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Famous Continence Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Wilmot, John
...his noise, his tawdry clothes and loves.
But a meek, humble man, of honest sense,
Who preaching peace does practise continence;
Whose pious life's a proof he does believe
Mysterious truths which no man can conceive.

If upon Earth there dwell such god-like men,
I'll here recant my paradox to them,
Adores those shrines of virtue, homage pay,
And with the rabble world their laws obey.

If such there are, yet grant me this at least,
Man differs more from man than man...Read more of this...



by Wilmot, John
...noise, his tawdrey Cloths, and Loves. 
But a meek humble Man, of honest sense, 
Who Preaching peace, does practice continence; 
Whose pious life's a proof he does believe, 
Misterious truths, which no Man can conceive. 
If upon Earth there dwell such God-like Men, 
I'le here recant my Paradox to them, 
Adore those Shrines of Virtue, Homage pay, 
And with the Rabble World, their Laws obey. 
If such there are, yet grant me this at least, 
Man differs more from Man,...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...her vigilant eyes from them, 
The walnut-trunk, the walnut-husks, and the ripening or ripen’d long-round walnuts; 
The continence of vegetables, birds, animals, 
The consequent meanness of me should I skulk or find myself indecent, while birds and
 animals never once skulk or find themselves indecent; 
The great chastity of paternity, to match the great chastity of maternity,
The oath of procreation I have sworn—my Adamic and fresh daughters, 
The greed that eats me day and ...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...e us example of fasting and prayeres:
Therefore we mendicants, we sely* freres, *simple, lowly
Be wedded to povert' and continence,
To charity, humbless, and abstinence,
To persecution for righteousness,
To weeping, misericorde,* and to cleanness. *compassion
And therefore may ye see that our prayeres
(I speak of us, we mendicants, we freres),
Be to the highe God more acceptable
Than youres, with your feastes at your table.
From Paradise first, if I shall not lie,
Was...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...proper gift,
Some this, some that, as liketh him to shift.* *appoint, distribute
Virginity is great perfection,
And continence eke with devotion:
But Christ, that of perfection is the well,* *fountain
Bade not every wight he should go sell
All that he had, and give it to the poor,
And in such wise follow him and his lore:* *doctrine
He spake to them that would live perfectly, --
And, lordings, by your leave, that am not I;
I will bestow the flower of mine age
In th' acts ...Read more of this...



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