Famous Charon Poems by Famous Poets

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

See also:

A Supermarket in California

...me to our silent 
cottage? 
Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage- 
teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit 
poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank 
and stood watching the boat disappear on the black 
waters of Lethe? ...Read more of this...
by Ginsberg, Allen


Ballad by the Fire

...ade, 
As one by one the phantoms go. 

But then, what though the mystic Three 
Around me ply their merry trade? -- 
And Charon soon may carry me 
Across the gloomy Stygian glade? -- 

Be up, my soul! nor be afraid 
Of what some unborn year may show; 
But mind your human debts are paid, 
As one by one the phantoms go. 

ENVOY

Life is the game that must be played: 
This truth at least, good friend, we know; 
So live and laugh, nor be dismayed 
As one by one the phantoms go....Read more of this...
by Robinson, Edwin Arlington

Dirce

...Stand close around, ye Stygian set,
With Dirce in one boat conveyed,
Or Charon, seeing, may forget
That he is old and she a shade....Read more of this...
by Landor, Walter Savage

Don Juan In Hades

...WHEN Juan sought the subterranean flood, 
And paid his obolus on the Stygian shore, 
Charon, the proud and sombre beggar, stood 
With one strong, vengeful hand on either oar. 

With open robes and bodies agonised, 
Lost women writhed beneath that darkling sky; 
There were sounds as of victims sacrificed: 
Behind him all the dark was one long cry. 

And Sganarelle, with laughter, claimed his pledge; 
Don Luis, with trembling finger in the air...Read more of this...
by Baudelaire, Charles

Inferno (English)

...t ye. Yea, forbear! 
 A different passage and a lighter fare 
 Is destined thine." 
 But here my guide replied, 
 "Nay, Charon, cease; or to thy grief ye chide. 
 It There is willed, where that is willed shall be, 
 That ye shall pass him to the further side, 
 Nor question more." 
 The fleecy cheeks thereat, 
 Blown with fierce speech before, were drawn and flat, 
 And his flame-circled eyes subdued, to hear 
 That mandate given. But those of whom he spake 
 In bitter glee, ...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante


Inferno Canto03

...: «Caron, non ti crucciare: 
vuolsi cos? col? dove si puote 
ci? che si vuole, e pi? non dimandare ». 

My guide then: "Charon, don't torment yourself: 
our passage has been willed above, where One 
can do what He has willed; and ask no more." 


Quinci fuor quete le lanose gote 
al nocchier de la livida palude, 
che 'ntorno a li occhi avea di fiamme rote . 

Now silence fell upon the wooly cheeks 
of Charon, pilot of the livid marsh, 
whose eyes were ringed about with wheels...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Writing To Onegin

...herself thorn by thorn 
For the exit aria. For fade-out. Suddenly there he is
In the avenue, the man she's written to - Charon
Gazing at her with blazing eyes! Darth Vader
From Star Wars. She's trapped, in a house she didn't realize
Was burning. Her letter was a gate to the inferno.
........
(This poem appeared in Pushkin: An Anthology, ed. E. Feinstein, Carcanet 1999)...Read more of this...
by Padel, Ruth

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Charon poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter