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Famous Chastening Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Service, Robert William
...oor fool! Why should I care
 Whom you may be?
To clown and king alike I bring
 My meed of bane;
Why should you shirk my chastening?"
 Said Pain.

Said I to Grief: "No tears have I,
 Go on your way."
Said Grief: "Why should I pass you by,
 While others pay?
All men must know the way of woe,
 From saint to thief,
And tears were meant to overflow,"
 Said Grief.

Said I to Death: "From ail and fret
 Grant me relief."
Said Death: "I know you are beset
 By Pain and ...Read more of this...



by Shelley, Percy Bysshe
...comed him with such emotion
That its joy grew his, and sprung
From his lips like music flung
O'er a mighty thunder-fit,
Chastening terror: -what though yet
Poesy's unfailing River,
Which through Albion winds forever
Lashing with melodious wave
Many a sacred Poet's grave,
Mourn its latest nursling fled?
What though thou with all thy dead
Scarce can for this fame repay
Aught thine own? oh, rather say
Though thy sins and slaveries foul
Overcloud a sunlike soul?
As the ghost of H...Read more of this...

by Laurence Dunbar, Paul
...Once Love grew bold and arrogant of air,[Pg 103]
Proud of the youth that made him fresh and fair;
So unto Grief he spake, "What right hast thou
To part or parcel of this heart?" Grief's brow
Was darkened with the storm of inward strife;
Thrice smote he Love as only he might dare,
And Love, pride purg...Read more of this...

by Hayden, Robert
...Tempestuous Sea 


We pray that Thou wilt grant, O Lord, 
safe passage to our vessels bringing 
heathen souls unto Thy chastening. 

Jesus Saviour 

"8 bells. I cannot sleep, for I am sick 
with fear, but writing eases fear a little 
since still my eyes can see these words take shape 
upon the page & so I write, as one 
would turn to exorcism. 4 days scudding, 
but now the sea is calm again. Misfortune 
follows in our wake like sharks (our grinning 
tutelary ...Read more of this...

by Milton, John
...replied. 
Ascend, I follow thee, safe Guide, the path 
Thou leadest me; and to the hand of Heaven submit, 
However chastening; to the evil turn 
My obvious breast; arming to overcome 
By suffering, and earn rest from labour won, 
If so I may attain. -- So both ascend 
In the visions of God. It was a hill, 
Of Paradise the highest; from whose top 
The hemisphere of earth, in clearest ken, 
Stretched out to the amplest reach of prospect lay. 
Not higher that hi...Read more of this...



by Guest, Edgar Albert
...the mighty tide of fears
Against me always hurled!
Thank God for the bitter and ceaseless strife,
And the sting of His chastening rod!
Thank God for the stress and the pain of life,
And Oh, thank God for God!...Read more of this...

by Field, Eugene
...wrought
In charity and faith;
And let thy dear eyes close--
The eyes that looked alway to God,
Nor quailed beneath the chastening rod
Of sorrow;
Fold thou thy hands and eyes
For just a little while,
And with a smile
Dream of the morrow.

And, O white voiceless flower,
The dream which thou shalt dream
Should be a glimpse of heavenly things,
For yonder like a seraph sings
The sweetness of a life
With faith alway its theme;
While speedeth from those realms above
The messeng...Read more of this...

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