Famous Alto Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Inferno (Italian)

...ch'i' fui al pi? d'un colle giunto,

l? dove terminava quella valle

che m'avea di paura il cor compunto,

 guardai in alto, e vidi le sue spalle

vestite gi? de' raggi del pianeta

che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle.

 Allor fu la paura un poco queta

che nel lago del cor m'era durata

la notte ch'i' passai con tanta pieta.

 E come quei che con lena affannata

uscito fuor del pelago a la riva

si volge a l'acqua perigliosa e guata,

 cos? l'animo mio, ch'ancor fuggiva,
...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante


Inferno Canto 01

...e bottom of a hill-
it rose along the boundary of the valley
that had harassed my heart with so much fear-


guardai in alto, e vidi le sue spalle
vestite gi? de' raggi del pianeta
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle .

I looked on high and saw its shoulders clothed
already by the rays of that same planet
which serves to lead men straight along all roads.


Allor fu la paura un poco queta
che nel lago del cor m'era durata
la notte ch'i' passai con tanta pieta .

At this my ...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Inferno Canto02

...d to undergo the battle 
both of the journeying and of the pity, 
which memory, mistaking not, shall show. 


O muse, o alto ingegno, or m'aiutate; 
o mente che scrivesti ci? ch'io vidi, 
qui si parr? la tua nobilitate . 

O Muses, o high genius, help me now; 
o memory that set down what I saw, 
here shall your excellence reveal itself! 


Io cominciai: «Poeta che mi guidi, 
guarda la mia virt? s'ell'? possente, 
prima ch'a l'alto passo tu mi fidi . 

I started: "Poet, you wh...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Inferno Canto03

...CITY, 
THROUGH ME THE WAY TO THE ETERNAL PAIN, 
THROUGH ME THE WAY THAT RUNS AMONG THE LOST. 


Giustizia mosse il mio alto fattore: 
fecemi la divina podestate, 
la somma sapienza e 'l primo amore . 

JUSTICE URGED ON MY HIGH ARTIFICER; 
MY MAKER WAS DIVINE AUTHORITY, 
THE HIGHEST WISDOM, AND THE PRIMAL LOVE. 


Dinanzi a me non fuor cose create 
se non etterne, e io etterno duro. 
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate ". 

BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS 
WERE MADE, ...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Mary smith

...as soprano in the choir, and I a solemn bass,
And when we unisoned our voices filled that holy place;
The tenor and the alto never had the slightest chance,
For Mary's upper register made every heart-string dance;
And, as for me, I shall not brag, and yet I'd have you know
I sung a very likely bass when I was Mary's beau.

On Friday nights I'd drop around to make my weekly call,
And though I came to visit her, I'd have to see 'em all.
With Mary's mother sitting here and Mary'...Read more of this...
by Field, Eugene


Paradiso (Italian)

...o primo
l'atterra torto da falso piacere.
 Non dei pi? ammirar, se bene stimo,
lo tuo salir, se non come d'un rivo
se d'alto monte scende giuso ad imo.
 Maraviglia sarebbe in te se, privo
d'impedimento, gi? ti fossi assiso,
com'a terra quiete in foco vivo».
 Quinci rivolse inver' lo cielo il viso.



Paradiso: Canto II

 O voi che siete in piccioletta barca,
desiderosi d'ascoltar, seguiti
dietro al mio legno che cantando varca,
 tornate a riveder li vostri liti:
non vi mettet...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Purgatorio (Italian)

...a;
e ora intendo mostrar quelli spirti
che purgan sé sotto la tua balìa.
 Com'io l'ho tratto, saria lungo a dirti;
de l'alto scende virtù che m'aiuta
conducerlo a vederti e a udirti.
 Or ti piaccia gradir la sua venuta:
libertà va cercando, ch'è sì cara,
come sa chi per lei vita rifiuta.
 Tu 'l sai, ché non ti fu per lei amara
in Utica la morte, ove lasciasti
la vesta ch'al gran dì sarà sì chiara.
 Non son li editti etterni per noi guasti,
ché questi vive, e Minòs me non lega...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Ser poeta

...Ser poeta é ser mais alto, é ser maior
Do que os homens! Morder como quem beija!
É ser mendigo e dar como quem seja
Rei do Reino de Aquém e de Além Dor!

É ter de mil desejos o esplendor
E não saber sequer que se deseja!
É ter cá dentro um astro que flameja,
É ter garras e asas de condor!

É ter fome, é ter sede de Infinito!
Por elmo, as manhãs de oiro e de cetim...
...Read more of this...
by Espanca, Florbela

Sonnet 06

...e d' intero diamante,
Tanto del forse, e d' invidia sicuro,
Di timori, e speranze al popol use 
Quanto d'ingegno, e d' alto valor vago,
E di cetra sonora, e delle muse:
Sol troverete in tal parte men duro
Ove amor mise l 'insanabil ago....Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Sonnet CCIII

...SONNET CCIII. L' alto signor, dinanzi a cui non vale. HIS SORROW FOR THE ILLNESS OF LAURA INCREASES, NOT LESSENS, HIS FLAME.  The sovereign Lord, 'gainst whom of no availConcealment, or resistance is, or flight,My mind had kindled to a new d...Read more of this...
by Petrarch, Francesco

Sonnet LVIII

...class=pagenum>[Pg 81] SONNET LVIII. Quando giunse a Simon l' alto concetto. HE DESIRES ONLY THAT MEMMI HAD BEEN ABLE TO IMPART SPEECH TO HIS PORTRAIT OF LAURA.  When, at my word, the high thought fired his mind,Within that master-hand which placed the pen,Had but the painter, in his f...Read more of this...
by Petrarch, Francesco

Sonnet XLI

...SONNET XLI. L' alto e novo miracol ch' a dì nostri. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO DESCRIBE HER EXCELLENCES.  The wonder, high and new, that, in our days,Dawn'd on the world, yet would not there remain,Which heaven but show'd to us to snatch ...Read more of this...
by Petrarch, Francesco

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