Famous Breather Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Fish Answers

...st ridiculous pace, 
Prong after prong, disgracer of all grace, 
Long-useless-finned, haired, upright, unwet, slow! 

O breather of unbreathable, sword-sharp air, 
How canst exist? How bear thyself, thou dry 
And dreary sloth? WHat particle canst share 
Of the only blessed life, the watery? 
I sometimes see of ye an actual pair 
Go by! linked fin by fin! most odiously....Read more of this...
by Hunt, James Henry Leigh


Astrophel and Stella

...words but heau'nly graces slide;
The new Parnassus, where the Muses bide;
Sweetner of Musicke, Wisedomes beautifier,
Breather of life, and fastner of desire,
Where Beauties blush in Honors graine is dide.
Thus much my heart compeld my mouth to say;
But now, spite of my heart, my mouth will stay,
Loathing all lies, doubting this flatterie is:
And no spurre can his resty race renewe,
Without, how farre this praise is short of you,
Sweet Lipp, you teach my mouth with o...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip

Candle Hat

...ing in brushstrokes,
Van Gogh stares out of a halo of swirling darkness,
Rembrant looks relieved as if he were taking a breather
from painting The Blinding of Sampson.

But in this one Goya stands well back from the mirror
and is seen posed in the clutter of his studio
addressing a canvas tilted back on a tall easel.

He appears to be smiling out at us as if he knew
we would be amused by the extraordinary hat on his head
which is fitted around the brim with candle holders,
a ...Read more of this...
by Collins, Billy

Chanting the Square Deific

...side, warlike, equal with any, real as any,
Nor time, nor change, shall ever change me or my words. 

4
Santa SPIRITA, breather, life, 
Beyond the light, lighter than light, 
Beyond the flames of hell—joyous, leaping easily above hell; 
Beyond Paradise—perfumed solely with mine own perfume;
Including all life on earth—touching, including God—including Saviour and Satan;

Ethereal, pervading all, (for without me, what were all? what were God?) 
Essence of forms—life of the re...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

Endymion: Book I

...is shorn peers
A ram goes bleating: Winder of the horn,
When snouted wild-boars routing tender corn
Anger our huntsman: Breather round our farms,
To keep off mildews, and all weather harms:
Strange ministrant of undescribed sounds,
That come a swooning over hollow grounds,
And wither drearily on barren moors:
Dread opener of the mysterious doors
Leading to universal knowledge--see,
Great son of Dryope,
The many that are come to pay their vows
With leaves about their brows!

 ...Read more of this...
by Keats, John


Gunner Joe

...p came the 'Boat-swine'
He says 'Where's Joe?' Gunner replied... 
'E's taken two cannon balls with 'im, 
And gone for a breather outside.' 

'Do y' think he'll be long?' said the 'Boat-swine' 
The gunner replied, 'If as 'ow,
'E comes back as quick as 'e left us,
'E should be 'ere any time now. 

And all this time Joe, treading water, 
Was trying 'is 'ardest to float.
'E shouted thro' turmoil of battle, 
'Tell someone to lower a boat.' 

'E'd come to the top for assistance, 
T...Read more of this...
by Edgar, Marriott

Its Ours

...there is always that space there 
just before they get to us 
that space 
that fine relaxer 
the breather 
while say 
flopping on a bed 
thinking of nothing 
or say 
pouring a glass of water from the 
spigot 
while entranced by 
nothing 

that 
gentle pure 
space 

it's worth 

centuries of 
existence 

say 

just to scratch your neck 
while looking out the window at 
a bare branch 

that space 
there 
before they get to us 
ensures 
that 
when they do ...Read more of this...
by Bukowski, Charles

The Hour of the King

...WHO would think this quiet breather
From the world had taken flight?
Yet within the form we see there
Wakes the Golden King to-night.


Out upon the face of faces
He looked forth before his sleep:
Now he knows the starry races
Haunters of the ancient deep.


On the Bird of Diamond Glory
Floats in mystic floods of song:
As he lists Time’s triple story
Seems but as a day is long.


From...Read more of this...
by Russell, George William

The Odyssey Of Erbert Iggins

...Ed ain't a flapper by far;
I'm blamed if I understand 'ow
 We've managed to get where we are.
But 'ere's for a bit of a breather.
 "Steady there, Ed, 'arf a mo'.
Old pal, it's all right;
It's a 'ell of a fight,
 But are we down-'earted? No-o-o."

Now war is a funny thing, ain't it?
 It's the rummiest sort of a go.
For when it's most real,
It's then that you feel
 You're a-watchin' a cinema show.
'Ere's me wot's a barber's assistant.
 Hey, presto! It's somewheres in France,
An...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

Two Sonnets In Memory

...world indeed what's graveward carried,
And laid to rest indeed what's laid away.
Anguish enough while yet the indignant breather
Have blood to spurt upon the oppressor's hand;
Who would eternal be, and hang in ether
A stuffless ghost above his struggling land,
Retching in vain to render up the groan
That is not there, being aching dust's alone?...Read more of this...
by St. Vincent Millay, Edna

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