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Famous Behest Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...rge, of the flaming current;
And, all devout, he never sought
 To stem the sacred torrent.


He felt the powerful, high behest
 Thrill, vital, thro’ and thro’;
And sought a correspondent breast,
 To give obedience due:
Propitious Powers screen’d the young flow’rs,
 From mildews of abortion;
And low! the bard—a great reward—
 Has got a double portion!


Auld cantie Coil may count the day,
 As annual it returns,
The third of Libra’s equal sway,
 That gave another Burns,
With fu...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert



...fill
They all partake, and do in state remain
As their great Maker did at first ordain,
Through observation of her high behest,
By which they first were made, and still increast.

The fairness of her face no tongue can tell;
For she the daughters of all women's race,
And angels eke, in beauty doth excel,
Sparkled on her from God's own glorious face,
And more increas'd by her own goodly grace,
That it doth far exceed all human thought,
Ne can on earth compared be to aught.

Ne...Read more of this...
by Spenser, Edmund
...e,
Till that in words thy figure be exprest:
And yet, as soone as they so formed be,
According to my lord Loues oene behest,
With sad eies I their weak proportion see
To portrait that which in this world is best.
So that I cannot chuse but write my mind,
And cannot chuse but put out what I write,
While these poor babes their death in birth do find;
And now my pen these lines had dashed quite
But that they stopt his fury from the same,
Because their forefront bare s...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip
...is bow!



XXV

“UNDER harness his heart then is hit indeed
by sharpest shafts; and no shelter avails
from foul behest of the hellish fiend. {25a}
Him seems too little what long he possessed.
Greedy and grim, no golden rings
he gives for his pride; the promised future
forgets he and spurns, with all God has sent him,
Wonder-Wielder, of wealth and fame.
Yet in the end it ever comes
that the frame of the body fragile yields,
fated falls; and there follows anothe...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,
...which they tell. 

II. 

Begirt with many a gallant slave, 
Apparell'd as becomes the brave, 
Awaiting each his lord's behest 
To guide his steps, or guard his rest, 
Old Giaffir sate in his Divan: 
Deep thought was in his aged eye; 
And though the face of Mussulman 
Not oft betrays to standers by 
The mind within, well skill'd to hide 
All but unconquerable pride, 
His pensive cheek and pondering brow 
Did more than he wont avow. 

III. 

"Let the chamber be clear'd." — The...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)



...st such conviction come upon his head,
Who, thus far, discontent, has dared to tread,
Without one muse's smile, or kind behest,
The path of love and poesy. But rest,
In chaffing restlessness, is yet more drear
Than to be crush'd, in striving to uprear
Love's standard on the battlements of song.
So once more days and nights aid me along,
Like legion'd soldiers.

 Brain-sick shepherd-prince,
What promise hast thou faithful guarded since
The day of sacrifice? Or, have new sorrow...Read more of this...
by Keats, John
...
 Said he to the two sisters: "Beauteous ladies, 
 As I'm a gentleman, my task and trade is 
 To be the slave of your behest— 
 Choose therefore at your own sweet will and pleasure, 
 Honors or treasure! 
 Or in one word, whatever you'd like best. 
 But, let us understand each other—she 
 Who speaks the first, her prayer shall certainly 
 Receive—the other, the same boon redoubled!" 
 
 Imagine how our amiable pair, 
 At this proposal, all so frank and fair,...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor
...ote on her ear, and turning round she saw 
Dust, and the points of lances bicker in it. 
Then not to disobey her lord's behest, 
And yet to give him warning, for he rode 
As if he heard not, moving back she held 
Her finger up, and pointed to the dust. 
At which the warrior in his obstinacy, 
Because she kept the letter of his word, 
Was in a manner pleased, and turning, stood. 
And in the moment after, wild Limours, 
Borne on a black horse, like a thunder-cloud 
Whose skirts...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis."

So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise Persephone, saying:

[Line 360] "Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule...Read more of this...
by Homer,
...e 
In the delight that work alone can give. 
Peace be to them; eternal peace and rest, 
And the fulfilment of the great behest: 
"Ye have been faithful over a few things, 
Over ten cities shall ye reign as kings." 

And ye who fill the places we once filled, 
And follow in the furrows that we tilled, 
Young men, whose generous hearts are beating high, 
We who are old, and are about to die, 
Salute you; hail you; take your hands in ours, 
And crown you with our welcome as with...Read more of this...
by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
...stward among those trees, what glorious shape 
Comes this way moving; seems another morn 
Risen on mid-noon; some great behest from Heaven 
To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe 
This day to be our guest. But go with speed, 
And, what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour 
Abundance, fit to honour and receive 
Our heavenly stranger: Well we may afford 
Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow 
From large bestowed, where Nature multiplies 
Her fertile growth, and...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...m I decree, 
And send him from the garden forth to till 
The ground whence he was taken, fitter soil. 
Michael, this my behest have thou in charge; 
Take to thee from among the Cherubim 
Thy choice of flaming warriours, lest the Fiend, 
Or in behalf of Man, or to invade 
Vacant possession, some new trouble raise: 
Haste thee, and from the Paradise of God 
Without remorse drive out the sinful pair; 
From hallowed ground the unholy; and denounce 
To them, and to their progeny, ...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...,
For the Hand still impelled me at once and supported, suppressed
All the tumult, and quenched it with quiet, and holy behest,
Till the rapture was shut in itself, and the earth sank to rest.
Anon at the dawn, all that trouble had withered from earth---
Not so much, but I saw it die out in the day's tender birth;
In the gathered intensity brought to the grey of the hills;
In the shuddering forests' held breath; in the sudden wind-thrills;
In the startled wild beasts that bor...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert
...which they tell. 

II. 

Begirt with many a gallant slave, 
Apparell'd as becomes the brave, 
Awaiting each his lord's behest 
To guide his steps, or guard his rest, 
Old Giaffir sate in his Divan: 
Deep thought was in his aged eye; 
And though the face of Mussulman 
Not oft betrays to standers by 
The mind within, well skill'd to hide 
All but unconquerable pride, 
His pensive cheek and pondering brow 
Did more than he wont avow. 

III. 

"Let the chamber be clear'd." — The...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)
...eth Love's command! 
It is the heart, and not the brain, 
That to the highest doth attain, 
And he who followeth Love's behest 
Far excelleth all the rest! 
Thus with the rising of the sun 
Was the noble task begun, 
And soon throughout the ship-yard's bounds 
Were heard the intermingled sounds 
Of axes and of mallets, plied 
With vigorous arms on every side; 
Plied so deftly and so well, 
That, ere the shadows of evening fell, 
The keel of oak for a noble ship, 
Scarfed and ...Read more of this...
by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
...bargain
Ye be submitted through your free assent
To stand in this case at my judgement.
Acquit you now, and *holde your behest*; *keep your promise*
Then have ye done your devoir* at the least." *duty
"Hoste," quoth he, "de par dieux jeo asente; 
To breake forword is not mine intent.
Behest is debt, and I would hold it fain,
All my behest; I can no better sayn.
For such law as a man gives another wight,
He should himselfe usen it by right.
Thus will our text: but natheless...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...oned mouth. 
With his sharp sword he cleaved my breast,
And plucked my quivering heart out,
And coals flamed with God's behest, 
Into my gaping breast were ground.
Like dead I lay on desert sands,
And listened to the God's commands:
'Arise, O prophet, hark and see, 
Be filled with utter My demands,
And, going over Land and Sea,
Burn with your Word the humane hearts.'...Read more of this...
by Pushkin, Alexander
...y false, say nay, upon thy fay."* *faith
This knight answer'd, "Alas, and well-away!
I know right well that such was my behest.* *promise
For Godde's love choose a new request
Take all my good, and let my body go."
"Nay, then," quoth she, "I shrew* us bothe two, *curse
For though that I be old, and foul, and poor,
I n'ould* for all the metal nor the ore, *would not
That under earth is grave,* or lies above *buried
But if thy wife I were and eke thy love."
"My love?" quoth he,...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...ken;—
Yet fairest dames and bearded men,
Who heard the sweet request
So gentle, wise, and grave,
Bended with joy to his behest,
And let the world's affairs go by,
Awhile to share his cordial game,
Or mend his wicker wagon frame,
Still plotting how their hungry ear
That winsome voice again might hear,
For his lips could well pronounce
Words that were persuasions.

Gentlest guardians marked serene
His early hope, his liberal mien,
Took counsel from his guiding eyes
To make this...Read more of this...
by Emerson, Ralph Waldo
..., 
Yet fairest dames and bearded men, 
Who heard the sweet request, 
So gentle, wise and grave, 
Bended with joy to his behest 
And let the world's affairs go by, 
A while to share his cordial game, 
Or mend his wicker wagon-frame, 
Still plotting how their hungry ear 
That winsome voice again might hear; 
For his lips could well pronounce 
Words that were persuasions. 
Gentlest guardians marked serene 
His early hope, his liberal mien; 
Took counsel from his guiding eyes 
To...Read more of this...
by Emerson, Ralph Waldo

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry