Famous Account Poems by Famous Poets

These are examples of famous Account poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous account poems. These examples illustrate what a famous account poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).

See also:

A Song To David

...d charm the cherubs to the post 
 Of gratitude in throngs; 
To keep the days on Zion's mount, 
And send the year to his account, 
 With dances and with songs: 

 III 
O Servant of God's holiest charge, 
The minister of praise at large, 
 Which thou may'st now receive; 
From thy blest mansion hail and hear, 
From topmost eminence appear 
 To this the wreath I weave. 

 IV 
Great, valiant, pious, good, and clean, 
Sublime, contemplative, serene, 
 Strong, constant, pleasant, wi...Read more of this...
by Smart, Christopher


As I Sat Alone by Blue Ontario's Shores

...ates be fused into the compact
 organism of a Nation. 

To hold men together by paper and seal, or by compulsion, is no account; 
That only holds men together which aggregates all in a living principle, as the hold of
 the
 limbs of the body, or the fibres of plants.

Of all races and eras, These States, with veins full of poetical stuff, most need poets,
 and
 are to have the greatest, and use them the greatest; 
Their Presidents shall not be their common referee so much as ...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

Beowulf (Modern English)

...

XII.

That shelter of heroes didn’t wish to allow
his fatal visitor to escape alive for any thing,
nor could he account much use of Grendel’s life-days
to any people. There the thanes of Beowulf
most rapidly drew their elder-blades,
wishing to protect the life of their gracious lord,
their renowned chief, where they so could.
They did not know one fact, when they entered the fray,
battle kin with hardened hearts, thinking
to chop at Grendel from every side,
se...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,

Beowulf (Old English)

...e headings.

{16e} The exact story to which this episode refers in summary is not to be determined, but the following account of it is reasonable and has good support among scholars. Finn, a Frisian chieftain, who nevertheless has a “castle” outside the Frisian border, marries Hildeburh, a Danish princess; and her brother, Hnaef, with many other Danes, pays Finn a visit. Relations between the two peoples have been strained before. Something starts the old feud anew; and the...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,

Essay on Man

...r's(13) mind, 
Or turns young Ammon(14) loose to scourge mankind? 
From pride, from pride, our very reas'ning springs; 
Account for moral as for nat'ral things: 
Why charge we Heav'n in those, in these acquit? 
In both, to reason right is to submit. 
Better for Us, perhaps, it might appear, 
Were there all harmony, all virtue here; 
That never air or ocean felt the wind; 
That never passion discompos'd the mind: 
But ALL subsists by elemental strife; 
and Passions are the ele...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander


Lara

...n of power, and Lara's foe, 
The friend of all who sought to work him woe, 
And from his country's justice now demands 
Account of Ezzelin at Lara's hands. 
Who else than Lara could have cause to fear 
His presence? who had made him disappear, 
If not the man on whom his menaced charge 
Had sate too deeply were he left at large? 
The general rumour ignorantly loud, 
The mystery dearest to the curious crowd; 
The seeming friendlessness of him who strove 
To win no confidence, ...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)

Last Instructions to a Painter

...ce fell to words, but quarrel to adjourn; 
Their friends agreed they should command by turn. 
Carteret the rich did the accountants guide 
And in ill English all the world defied. 
The Papists--but of these the House had none 
Else Talbot offered to have led them on. 
Bold Duncombe next, of the projectors chief, 
And old Fitz-harding of the Eaters Beef. 
Late and disordered out the drinkers drew, 
Scarce them their leaders, they their leaders knew. 
Before them entered, equal...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

On the Way

...cent in my skill 
To comb the tangled language of the people 
As to be sure of anything in these days.
Put that much in account with modesty. 

BURR

What in the name of Ahab, Hamilton, 
Have you, in the last region of your dreaming, 
To do with “people”? You may be the devil 
In your dead-reckoning of what reefs and shoals
Are waiting on the progress of our ship 
Unless you steer it, but you’ll find it irksome 
Alone there in the stern; and some warm day 
There’ll be an inla...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Edwin Arlington

Paradise Lost: Book 04

...d now, divided into four main streams, 
Runs diverse, wandering many a famous realm 
And country, whereof here needs no account; 
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell, 
How from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks, 
Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, 
With mazy errour under pendant shades 
Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed 
Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice Art 
In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon 
Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale,...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 10

...new-arrived, in multitudes 
The ethereal people ran, to hear and know 
How all befel: They towards the throne supreme, 
Accountable, made haste, to make appear, 
With righteous plea, their utmost vigilance 
And easily approved; when the Most High 
Eternal Father, from his secret cloud, 
Amidst in thunder uttered thus his voice. 
Assembled Angels, and ye Powers returned 
From unsuccessful charge; be not dismayed, 
Nor troubled at these tidings from the earth, 
Which your since...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Samson Agonistes

...ntitl'd, Christ suffering. This is mention'd to
vindicate Tragedy from the small esteem, or rather infamy, which
in the account of many it undergoes at this day with other common
Interludes; hap'ning through the Poets error of intermixing Comic
stuff with Tragic sadness and gravity; or introducing trivial and
vulgar persons, which by all judicious hath bin counted absurd; and
brought in without discretion, corruptly to gratifie the people. And
though antient Tragedy use no Pr...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Sea Dreams

...ich I ask'd the woman in my dream.
Like her, he shook his head. "Show me the books!"
He dodged me with a long and loose account.
"The books, the books!" but he, he could not wait,
Bound on a matter he of life and death:
When the great Books (see Daniel seven and ten)
Were open'd, I should find he meant me well;
And then began to bloat himself, and ooze
All over with the fat affectionate smile
That makes the widow lean. "My dearest friend,
Have faith, have faith! We live by fa...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

Song of Myself

...erties told, my words; 
And more the reminders, they, of life untold, and of freedom and extrication, 
And make short account of neuters and geldings, and favor men and women fully
 equipt,
And beat the gong of revolt, and stop with fugitives, and them that plot and
 conspire. 

24
Walt Whitman am I, a Kosmos, of mighty Manhattan the son, 
Turbulent, fleshy and sensual, eating, drinking and breeding; 
No sentimentalist—no stander above men and women, or apart from t...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

The Everlasting Mercy

...geons, 
You dead devout of dead religions, 
You offspring of the hen and ass, 
By Pilate ruled, and Caiaphas. 
Now your account is totted. Learn 
Hell's flames are loose and you shall burn." 

At that I leaped and screamed and ran, 
I heard their cries go, "Catch him, man." 
"Who was it?" "Down him." "Out him, Em." 
"Duck him at pump, we'll see who'll burn." 
A policeman clutched, a fireman clutched, 
A dozen others snatched and touched. 
"By God, he's stripped down to his bu...Read more of this...
by Masefield, John

The Four Ages of Man

...udge I should have room in all men's hearts;
4.89 And envy gnaws if any do surmount.
4.90 I hate for to be had in small account.
4.91 If Bias like, I'm stript unto my skin;
4.92 I glory in my wealth I have within.
4.93 Thus good, and bad, and what I am, you see,
4.94 Now in a word, what my diseases be:
4.95 The vexing Stone, in bladder and in reins,
4.96 Torments me with intolerable pains;
4.97 The windy cholic oft my bowels rend,
4.98 To break the darksome prison, where it's...Read more of this...
by Bradstreet, Anne

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

...or this history has been adopted by both parties
It indeed appear'd to Reason as if Desire was cast out. but the
Devils account is, that the Messi[PL 6]ah fell. & formed a heaven
of what he stole from the Abyss
This is shewn in the Gospel, where he prays to the Father to
send the comforter or Desire that Reason may have Ideas to build
on, the Jehovah of the Bible being no other than he, who dwells
in flaming fire. 
Know that after Christs death, he became Jehovah.
But in Milt...Read more of this...
by Blake, William

The Vision of Judgment

..."had he been consulted at the creation of the world, he would have spared the Maker some absurdities."

3. See Aubrey's account of the apparition which disappeared "with a curious perfume and a melodious twang;" or see the Antiquary, Vol. I.

4. A drowned body lies at the body till rotten; it then floats, as most people know....Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)

The Waste Land

...n they are unequalled." Its
"water-dripping song"
is justly celebrated.
360. The following lines were stimulated by the account of one
of the Antarctic expeditions (I forget which, but I think one
of Shackleton's): it was related that the party of explorers,
at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion
that there was one more member than could actually be counted.
367-77. Cf. Hermann Hesse, Blick ins Chaos:
"Schon ist halb Europa, schon ist zumindest der halb...Read more of this...
by Eliot, T S (Thomas Stearns)

The Wife of Baths Tale

...
But, *by my fay, I told of it no store:* *by my faith, I held it
They had me giv'n their land and their treasor, of no account*
Me needed not do longer diligence
To win their love, or do them reverence.
They loved me so well, by God above,
That I *tolde no dainty* of their love. *cared nothing for*
A wise woman will busy her ever-in-one* *constantly
To get their love, where that she hath none.
But, since I had them wholly in my hand,
And that they had me given all their land...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey

To Think of Time

...drivers—and he there takes no
 interest in them! 

5
The markets, the government, the working-man’s wages—to think what account they
 are
 through our nights and days! 
To think that other working-men will make just as great account of them—yet we make
 little
 or no account! 

The vulgar and the refined—what you call sin, and what you call goodness—to
 think how
 wide a difference! 
To think the difference will still continue to others, yet we lie beyond the difference.

To ...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Account poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter