Famous Betty Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Betty Blue

by Mother Goose
    Little Betty Blue
    Lost her holiday shoe;
What shall little Betty do?
    Give her another
    To match the other
And then she'll walk upon two....Read more of this...

42. A Poet's Welcome to his Love-Begotten Daughter

by Robert Burns
 THOU’S 1 welcome, wean; mishanter fa’ me,
If thoughts o’ thee, or yet thy mamie,
Shall ever daunton me or awe me,
 My bonie lady,
Or if I blush when thou shalt ca’ me
 Tyta or daddie.


Tho’ now they ca’ me fornicator,
An’ tease my name in kintry clatter,
The mair they talk, I’m kent the better,
 E’en let them clash;
An auld wife’s tongue’s...Read more of this...

Little Girls Must Not Fret

by Jane Taylor
 What is it that makes little Emily cry? 
Come then, let mamma wipe the tear from her eye: 
There­ -- lay down your head on my bosom­ -- that's right,
And now tell mamma what's the matter to-night. 

What! Emmy is sleepy, and tired with play? 
Come, Betty, make haste then, and fetch her away; 
But do not be fretful,...Read more of this...

Dream Song 101: A shallow lake with many waterbirds

by John Berryman
 A shallow lake, with many waterbirds,
especially egrets: I was showing Mother around,
An extraordinary vivid dream
of Betty & Douglass, and Don-”his mother's estate
was on the grounds of a lunatic asylum.
He showed me around.

A policeman trundled a siren up the walk.
It was 6:05 p.m., Don was late home.
I askt if he ever saw
the inmates-”'No, they never leave their cells.'
Betty was downstairs,...Read more of this...

An Allusion to Horace

by John Wilmot
 Well Sir, 'tis granted, I said Dryden's Rhimes, 
Were stoln, unequal, nay dull many times: 
What foolish Patron, is there found of his, 
So blindly partial, to deny me this? 
But that his Plays, Embroider'd up and downe, 
With Witt, and Learning, justly pleas'd the Towne, 
In the same paper, I as freely owne: 
Yet haveing this allow'd, the...Read more of this...

Sleepy Harry

by Jane Taylor
 "I do not like to go to bed," 
Sleepy little Harry said; 
"Go, naughty Betty, go away, 
I will not come at all, I say! "

Oh, silly child! what is he saying? 
As if he could be always playing! 
Then, Betty, you must come and carry
This very foolish little Harry. 

The little birds are better taught,
They go to roosting...Read more of this...

The Ladys Dressing Room

by Jonathan Swift
 Five hours, (and who can do it less in?)
By haughty Celia spent in dressing;
The goddess from her chamber issues,
Arrayed in lace, brocades, and tissues.
Strephon, who found the room was void
And Betty otherwise employed,
Stole in and took a strict survey
Of all the litter as it lay;
Whereof, to make the matter clear,
An inventory follows here.
And first a dirty smock appeared,
Beneath the...Read more of this...

Immortality

by Robert William Service
 Full well I trow that when I die
 Down drops the curtain;
Another show is all my eye
 And Betty Martin.
I know the score, and with a smile
 Of rueful rating,
I reckon I am not worth while
 Perpetuating.

I hope that God,--if God there be
 Of love and glory,
Will let me off Eternity,
 And end my story.
Will count me just a...Read more of this...

A Description of the Morning

by Jonathan Swift
 Now hardly here and there a hackney-coach
Appearing, show'd the ruddy morn's approach.
Now Betty from her master's bed had flown,
And softly stole to discompose her own.
The slip-shod 'prentice from his master's door
Had par'd the dirt, and sprinkled round the floor.
Now Moll had whirl'd her mop with dext'rous airs,
Prepar'd to scrub the entry and the stairs.
The youth with broomy stumps began...Read more of this...

46. The Belles of Mauchline

by Robert Burns
 IN Mauchline there dwells six proper young belles,
 The pride of the place and its neighbourhood a’;
Their carriage and dress, a stranger would guess,
 In Lon’on or Paris, they’d gotten it a’.


Miss Miller is fine, Miss Markland’s divine,
 Miss Smith she has wit, and Miss Betty is braw:
There’s beauty and fortune to get wi’ Miss Morton,
 But Armour’s the...Read more of this...

Spirit Dity Of No Fax Line Dial Tone

by Bob Hicok
 The telephone company calls and asks what the fuss is. 
Betty from the telephone company, who's not concerned 
with the particulars of my life. For instance 
if I believe in the transubstantiation of Christ 
or am gladdened at 7:02 in the morning to repeat 
an eighth time why a man wearing a hula skirt of tools 
slung low on...Read more of this...

Signior Dildo

by John Wilmot
 You ladies of merry England
Who have been to kiss the Duchess's hand,
Pray, did you not lately observe in the show
A noble Italian called Signior *****?

This signior was one of the Duchess's train
And helped to conduct her over the main;
But now she cries out, 'To the Duke I will go,
I have no more need for Signior *****.'

At the Sign of...Read more of this...

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