Famous Advantage Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Lovers Complaint

...tip of his subduing tongue
All kinds of arguments and question deep,
All replication prompt, and reason strong,
For his advantage still did wake and sleep:
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep,
He had the dialect and different skill,
Catching all passions in his craft of will:

'That he did in the general bosom reign
Of young, of old; and sexes both enchanted,
To dwell with him in thoughts, or to remain
In personal duty, following where he haunted:
Consents bewitch'd, e...Read more of this...
by Shakespeare, William


An Essay On Criticism

...e living Grace,
With Gold and Jewels cover ev'ry Part,
And hide with Ornaments their Want of Art.
True Wit is Nature to Advantage drest,
What oft was Thought, but ne'er so well Exprest,
Something, whose Truth convinc'd at Sight we find,
That gives us back the Image of our Mind:
As Shades more sweetly recommend the Light,
So modest Plainness sets off sprightly Wit:
For Works may have more Wit than does 'em good,
As Bodies perish through Excess of Blood.

Others for Language al...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander

Avons Harvest

...all see the face 
Of whosoever watches by the bed 
On which I die—given I die that way. 
I doubt if he could reason his advantage
In living any longer after that 
Among the rest of us. The lad he slandered, 
Or gave a negative immunity 
No better than a stone he might have thrown 
Behind him at his head, was of the few
I might have envied; and for that being known, 
My fury became sudden history, 
And I a sudden hero. But the crown 
I wore was hot; and I would happily 
Have h...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Edwin Arlington

Bishop Blougrams Apology

...ste proves more wise 
When we consider that the steadfast hold 
On the extreme end of the chain of faith 
Gives all the advantage, makes the difference 
With the rough purblind mass we seek to rule: 
We are their lords, or they are free of us, 
Just as we tighten or relax our hold. 
So, others matters equal, we'll revert 
To the first problem--which, if solved my way 
And thrown into the balance, turns the scale-- 
How we may lead a comfortable life, 
How suit our luggage to ...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert

Guinevere

...became a noble knight, 
Was gracious to all ladies, and the same 
In open battle or the tilting-field 
Forbore his own advantage, and the King 
In open battle or the tilting-field 
Forbore his own advantage, and these two 
Were the most nobly-mannered men of all; 
For manners are not idle, but the fruit 
Of loyal nature, and of noble mind.' 

`Yea,' said the maid, `be manners such fair fruit?' 
Then Lancelot's needs must be a thousand-fold 
Less noble, being, as all rumour r...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord


Inferno (English)

...ns drear; 
 Cast with those abject angels whose delay 
 To join rebellion, or their Lord defend, 
 Waiting their proved advantage, flung them here. - 
 Chased forth from Heaven, lest else its beauties end 
 The pure perfection of their stainless claim, 
 Out-herded from the shining gate they came, 
 Where the deep hells refused them, lest the lost 
 Boast something baser than themselves." 

 And I, 
 "Master, what grievance hath their failure cost, 
 That through the lamentab...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Last Instructions to a Painter

...
The dice betwixt them must the fate divide 
(As chance doth still in multitudes decide). 
But here the Court does its advantage know, 
For the cheat Turner for them both must throw. 
As some from boxes, he so from the chair 
Can strike the die and still with them goes share. 

Here, Painter, rest a little, and survey 
With what small arts the public game they play. 
For so too Rubens, with affairs of state, 
His labouring pencil oft would recreate. 

The close Cabal marked ...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Let It Enfold You

...vances,
the men I fought in
alleys had hearts of stone.
everybody was nudging,
inching, cheating for
some insignificant
advantage,
the lie was the
weapon and the
plot was
emptey,
darkness was the
dictator.

cautiously, I allowed
myself to feel good
at times.
I found moments of 
peace in cheap
rooms
just staring at the 
knobs of some
dresser
or listening to the
rain in the 
dark.
the less i needed
the better i 
felt.

maybe the other life had worn me 
down.
I no longer found
g...Read more of this...
by Bukowski, Charles

Paradise Lost: Book 01

...aph rolling in the flood 
With scattered arms and ensigns, till anon 
His swift pursuers from Heaven-gates discern 
Th' advantage, and, descending, tread us down 
Thus drooping, or with linked thunderbolts 
Transfix us to the bottom of this gulf? 
Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen!" 
 They heard, and were abashed, and up they sprung 
Upon the wing, as when men wont to watch 
On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread, 
Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake. 
Nor did th...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 02

...Hell 
Precedence; none whose portion is so small 
Of present pain that with ambitious mind 
Will covet more! With this advantage, then, 
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, 
More than can be in Heaven, we now return 
To claim our just inheritance of old, 
Surer to prosper than prosperity 
Could have assured us; and by what best way, 
Whether of open war or covert guile, 
We now debate. Who can advise may speak." 
 He ceased; and next him Moloch, sceptred king, 
Stood ...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 08

...uman sense, 
Placed Heaven from Earth so far, that earthly sight, 
If it presume, might err in things too high, 
And no advantage gain. What if the sun 
Be center to the world; and other stars, 
By his attractive virtue and their own 
Incited, dance about him various rounds? 
Their wandering course now high, now low, then hid, 
Progressive, retrograde, or standing still, 
In six thou seest; and what if seventh to these 
The planet earth, so stedfast though she seem, 
Insensib...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 09

...e and shame 
By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand 
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find 
His wish and best advantage, us asunder; 
Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each 
To other speedy aid might lend at need: 
Whether his first design be to withdraw 
Our fealty from God, or to disturb 
Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss 
Enjoyed by us excites his envy more; 
Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side 
That gave thee being, still shades thee, a...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Part 7 of Trout Fishing in America

...quietly studying her

brandy. A couple of times she said yes, in a sort of nice

way. She used the word yes to its best advantage, when sur-

rounded by no meaning and left alone from other words.

 They did their own cooking in the room and had a single

hot plate sitting on the floor, next to half a dozen plants, in-

cluding a peach tree growing in a coffee can. Their closet

was stuffed with food. Along with shirts, suits and dresses,

were canned goods, eggs and cooking ...Read more of this...
by Brautigan, Richard

Part 9 of Trout Fishing in America

...her than Trout Fish-

ing in America Shorty. She didn't care about his sausages

any more either.

 She decided to take advantage of the green light, and she

crossed over to the sandbox.

 Trout Fishing in America Shorty stared after her as if

the space between them were a river growing larger and

larger....Read more of this...
by Brautigan, Richard

Portrait of a Lady

...ile
Not knowing what to feel or if I understand
Or whether wise or foolish, tardy or too soon...
Would she not have the advantage, after all?
This music is successful with a “dying fall”
Now that we talk of dying—
And should I have the right to smile?...Read more of this...
by Eliot, T S (Thomas Stearns)

Samson Agonistes

...ithout feign'd shifts let be assign'd
Some narrow place enclos'd, where sight may give thee.
Or rather flight, no great advantage on me;
Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy Helmet
And Brigandine of brass, thy broad Habergeon. 
Vant-brass and Greves, and Gauntlet, add thy Spear
A Weavers beam, and seven-times-folded shield.
I only with an Oak'n staff will meet thee,
And raise such out-cries on thy clatter'd Iron,
Which long shall not with-hold mee from thy head,
That in a l...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

The Four Ages of Man

...d.
2.25 This little house of flesh did spacious count,
2.26 Through ignorance, all troubles did surmount,
2.27 Yet this advantage had mine ignorance,
2.28 Freedom from Envy and from Arrogance.
2.29 How to be rich, or great, I did not cark,
2.30 A Baron or a Duke ne'r made my mark,
2.31 Nor studious was, Kings favours how to buy,
2.32 With costly presents, or base flattery;
2.33 No office coveted, wherein I might
2.34 Make strong my self and turn aside weak right.
2.35 No mali...Read more of this...
by Bradstreet, Anne

The Lady of the Lake

...and favor free,
     I plight mine honor, oath, and word
     That, to thy native strengths restored,
     With each advantage shalt thou stand
     That aids thee now to guard thy land.'
     XIV.

     Dark lightning flashed from Roderick's eye:
     'Soars thy presumption, then, so high,
     Because a wretched kern ye slew,
     Homage to name to Roderick Dhu?
     He yields not, he, to man nor Fate!
     Thou add'st but fuel to my hate;—
     My clansman's b...Read more of this...
by Scott, Sir Walter

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

...studied the genius of each city &
country. placing it under its mental deity.
Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of &
enslav'd the vulgar by attempting to realize or abstract the
mental deities from their objects: thus began Priesthood.
Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales.
And at length they pronounced that the Gods had orderd such 
things.
Thus men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast.


PLATE 12
A Memorable Fancy. 

The Prophets Isaiah...Read more of this...
by Blake, William

The Princess (part 2)

...pensated size: 
Besides the brain was like the hand, and grew 
With using; thence the man's, if more was more; 
He took advantage of his strength to be 
First in the field: some ages had been lost; 
But woman ripened earlier, and her life 
Was longer; and albeit their glorious names 
Were fewer, scattered stars, yet since in truth 
The highest is the measure of the man, 
And not the Kaffir, Hottentot, Malay, 
Nor those horn-handed breakers of the glebe, 
But Homer, Plato, Ver...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

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