun
59. Whistle and I’ll Come to You, M. R. James, ghost oh whistle and I'll come to you
60. ​The Father's Hand, Humphrey, family irony The Father's Hand
61. The Swimmer, John Cheever, fantasy/reality The Swimmer
62. The Enormous Radio, John Cheever, magical realism The Enormous Radio
63. Horror Horn, E.F. Benson, horror horror horn
64. The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin, family irony kate chopin
65. The Furnished Room, O. Henry, realism room for rent
66. The Pale Man, Julius Long, horror The Pale Man
67. The Case of Lady Sannox, Doyle, mystery The Case of Lady Sannox
68. ​The Temple, Lovecraft, horror the temple
69. ​Revelation, O'Connor, Southern realism Revelation
70. Bodies Piled Up, Dashiell Hammett, detective bodies piled up
71. The Hitchhiker, Dahl, thriller the hitchhiker
72. Life You Save May Be Your Own, O'Connor, Southern romance The Life You Save
73. The Model Millionaire, Wilde, humor the model millionaire
74. The Five Chinese Brothers, Bishop, morality tale five chinese brothers
75. One Summer Night, Bierce, mystery one summer night
76. The Oblong Box, Poe, horror The Oblong Box
77. The Star Child, Wilde, fable the star child
78. The Last Leaf, O. Henry, morality tale O. Henry
79. Marionettes, Inc., Bradbury, speculative Marionettes, Inc
80. The Beast in the Cave, Lovecraft, horror right-handed
81. A Good Man Is Hard to Find, O’Connor, Southern romance flannery
82. Brave New World, Huxley, radio drama, science fiction brave new world
83. ​A Green Cloud Came, Lowndes, science fiction Green Cloud
84. ​The Last Question, Asimov, science fiction The Last Question
85. Million Dollars, Stephen Leacock, humor How to Make a Million Dollars
86. Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell, adventure The Most Dangerous Game
87. Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway, realism hills like white elephants
88. In the Confessional, Amelia B. Edwards, ghost in the confessional
89. ​A Good Neighbor, David Real, radio drama, mystery A Good Neighbor
90. The Watcher, R.H. Benson, cleric/ghost reading list - short
91. Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut, science fiction Harrison Bergeron
92. Hearts and Hands, O. Henry, humorous romance Hearts and Hands
93. The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry, dramatic irony The Gift of the Magi
94. The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, horror What's a lottery, really?
95. Just Lather, That’s All, Telez, historical fiction “Just Lather, That’s All”
96. Examination Day, Slesar, science fiction Examination Day Slesar
97. Button, Button, Matheson, fantasy Button, Button
98. The Cask of Amontillado, Poe, gothic horror The Cask of Amontillado
99. Appointment in Samarra, Maugham, flash fiction Appointment in Samarra
100. Red Wind, Chandler, detective Red Wind (Ch. 1 of novella)
101. The Little Sister, Chandler, animated drama, detective The Little Sister
102. ​The Long Goodbye, Chandler, detective The Long Goodbye
103. The Orange Dog, Chandler, radio drama, detective The Orange Dog​

See The Outsider definitions for more Lovecraft sources.

When I Knew Stephen Crane, Cather, regional When I Knew

classic novel (I've read more but withhold a recommendation.)

1. The Caine Mutiny
2. ​Mutiny on the Bounty
3. The Power and the Glory
4. The Heart of the Matter
5. To Kill a Mockingbird
6. Tess of the d'Urbervilles
7. The Woman in White
8. Vanity Fair
9. Jane Eyre
10. ​The Citadel
11. Lost Horizon
12. ​Kidnapped
13. The Grapes of Wrath
14. Heart of Darkness
15. Gulliver's Travels
16. The Guns of Navarone
17. The Return of the Native
18. The Moonstone
19. The Hound of the Baskervilles
20. The Old Man and the Sea
21. The Keys of the Kingdom
22. The Last of the Mohicans
23. The Red Badge of Courage
24. Treasure Island
25. Kim
26. Robinson Crusoe
27. The Great Gatsby
28. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
29. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
30. The Catcher in the Rye (read The Catcher in the Rye)
31. Lord of the Flies
32. A Passage to India
33. The Brothers Karamazov
34. 1984
35. Fahrenheit 451
36. Emma
37. The Scarlet Letter
38. Brave New World
39. The Devil's Advocate (M. West)
40. Animal Farm
41. The Call of the Wild
42. White Fang
43. McTeague

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For boys:
The Hardy Boys (original series)

classic plays (I've read about 3/4 of Shakespeare but withhold a recommendation.)

1. Julius Caesar "It's Greek to me."
2. The Merchant of Venice "Love is blind."
3. Henry V "band of brothers"