Famous Cleanness Poems by Famous Poets

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

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1914 I: Peace

...r youth, and wakened us from sleeping, 
With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power, 
To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping, 
Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary, 
Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move, 
And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary, 
And all the little emptiness of love! 

Oh! we, who have known shame, we have found release there, 
Where there's no ill, no grief, but sleep has mending, 
Naught broken save this body, lost ...Read more of this...
by Brooke, Rupert


I. Peace

...our youth, and wakened us from sleeping,
With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power,
To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping,
Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary,
Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move,
And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary,
And all the little emptiness of love!

Oh! we, who have known shame, we have found release there,
Where there's no ill, no grief, but sleep has mending,
Naught broken save this body, lost but bre...Read more of this...
by Brooke, Rupert

Lent

...e; 
Unless Authority, which should increase
The obligation in us, make it less, 
And Power itself disable.

Besides the cleanness of sweet abstinence, 
Quick thoughts and motions at a small expense, 
A face not fearing light: 
Whereas in fulness there are sluttish fumes, 
Sour exhalations, and dishonest rheums, 
Revenging the delight.

Then those same pendant profits, which the spring
And Easter intimate, enlarge the thing, 
And goodness of the deed.
Neither ought other men's...Read more of this...
by Herbert, George

Now God Be Thanked Who Has Matched Us With His Hour

...our youth, and wakened us from sleeping,
With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power,
To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping,
Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary,
Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move,
And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary,
And all the little emptiness of love!

Oh! we who have known shame, we have found release there,
Where there's no ill, no grief, but sleep has mending,
Nought broken save this body, lost but brea...Read more of this...
by Brooke, Rupert

Peace

...r youth, and wakened us from sleeping, 
With hand made sure, clear eye, and sharpened power, 
To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping, 
Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary, 
Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move, 
And half-men, and their dirty songs and dreary, 
And all the little emptiness of love! 

Oh! we, who have known shame, we have found release there, 
Where there's no ill, no grief, but sleep has mending, 
Naught broken save this body, lost ...Read more of this...
by Brooke, Rupert


Psalm 19: Coeli Enarrant

..., 
All His commandments being 
So purely wise it gives the eyes 
Both light and force of seeing. 

Of Him the fear doth cleanness bear 
And so endures forever, 
His judgments be self verity, 
They are unrighteous never. 

Then what man would so soon seek gold 
Or glittering golden money? 
By them is past in sweetest taste, 
Honey or comb of honey. 

By them is made Thy servants' trade 
Most circumspectly guarded, 
And who doth frame to keep the same 
Shall fully be rewarded. ...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip

Rain After a Vaudeville Show

...perfume, mingled in a rush. 
I stepped into the lobby -- and stood still 
Struck dumb by sudden beauty, body and will. 
Cleanness and rapture -- excellence made plain -- 
The storming, thrashing arrows of the rain! 
Pouring and dripping on the roofs and rods, 
Smelling of woods and hills and fresh-turned sods, 
Black on the sidewalks, gray in the far sky, 
Crashing on thirsty panes, on gutters dry, 
Hurrying the crowd to shelter, making fair 
The streets, the houses, and the ...Read more of this...
by Benet, Stephen Vincent

The General Prologue

...hat a priest take keep,
To see a shitten shepherd and clean sheep:
Well ought a priest ensample for to give,
By his own cleanness, how his sheep should live.
He sette not his benefice to hire,
And left his sheep eucumber'd in the mire,
And ran unto London, unto Saint Paul's,
To seeke him a chantery for souls,
Or with a brotherhood to be withold:* *detained
But dwelt at home, and kepte well his fold,
So that the wolf ne made it not miscarry.
He was a shepherd, and no merce...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey

The Sompnours Tale

...p his body lean
We fare as saith th' apostle; cloth* and food *clothing
Suffice us, although they be not full good.
The cleanness and the fasting of us freres
Maketh that Christ accepteth our prayeres.
Lo, Moses forty days and forty night
Fasted, ere that the high God full of might
Spake with him in the mountain of Sinai:
With empty womb* of fasting many a day *stomach
Received he the lawe, that was writ
With Godde's finger; and Eli, well ye wit,* *know
In Mount Horeb, er...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey

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