At Shelley’s Grave poem – Alfred Austin

Beneath this marble, mute of praise, Is hushed the heart of One Who, whilst it beat, had eagle’s gaze To stare upon the sun. Equal in flight To any height, He lies where they that crawl but come, Sleeping most sound,-Cor Cordium. No rippling notes announcing spring, No bloom-evoking breeze, No fleecy clouds that […]

An Essay On Criticism poem – Alexander Pope

A poem by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) , the greatest English poet of “Augustan” or Georgian period ‘Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill Appear in Writing or in Judging ill, But, of the two, less dang’rous is th’ Offence, To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense: Some few in that, but Numbers […]

An Essay On Criticism poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster

A poem by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) ‘Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill Appear in Writing or in Judging ill, But, of the two, less dang’rous is th’ Offence, To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense: Some few in that, but Numbers err in this, Ten Censure wrong for one who Writes […]

At The Locks Of The Void

by Aime Cesaire In the foreground and in longitudinal flight a dried-up brook drowsy roller of obsidian pebbles. In the background a decidedly not calm architecture of torn down burgs of eroded mountains on whose glimpsed phantom serpents chariots a cat’s-eye and alarming constellations are born. It is a strange firefly cake hurled […]

Prayer Artemis

A poem by Aeschylus (c. 525 – c. 456 Before Christ ) STROPHE IV Though Zeus plan all things right, Yet is his heart’s desire full hard to trace; Nathless in every place Brightly it gleameth, e’en in darkest night, Fraught with black fate to man’s speech-gifted race. ANTISTROPHE IV Steadfast, ne’er thrown in […]

A Prayer For Artemis

A poem by Aeschylus (c. 525 – c. 456 Before Christ ) STROPHE IV Though Zeus plan all things right, Yet is his heart’s desire full hard to trace; Nathless in every place Brightly it gleameth, e’en in darkest night, Fraught with black fate to man’s speech-gifted race. ANTISTROPHE IV Steadfast, ne’er thrown in […]

Orlando Furioso Canto 21 by Ludovico Ariosto

ARGUMENT Zerbino for Gabrina, who a heart Of asp appears to bear, contends. O’erthrown, The Fleming falls upon the other part, Through cause of that despised and odious crone, He wounded sore, and writhing with the smart, The beldam’s treason to the prince makes known, Whose scorn and hatred hence derive new force. Towards loud […]

Orlando Furioso Canto 20 by Ludovico Ariosto

ARGUMENT Guido and his from that foul haunt retire, While all Astolpho chases with his horn, Who to all quarters of the town sets fire, Then roving singly round the world is borne. Marphisa, for Gabrina’s cause, in ire Puts upon young Zerbino scathe and scorn, And makes him guardian of Gabrina fell, From whom […]

Poetry by Marianne Moore

I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond all this fiddle. Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers in it after all, a place for the genuine. Hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, hair that can rise if it must, these things are important not because […]

The Essay on Agriculture by Abraham Cowley

OF AGRICULTURE. The first wish of Virgil (as you will find anon by his verses), was to be a good philosopher; the second, a good husbandman; and God (whom he seemed to understand better than most of the most learned heathens) dealt with him just as he did with Solomon: because he prayed for wisdom in […]

Maple by Robert Frost

Her teacher’s certainty it must be Mabel Made Maple first take notice of her name. She asked her father and he told her, “Maple— Maple is right.” “But teacher told the school There’s no such name.” “Teachers don’t know as much As fathers about children, you tell teacher. You tell her that it’s M-A-P-L-E. You […]

Prologue, spoken by Mr. Woods at Edinburgh by Robert Burns

WHEN, by a generous Public’s kind acclaim, That dearest meed is granted—honest fame; Waen here your favour is the actor’s lot, Nor even the man in private life forgot; What breast so dead to heavenly Virtue’s glow, But heaves impassion’d with the grateful throe? Poor is the task to please a barb’rous throng, It needs […]

Prologue, spoken by Mr. Woods at Edinburgh by Robert Burns

WHEN, by a generous Public’s kind acclaim, That dearest meed is granted—honest fame; Waen here your favour is the actor’s lot, Nor even the man in private life forgot; What breast so dead to heavenly Virtue’s glow, But heaves impassion’d with the grateful throe? Poor is the task to please a barb’rous throng, It needs […]

Effrontery by Satish Verma

After scarring, the big gap confronts a mascot. The caster is telling a lie.  Under shock and anger you start cursing the renegade truth.  Black windows now perceive the light.  Nobody wants to catch the dust now, falling from the stars.  War of words comes to disarming of wailing hands. I reconcile with the setting sun.  Back and forth, back and […]

To Independence by Tobias Smollett

Strophe. Thy spirit, Independence, let me share, Lord of the lion-heart and eagle-eye, Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare, Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky. Deep in the frozen regions of the north, A goddess violated brought thee forth, Immortal Liberty! whose look sublime Hath bleach’d the tyrant’s cheek in […]

To Independence by Tobias Smollett

Strophe. Thy spirit, Independence, let me share, Lord of the lion-heart and eagle-eye, Thy steps I follow with my bosom bare, Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky. Deep in the frozen regions of the north, A goddess violated brought thee forth, Immortal Liberty! whose look sublime Hath bleach’d the tyrant’s cheek in […]

Aeneid by Virgil

ARMS, and the man I sing, who, forc’d by fate, And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate, Expell’d and exil’d, left the Trojan shore. Long labors, both by sea and land, he bore, And in the doubtful war, before he won The Latian realm, and built the destin’d town; His banish’d gods restor’d to rites divine, And […]

Respondez! by Walt Whitman

RESPONDEZ! Respondez! (The war is completed—the price is paid—the title is settled beyond recall;) Let every one answer! let those who sleep be waked! let none evade! Must we still go on with our affectations and sneaking? Let me bring this to a close—I pronounce openly for a new distribution of roles; Let that which […]

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake

THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL BY WILLIAM BLAKE [lwptoc] THE ARGUMENT RINTRAH roars and shakes his fires in the burden’d air, Hungry clouds swag on the deep. Once meek, and in a perilous path The just man kept his course along The Vale of Death. Roses are planted […]

Where fair Sabrina’s wand’ring currents flow by William Somervile

Where fair Sabrina’s wand’ring currents flow, A large smooth plain extends its verdant brow; Here ev’ry morn, while fruitful vapours feed The swelling blade and bless the smoking mead, A cruel tyrant reigns: like Time, the swain Whets his unrighteous scythe, and shaves the plain. Beneath each stroke the peeping flow’rs decay, And all th’ […]

The Bowling-Green by William Somervile

Where fair Sabrina’s wandering currents flow, A large smooth plain extends its verdant brow; Here every morn, while fruitful vapours feed The swelling blade, and bless the smoking mead, A cruel tyrant reigns: like Time, the swain Whets his unrighteous scythe, and shaves the plain: Beneath each stroke the peeping flowers decay, And all the’ […]

Mahomet Ali Beg; Or, the Faithful Minister of State by William Somervile

OR, THE FAITHFUL MINISTER OF STATE . A LONG descent and noble blood Is but a vain fantastic good, Unless with inbred virtues join’d, An honest, brave, and generous mind All that our ancestors have done, Nations reliev’d and battles won, The trophies of each bloody field, Can only then true honour yield, When, like […]

Hobbinol; or The Rural Games – Canto 2 by William Somervile

CANTO II. Long while an universal hubbub loud, Deafening each ear, had drown’d each accent mild; Till biting taunts, and harsh opprobrious words Vile utterance found. How weak are human minds! How impotent to stem the swelling tide, And without insolence enjoy success! The vale-inhabitants, proud, and elate With victory, know no restraint, but give […]

Field Sports by William Somervile

TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE. Once more, great Prince! permit an humble bard Prostrate to pay his homage at your feet, Then, like the morning lark from the low ground Towering aloft, sublime, to soar and sing, Sing the heart-cheering pleasure of the fields, The choice delight of heroes and of kings. In earlier […]

A Padlock for the Mouth by William Somervile

JACK Dimple was a merry blade, Young, amorous, witty, and well made; ” Discreet!” — Hold, sir, — nay, as I live, My friend, you’re too inquisitive: Discretion, all men must agree, Is a most shining quality, Which, like leaf-gold, makes a great show, And thinly spread sets off a beau: But, sir, to put […]

Book Second [School-Time Continued] by William Wordsworth

THUS far, O Friend! have we, though leaving much Unvisited, endeavoured to retrace The simple ways in which my childhood walked; Those chiefly that first led me to the love Of rivers, woods, and fields. The passion yet Was in its birth, sustained as might befall By nourishment that came unsought; for still From week […]