Famous Challenging Poems by Famous Poets
These are examples of famous Challenging poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous challenging poems. These examples illustrate what a famous challenging poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).
See also:
...
'We go but harken: there be two strange knights
Who sit near Camelot at a fountain-side,
A mile beneath the forest, challenging
And overthrowing every knight who comes.
Wilt thou I undertake them as we pass,
And send them to thee?'
Arthur laughed upon him.
'Old friend, too old to be so young, depart,
Delay not thou for aught, but let them sit,
Until they find a lustier than themselves.'
So these departed. Early, one fair dawn,
The light-winged spirit of his yout...Read more of this...
by
Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...the heavens than he himself: (ll. 499-505)
“Are you that Beowulf who struggled against Brecca
upon the broad seas, challenging him to swim,
where you both tempted the waters out of pride
and your foolish boasting in the fathomless ocean,
risking your lives? Nor could any man,
hearty or hated, persuade either of you
from your dangerous daring, besides rowing with your hands.
There you two were covered in the currents desperately,
sizing up the sea-streets, hurrying...Read more of this...
by
Anonymous,
...lked into his ambush
Was always his own body.
Where is this somebody who has me under?
He dived, he journeyed, challenging, he climbed and with a glare
Of hair on end finally met fear.
His eyes sealed up with shock, refusing to see.
With all his strength he struck. He felt the blow.
Horrified, he fell. ...Read more of this...
by
Hughes, Ted
...To the City of Bombay
The Cities are full of pride,
Challenging each to each --
This from her mountain-side,
That from her burthened beach.
They count their ships full tale --
Their corn and oil and wine,
Derrick and loom and bale,
And rampart's gun-flecked line;
City by City they hail:
"Hast aught to match with mine?"
And the men that breed from them
They traffic up and down,
But cling to their cities...Read more of this...
by
Kipling, Rudyard
...To the City of Bombay
The Cities are full of pride,
Challenging each to each --
This from her mountain-side,
That from her burthened beach.
They count their ships full tale --
Their corn and oil and wine,
Derrick and loom and bale,
And rampart's gun-flecked line;
City by City they hail:
"Hast aught to match with mine?"
And the men that breed from them
They traffic up and down,
But cling to their cities...Read more of this...
by
Kipling, Rudyard
...- and Vitalless --
As 'twere a Spur -- upon the Soul --
A Fear will urge it where
To go without the Sceptre's aid
Were Challenging Despair....Read more of this...
by
Dickinson, Emily
...mb and vital-less.
As't were a spur upon the soul,
A fear will urge it where
To go without the spectre's aid
Were challenging despair....Read more of this...
by
Dickinson, Emily
...ance is in flame, and you are coming fast,
But I'm afraid that you will change your image yet,
And will initiate the challenging mistrust
By changing features, used, at long awaited end.
Oh, how I will fell -- so low and so pine,
Unable to overcome my dreams' continued set!
The distance is such bright! And azure is so fine!
But I'm afraid that you will change your image yet....Read more of this...
by
Blok, Aleksandr
...Freedom's Northern hills, upon its Southern way,
Bears greeting to Virginia from Massachusetts Bay:
No word of haughty challenging, nor battle bugle's peal,
Nor steady tread of marching files, nor clang of horsemen's steel,
No trains of deep-mouthed cannon along our highways go;
Around our silent arsenals untrodden lies the snow;
And to the land-breeze of our ports, upon their errands far,
A thousand sails of commerce swell, but none are spread for war.
We hear thy threats...Read more of this...
by
Whittier, John Greenleaf
...otal of leases
From her body and spirit, her soul and her senses,
I revel in approaches and artless offenses,
In her challenging taunts and her tenderly teases.
Now will I disengage a red flower from her tresses,
And uplift her lithe form from a divan of roses,
For the zephyr of night too much passion opposes,
And in delicate folds now has rumpled her dresses.
On tomorrow’s new ventures the heart eager presses,
I repose now to ponder on life-soothing losses....Read more of this...
by
Dato, Luis G.
...y flapping in the wind?
POET.
I hear and see not strips of cloth alone;
I hear again the tramp of armies, I hear the challenging sentry;
I hear the jubilant shouts of millions of men—I hear LIBERTY!
I hear the drums beat, and the trumpets yet blowing;
I myself move abroad, swift-rising, flying then;
I use the wings of the land-bird, and use the wings of the sea-bird, and look down as from
a
height;
I do not deny the precious results of peace—I see populous cities, wi...Read more of this...
by
Whitman, Walt
...gines shrieking rescue storm the night,
And hose and hydrant cannot here avail;
The flames laugh high and fling their challenging light,
And clouds turn gray and black from silver-pale.
The fire leaps out and licks the ancient walls,
And the big building bends and twists and groans.
A bar drops from its place; a rafter falls
Burning the flowers. The wind in frenzy moans.
The watchers gaze, held wondering by the fire,
The dwellers cry their sorrow to the crowd,
The f...Read more of this...
by
McKay, Claude
Dont forget to view our wonderful member Challenging poems.