Famous Attire Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A True Story

...er, 
Have you any claim to the bounty He sends, 
Who makes you to differ from her? 

"A coach, and a footman, and gaudy attire,
Give little true joy to the breast; 
To be good is the thing you should chiefly desire,
And then leave to GOD all the rest. "...Read more of this...
by Taylor, Ann


Beowulf (Old English)

...your kin he knows,
hardy heroes, and hails you all
welcome hither o’er waves of the sea!
Ye may wend your way in war-attire,
and under helmets Hrothgar greet;
but let here the battle-shields bide your parley,
and wooden war-shafts wait its end.”
Uprose the mighty one, ringed with his men,
brave band of thanes: some bode without,
battle-gear guarding, as bade the chief.
Then hied that troop where the herald led them,
under Heorot’s roof: [the hero strode,]
hardy ’n...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,

Contentment

...not so large, in rings,--
A ruby, and a pearl, or so,
Will do for me;--I laugh at show.

My dame should dress in cheap attire;
(Good, heavy silks are never dear;) -
I own perhaps I might desire
Some shawls of true Cashmere,--
Some marrowy crapes of China silk,
Like wrinkled skins on scalded milk.

I would not have the horse I drive
So fast that folks must stop and stare;
An easy gait--two forty-five--
Suits me; I do not care;--
Perhaps, for just a single spurt,
Some seconds ...Read more of this...
by Holmes, Oliver Wendell

Each And All

...the wild uproar.

The lover watched his graceful maid
As 'mid the virgin train she strayed,
Nor knew her beauty's best attire
Was woven still by the snow-white quire;
At last she came to his hermitage,
Like the bird from the woodlands to the cage,—
The gay enchantment was undone,
A gentle wife, but fairy none.

Then I said, "I covet Truth;
Beauty is unripe childhood's cheat,—
I leave it behind with the games of youth."
As I spoke, beneath my feet
The ground-pine curled its p...Read more of this...
by Emerson, Ralph Waldo

Each and All

...d the wild uproar.
The lover watched his graceful maid,
As 'mid the virgin train she stayed,
Nor knew her beauty's best attire
Was woven still by the snow-white choir.
At last she came to his hermitage,
Like the bird from the woodlandsto the cage; -
The gay enchantment was undone,
A gentle wife, but fairy none.
Then I said, "I covet truth;
Beauty is unripe childhood's cheat;
I leave it behind with the games of youth:" -
As I spoke, beneath my feet
The ground-pine curled its p...Read more of this...
by Emerson, Ralph Waldo


Epistle To My Brother George

...ness
Of whitest clouds she does her beauty dress,
And staidly paces higher up, and higher,
Like a sweet nun in holy-day attire?
Ah, yes! much more would start into his sight— 
The revelries and mysteries of night:
And should I ever see them, I will tell you
Such tales as needs must with amazement spell you.

These are the living pleasures of the bard:
But richer far posterity's reward.
What does he murmur with his latest breath,
While his proud eye looks though the film of de...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Gertrude of Wyoming

...est in this wide world of care.

"And will ye pardon then (replied the youth)
Your Waldegrave's feign'd name, and false attire?
I durst not in the neighborhood, in truth,
The very fortunes of your house inquire;
Lest one that knew me might some tidings dire
Impart, and I my weakness all betray,
For had I lost my Gertrude and my sire
I meant but o'er your tombs to weep a day,
Unknown I meant to weep, unknown to pass away.

But here ye life, ye bloom,--in each dear face,
The ch...Read more of this...
by Campbell, Thomas

Mementos

...her youth, blest in her worth; 
Her mind was calm, its sunny rest 
Shone in her eyes more clear than mirth. 

And when attired in rich array, 
Light, lustrous hair about her brow, 
She yonder sat­a kind of day 
Lit up­what seems so gloomy now. 
These grim oak walls, even then were grim; 
That old carved chair, was then antique; 
But what around looked dusk and dim 
Served as a foil to her fresh cheek; 
Her neck, and arms, of hue so fair, 
Eyes of unclouded, smiling, light; 
...Read more of this...
by Bronte, Charlotte

Ode on Solitude

...ive air, 
In his own grounds. 

II. 
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread, 
Whose flocks supply him with attire, 
Whose trees in summer yield him shade, 
In winter fire. 

III. 
Blest! who can unconcern'dly find 
Hours, days, and years slide swift away, 
In health of body, peace of mind, 
Quiet by day, 

IV. 
Sound sleep by night; study and ease 
Together mix'd; sweet recreation, 
And innocence, which most does please, 
With meditation. 

V. 
T...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander

Paradise Lost: Book 07

...er glory shone, and rolled 
Her motions, as the great first Mover's hand 
First wheeled their course: Earth in her rich attire 
Consummate lovely smiled; air, water, earth, 
By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walked, 
Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remained: 
There wanted yet the master-work, the end 
Of all yet done; a creature, who, not prone 
And brute as other creatures, but endued 
With sanctity of reason, might erect 
His stature, and upright with front ...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paris

..., full of flowers, 
What mad fortunes befell us, 
What glad orgies were ours! 
In the days of our youth, 
In our festal attire, 
When the sweet flesh was smooth, 
When the swift blood was fire, 
And all Earth paid in orange and purple to pavilion the bed of Desire!...Read more of this...
by Seeger, Alan

The Cremona Violin

...d atmosphere. She stirred the fire,
She twitched the supper-cloth as though improving
Its careful setting, then her own attire
Came in for notice, tiptoeing higher and higher
She peered into the wall-glass, now adjusting
A straying lock, or else a ribbon thrusting
This way or that to suit her. At last 
sitting,
Or rather plumping down upon a chair,
She took her work, the stocking she was knitting,
And watched the rain upon the window glare
In white, bright drops. Through the ...Read more of this...
by Lowell, Amy

The Eve Of St. Agnes

...pearls her hair she frees;
 Unclasps her warmed jewels one by one;
 Loosens her fragrant boddice; by degrees
 Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees:
 Half-hidden, like a mermaid in sea-weed,
 Pensive awhile she dreams awake, and sees,
 In fancy, fair St. Agnes in her bed,
But dares not look behind, or all the charm is fled.

 Soon, trembling in her soft and chilly nest,
 In sort of wakeful swoon, perplex'd she lay,
 Until the poppied warmth of sleep oppress'd
 Her soo...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

The Female Vagrant

...neyed sycamore  When the bees hummed, and chair by winter fire;  When market-morning came, the neat attire  With which, though bent on haste, myself I deck'd;  My watchful dog, whose starts of furious ire,  When stranger passed, so often I have check'd;  The red-breast known for years, which at my casement peck'd.   The suns of twenty summers danced along,—  Ah! little marked, how fast they...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William

The Four Ages of Man

...ld till it have run its last,
1.22 Then may he live till threescore years or past.
1.23 Next, youth came up in gorgeous attire
1.24 (As that fond age, doth most of all desire),
1.25 His Suit of Crimson, and his Scarf of Green.
1.26 In's countenance, his pride quickly was seen.
1.27 Garland of Roses, Pinks, and Gillyflowers
1.28 Seemed to grow on's head (bedew'd with showers).
1.29 His face as fresh, as is Aurora fair,
1.30 When blushing first, she 'gins to red the Air.
1.31 N...Read more of this...
by Bradstreet, Anne

The Lady of the Lake

...—
     He chose the fairest of the train.
     Gravely he greets each city sire,
     Commends each pageant's quaint attire,
     Gives to the dancers thanks aloud,
     And smiles and nods upon the crowd,
     Who rend the heavens with their acclaims,—
     'Long live the Commons' King, King James!'
     Behind the King thronged peer and knight,
     And noble dame and damsel bright,
     Whose fiery steeds ill brooked the stay
     Of the steep street and crowded...Read more of this...
by Scott, Sir Walter

The Marriage Of Geraint

...all gone, 
And molten down in mere uxoriousness. 
And this she gathered from the people's eyes: 
This too the women who attired her head, 
To please her, dwelling on his boundless love, 
Told Enid, and they saddened her the more: 
And day by day she thought to tell Geraint, 
But could not out of bashful delicacy; 
While he that watched her sadden, was the more 
Suspicious that her nature had a taint. 

At last, it chanced that on a summer morn 
(They sleeping each by either) ...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

The Pied Piper Of Hamelin

...es went out and in— 
There was no guessing his kith and kin!
And nobody could enough admire
The tall man and his quaint attire:
Quoth one: "It's as my great-grandsire,
Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone,
Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!"

He advanced to the council-table:
And, "Please your honours," said he, "I'm able,
By means of a secret charm, to draw
All creatures living beneath the sun,
That creep or swim or fly or run,
After me so as you never saw!
A...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

...nd when they reared, the elfish light
Fell off in hoary flakes.

Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire:
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
Then coiled and swam; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.

O happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare:
A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware:
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.

The self-same moment I could pray;
And fr...Read more of this...
by Coleridge, Samuel Taylor

To Hope

...---
 Beneath thy pinions canopy my head!

Let me not see the patriot's high bequest,
 Great Liberty! how great in plain attire!
With the base purple of a court oppress'd,
 Bowing her head, and ready to expire:
 But let me see thee stoop from heaven on wings
 That fill the skies with silver glitterings!

And as, in sparkling majesty, a star
 Gilds the bright summit of some gloomy cloud;
Brightening the half veil'd face of heaven afar:
 So, when dark thoughts my boding spirit s...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

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