I have compiled a list of poems and a list of short stories that appear in the English category, and many are read aloud by gifted narrators or acted out by talented thespians.
classic poetry
The Bridge, Longfellow The Bridge
A Dream Within a Dream, Poe a dream within a dream
The Cremation of Sam McGee, Robert W. Service cremation
Scorn Not the Least, Southwell scorn not the least
The Soldier, Rupert Brooke The Soldier & Mary's Son (Kipling)
Only Cherries & The Temple, Patchen only cherries & the temple
The Adventures of Isabel, Ogden Nash adventures of Isabel
The White Man’s Burden, Kipling the white man's burden
Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge rime of the ancient mariner
The Hound of Heaven, Francis Thompson hound of heaven
The Dance of Death, Baudelaire The dance of death
Channel Firing, Hardy channel firing
The Prisoner, Emily Brontë the Prisoner
The Diplomatic Platypus, Patrick Barrington the diplomatic platypus
“Hope” is the thing with feathers, Emily Dickinson hope is the thing with feathers
The Dying Swan, Tennyson, The Dying Swan
The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tennyson The Charge of the Light Brigade
Pocahontas, Thackeray pocahontas
The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow (partial) The song of hiawatha
Because I could not stop for death, Emily Dickinson emily dickinson, poet
The Conqueror Worm, Poe the conqueror worm
Trees, Kilmer trees
The Ocean, Hawthorne The Ocean
In Flanders Field, John McCrae In Flanders Fields
Mary Magdalen’s Blushe, Southwell blush
The Phoenix and the Turtle, Shakespeare The Phoenix and the Turtle
The Cat That Walked By Himself, Kipling the cat that walked by himself
Evening Solace, Charlotte Brontë evening solace
The Day Is Done, Longfellow the day is done
Tarantella, Belloc tarantella
Magdalene's Complaint at Christ's Death, Southwell, McElroy
Loves Horoscope, Crashaw loves horoscope
Great Men, Emerson great men
I Have a Rendezvous with Death, Alan Seeger I Have a Rendezvous with Death
Sonnet V, Edna St. Vincent Millay end of the world
Alone, Poe alone
Our Watermelon Patch, Ottis Shirk Our Watermelon Patch
The Captain’s Daughter, James T. Fields captain's daughter
The Raven, Poe prowlers or the raven
Annabel Lee, Poe Annabel Lee
Tymes Goe by Turnes, Southwell tymes goe by turnes
The House on the Hill, Edwin Arlington Robinson The House on the Hill
Gifts, Belloc Gifts
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost Robert Frost
Christmas Bells, Longfellow christmas bells
A word is dead, Dickinson dickinson
If, Kipling kipling
The Donkey, G.K. Chesterton The Donkey
Spring and Fall, Hopkins spring and fall
classic short story
The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe, gothic horror The Tell-Tale Heart
The Outsider, HP Lovecraft, science fiction The Outsider
The Coin of Dionysius, Ernest Bramah Smith, detective Coin of Dionysius
The Secret of the Growing Gold, Bram Stoker, mystery The Secret of the Growing Gold
The Tomb, HP Lovecraft, science fiction The Tomb
After Twenty Years, O. Henry, police procedural after twenty years
The Rebellion, Michelle Lore, science fiction the rebellion
Toy Shop, Harry Harrison, science fiction Toy Shop
Crooked Souls, Dashiell Hammett, detective crooked souls
The Man of the Crowd, Poe, ratiocinative The Man of the Crowd
The Gun, Philip K. Dick, science fiction The Gun
The Adventure of the Dying Detective, Arthur Conan Doyle, detective dying detective
The Candle, Tolstoy, morality tale The Candle
Confession Time, Stella Whitelaw, detective Confession Time
The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, gothic horror The Yellow Wallpaper
Icarus and Daedalus, Ovid, morality tale daedalus
Why I Live at the P.O., Welty, Southern realism Why I live at the PO
Small Town, Philip K. Dick, science fiction Small Town
One Hour, Dashiell Hammett, detective One Hour
Girl, O. Henry, mystery Girl
To Build a Fire, Jack London, adventure To Build a Fire
Two Military Executions, Bierce, war/supernatural Two Military Executions
A School Story, M.R. James, ghost school story
The Case of the Left-Handed Fan, radio drama, detective The Case of the Left-handed Fan
The Possibility of Evil, Shirley Jackson, domestic horror the possibility of evil
The Midnight Sun, Rod Serling, radio drama, science fiction midnight sun
Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, M.R. James, ghost oh whistle and I'll come to you
The Swimmer, John Cheever, fantasy/reality The Swimmer
Horror Horn, E.F. Benson, horror horror horn
The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin, family irony kate chopin
The Furnished Room, O. Henry, realism room for rent
The Case of Lady Sannox, Arthur Conan Doyle, mystery The Case of Lady Sannox
The Temple, H.P. Lovecraft, horror the temple
The Temple of the Holy Ghost, O’Connor, Southern realism Temple of the Holy Ghost
Bodies Piled Up, Dashiell Hammett, detective bodies piled up
The Hitchhiker, Dahl, thriller the hitchhiker
The Life You Save May Be Your Own, O'Connor, Southern romance The Life You Save
The Model Millionaire, Wilde, humor the model millionaire
The Five Chinese Brothers, Bishop, morality tale five chinese brothers
One Summer Night, Bierce, mystery one summer night
The Oblong Box, Poe, horror The Oblong Box
The Star Child, Wilde, fable the star child
The Last Leaf, O. Henry, morality tale O. Henry
The Beast in the Cave, H.P. Lovecraft, horror right-handed
A Good Man Is Hard to Find, O’Connor, Southern romance flannery
Brave New World, Huxley, radio drama, science fiction brave new world
The Last Question, Asimov, science fiction The Last Question
How to Make a Million Dollars, Stephen Leacock, nonsense humor How to Make a Million Dollars
The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell, adventure The Most Dangerous Game
Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway, realism hills like white elephants
In the Confessional, Amelia B. Edwards, ghost in the confessional
The Watcher, R.H. Benson, ghost reading list - short
Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut, science fiction Harrison Bergeron
Hearts and Hands, O. Henry, humorous romance Hearts and Hands
The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry, dramatic irony The Gift of the Magi
The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, horror What's a lottery, really?
Just Lather, That’s All, Telez, historical fiction “Just Lather, That’s All”
Examination Day, Slesar, science fiction Examination Day Slesar
Button, Button, Matheson, fantasy Button, Button
The Cask of Amontillado, Poe, gothic horror The Cask of Amontillado
The Appointment in Samarra, Maugham, flash fiction Appointment in Samarra
Red Wind, Chandler, detective Red Wind (Ch. 1 of novel)
classic poetry
The Bridge, Longfellow The Bridge
A Dream Within a Dream, Poe a dream within a dream
The Cremation of Sam McGee, Robert W. Service cremation
Scorn Not the Least, Southwell scorn not the least
The Soldier, Rupert Brooke The Soldier & Mary's Son (Kipling)
Only Cherries & The Temple, Patchen only cherries & the temple
The Adventures of Isabel, Ogden Nash adventures of Isabel
The White Man’s Burden, Kipling the white man's burden
Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge rime of the ancient mariner
The Hound of Heaven, Francis Thompson hound of heaven
The Dance of Death, Baudelaire The dance of death
Channel Firing, Hardy channel firing
The Prisoner, Emily Brontë the Prisoner
The Diplomatic Platypus, Patrick Barrington the diplomatic platypus
“Hope” is the thing with feathers, Emily Dickinson hope is the thing with feathers
The Dying Swan, Tennyson, The Dying Swan
The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tennyson The Charge of the Light Brigade
Pocahontas, Thackeray pocahontas
The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow (partial) The song of hiawatha
Because I could not stop for death, Emily Dickinson emily dickinson, poet
The Conqueror Worm, Poe the conqueror worm
Trees, Kilmer trees
The Ocean, Hawthorne The Ocean
In Flanders Field, John McCrae In Flanders Fields
Mary Magdalen’s Blushe, Southwell blush
The Phoenix and the Turtle, Shakespeare The Phoenix and the Turtle
The Cat That Walked By Himself, Kipling the cat that walked by himself
Evening Solace, Charlotte Brontë evening solace
The Day Is Done, Longfellow the day is done
Tarantella, Belloc tarantella
Magdalene's Complaint at Christ's Death, Southwell, McElroy
Loves Horoscope, Crashaw loves horoscope
Great Men, Emerson great men
I Have a Rendezvous with Death, Alan Seeger I Have a Rendezvous with Death
Sonnet V, Edna St. Vincent Millay end of the world
Alone, Poe alone
Our Watermelon Patch, Ottis Shirk Our Watermelon Patch
The Captain’s Daughter, James T. Fields captain's daughter
The Raven, Poe prowlers or the raven
Annabel Lee, Poe Annabel Lee
Tymes Goe by Turnes, Southwell tymes goe by turnes
The House on the Hill, Edwin Arlington Robinson The House on the Hill
Gifts, Belloc Gifts
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, Frost Robert Frost
Christmas Bells, Longfellow christmas bells
A word is dead, Dickinson dickinson
If, Kipling kipling
The Donkey, G.K. Chesterton The Donkey
Spring and Fall, Hopkins spring and fall
classic short story
The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe, gothic horror The Tell-Tale Heart
The Outsider, HP Lovecraft, science fiction The Outsider
The Coin of Dionysius, Ernest Bramah Smith, detective Coin of Dionysius
The Secret of the Growing Gold, Bram Stoker, mystery The Secret of the Growing Gold
The Tomb, HP Lovecraft, science fiction The Tomb
After Twenty Years, O. Henry, police procedural after twenty years
The Rebellion, Michelle Lore, science fiction the rebellion
Toy Shop, Harry Harrison, science fiction Toy Shop
Crooked Souls, Dashiell Hammett, detective crooked souls
The Man of the Crowd, Poe, ratiocinative The Man of the Crowd
The Gun, Philip K. Dick, science fiction The Gun
The Adventure of the Dying Detective, Arthur Conan Doyle, detective dying detective
The Candle, Tolstoy, morality tale The Candle
Confession Time, Stella Whitelaw, detective Confession Time
The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, gothic horror The Yellow Wallpaper
Icarus and Daedalus, Ovid, morality tale daedalus
Why I Live at the P.O., Welty, Southern realism Why I live at the PO
Small Town, Philip K. Dick, science fiction Small Town
One Hour, Dashiell Hammett, detective One Hour
Girl, O. Henry, mystery Girl
To Build a Fire, Jack London, adventure To Build a Fire
Two Military Executions, Bierce, war/supernatural Two Military Executions
A School Story, M.R. James, ghost school story
The Case of the Left-Handed Fan, radio drama, detective The Case of the Left-handed Fan
The Possibility of Evil, Shirley Jackson, domestic horror the possibility of evil
The Midnight Sun, Rod Serling, radio drama, science fiction midnight sun
Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, M.R. James, ghost oh whistle and I'll come to you
The Swimmer, John Cheever, fantasy/reality The Swimmer
Horror Horn, E.F. Benson, horror horror horn
The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin, family irony kate chopin
The Furnished Room, O. Henry, realism room for rent
The Case of Lady Sannox, Arthur Conan Doyle, mystery The Case of Lady Sannox
The Temple, H.P. Lovecraft, horror the temple
The Temple of the Holy Ghost, O’Connor, Southern realism Temple of the Holy Ghost
Bodies Piled Up, Dashiell Hammett, detective bodies piled up
The Hitchhiker, Dahl, thriller the hitchhiker
The Life You Save May Be Your Own, O'Connor, Southern romance The Life You Save
The Model Millionaire, Wilde, humor the model millionaire
The Five Chinese Brothers, Bishop, morality tale five chinese brothers
One Summer Night, Bierce, mystery one summer night
The Oblong Box, Poe, horror The Oblong Box
The Star Child, Wilde, fable the star child
The Last Leaf, O. Henry, morality tale O. Henry
The Beast in the Cave, H.P. Lovecraft, horror right-handed
A Good Man Is Hard to Find, O’Connor, Southern romance flannery
Brave New World, Huxley, radio drama, science fiction brave new world
The Last Question, Asimov, science fiction The Last Question
How to Make a Million Dollars, Stephen Leacock, nonsense humor How to Make a Million Dollars
The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell, adventure The Most Dangerous Game
Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway, realism hills like white elephants
In the Confessional, Amelia B. Edwards, ghost in the confessional
The Watcher, R.H. Benson, ghost reading list - short
Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut, science fiction Harrison Bergeron
Hearts and Hands, O. Henry, humorous romance Hearts and Hands
The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry, dramatic irony The Gift of the Magi
The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, horror What's a lottery, really?
Just Lather, That’s All, Telez, historical fiction “Just Lather, That’s All”
Examination Day, Slesar, science fiction Examination Day Slesar
Button, Button, Matheson, fantasy Button, Button
The Cask of Amontillado, Poe, gothic horror The Cask of Amontillado
The Appointment in Samarra, Maugham, flash fiction Appointment in Samarra
Red Wind, Chandler, detective Red Wind (Ch. 1 of novel)