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Famous Bequest Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Campbell, Thomas
...dire,
When fate had reft his mutual heart--but she
Was gone--and Gertrude climb'd a widow'd father's knee.

A loved bequest,--and I may half impart--
To them that feel the strong paternal tie,
How like a new existence to his heart
That living flower uprose beneath his eye
Dear as she was from cherub infancy,
From hours when she would round his garden play,
To time when as the ripening years went by,
Her lovely mind could culture well repay,
And more engaging grew, from pl...Read more of this...



by Dickinson, Emily
...rew robust --
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was Dust --

He danced along the dingy Days
And this Bequest of Wings
Was but a Book -- What Liberty
A loosened spirit brings --...Read more of this...

by Thoreau, Henry David
...will subserve no use, 
More than the tints of flowers; 
Only the independent guest 
Frequents its bowers, 
Inherits its bequest. 

No speech, though kind, has it; 
But kinder silence doles 
Unto its mates; 
By night consoles, 
By day congratulates. 

What saith the tongue to tongue? 
What hearest ear of ear? 
By the decrees of fate 
From year to year, 
Does it communicate. 

Pathless the gulf of feeling yawns; 
No trivial bridge of words, 
Or arch of boldest span,...Read more of this...

by Service, Robert William
...ren lame I would be friend,
 And brother to the blind . . .
And if there be a God, I pray
 He bless my last bequest,
And in His love and pity say:
 "Good servant,--rest!"...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...NO labor-saving machine, 
Nor discovery have I made; 
Nor will I be able to leave behind me any wealthy bequest to found a hospital or library, 
Nor reminiscence of any deed of courage, for America, 
Nor literary success, nor intellect—nor book for the book-shelf;
Only a few carols, vibrating through the air, I leave, 
For comrades and lovers....Read more of this...



by Shakespeare, William
...Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free.
Then, beauteous niggard why dost thou abuse,
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thyself alone,
Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.
Then how when natu...Read more of this...

by Shakespeare, William
...Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thyself thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free.
Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thyself alone,
Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive.
Then how, when nat...Read more of this...

by Shakespeare, William
...Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free:
Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thy self alone,
Thou of thy self thy sweet self dost deceive:
Then how when nature ca...Read more of this...

by Keats, John
...From thy bright eyes unusual brightness shed---
 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...Read more of this...

by Jones, Chris
...t I helped a cleaner bin the mess.
Our chief would hire a temp inside the week
so I kept back your tissues as a wee bequest.
Sometimes I think I should have wiped your cheek....Read more of this...

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