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Famous Courage Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Crowley, Aleister
...e's so much to forgive in
Becomes a little possible to live in.

God alone knows if battle or surrender
Be the true courage; either has its splendour. 
But since we chose the first, God aid the right,
And damn me if I fail you in the fight!
God join again the ways that lie apart,
And bless the love of loyal heart to heart!
God keep us every hour in every thought,
And bring the vessel of our love to port!

These are my birthday wishes. Dawn's at hand,
And you're an...Read more of this...



by Service, Robert William
...Today I opened wide my eyes,
And stared with wonder and surprise,
To see beneath November skies
An apple blossom peer;
Upon a branch as bleak as night
It gleamed exultant on my sight,
A fairy beacon burning bright
Of hope and cheer.

"Alas!" said I, "poor foolish thing,
Have you mistaken this for Spring?
Behold, the thrush has taken wing,
And Winter's ...Read more of this...

by Emerson, Ralph Waldo
...ut it is a god 15 
Knows its own path  
And the outlets of the sky. 

It was never for the mean; 
It requireth courage stout  
Souls above doubt 20 
Valour unbending: 
Such 'twill reward;¡ª 
They shall return 
More than they were  
And ever ascending. 25 

Leave all for love; 
Yet hear me yet  
One word more thy heart behoved  
One pulse more of firm endeavour¡ª 
Keep thee to-day 30 
To-morrow for ever  
Free as an Arab 
Of thy beloved. 

Cli...Read more of this...

by Angelou, Maya
...this bright morning dawning for you.

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon
The day breaking for you.

Give birth again
To the dream.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds ne...Read more of this...

by Byron, George (Lord)
...return'd alone 
From other lands, almost a stranger grown; 
And if from Lara's blood and gentle birth 
I augur right of courage and of worth, 
He will not that untainted line belie, 
Nor aught that knighthood may accord deny." 
"To-morrow be it," Ezzelin replied, 
"And here our several worth and truth be tried: 
I gage my life, my falchion to attest 
My words, so may I mingle with the blest!" 

What answers Lara? to its centre shrunk 
His soul, in deep abstraction sudden ...Read more of this...



by Dyke, Henry Van
...joy: 
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy, 
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown, 
My heart will keep the courage of the quest, 
And hope the road's last turn will be the best....Read more of this...

by Angelou, Maya
...or this bright morning dawning for you.
History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced with courage,
Need not be lived again.
Lift up your eyes upon
The day breaking for you.
Give birth again
To the dream.
Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.
Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts.
Each new hour holds new ...Read more of this...

by Milton, John
...le success; 
When he who most excels in fact of arms, 
In what he counsels and in what excels 
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair 
And utter dissolution, as the scope 
Of all his aim, after some dire revenge. 
First, what revenge? The towers of Heaven are filled 
With armed watch, that render all access 
Impregnable: oft on the bodering Deep 
Encamp their legions, or with obscure wing 
Scout far and wide into the realm of Night, 
Scorning surprise. Or, could ...Read more of this...

by Milton, John
...o all attempts, 
Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh, 
Whose higher intellectual more I shun, 
And strength, of courage haughty, and of limb 
Heroick built, though of terrestrial mould; 
Foe not informidable! exempt from wound, 
I not; so much hath Hell debased, and pain 
Enfeebled me, to what I was in Heaven. 
She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods! 
Not terrible, though terrour be in love 
And beauty, not approached by stronger hate, 
Hate stronger, under sh...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...
Down to the footlights walks, in some great scena, 
Dominating the rest, I see the Admiral himself,
(History’s type of courage, action, faith;) 
Behold him sail from Palos, leading his little fleet; 
His voyage behold—his return—his great fame, 
His misfortunes, calumniators—behold him a prisoner, chain’d, 
Behold his dejection, poverty, death.

(Curious, in time, I stand, noting the efforts of heroes; 
Is the deferment long? bitter the slander, poverty, death? 
Lies the...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...the stairs; 
They fetch my man’s body up, dripping and drown’d.

I understand the large hearts of heroes, 
The courage of present times and all times; 
How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the steam-ship, and
 Death chasing it up and down the storm; 
How he knuckled tight, and gave not back one inch, and was faithful of days and
 faithful of nights, 
And chalk’d in large letters, on a board, Be of good cheer, we will not
 desert you:
How he ...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...tires; 
The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first—Nature is rude and incomprehensible
 at
 first;

Be not discouraged—keep on—there are divine things, well envelop’d; 
I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.

Allons! we must not stop here! 
However sweet these laid-up stores—however convenient this dwelling, we cannot remain
 here; 
However shelter’d this port, and however calm these waters, we must not anchor here; 
However w...Read more of this...

by Bridges, Robert Seymour
...and let him fit
The needle that doth true with heaven accord:
Then bid her crew, love, diligence and wit
With justice, courage, temperance come aboard,
And at her helm the master reason sit. 

16
This world is unto God a work of art,
Of which the unaccomplish'd heavenly plan
Is hid in life within the creature's heart,
And for perfection looketh unto man.
Ah me! those thousand ages: with what slow
Pains and persistence were his idols made,
Destroy'd and made, ere ever...Read more of this...

by Carroll, Lewis
...he tide
 By a finger entwined in his hair.

"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
 That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
 What I tell you three times is true."

 The crew was complete: it included a Boots--
 A maker of Bonnets and Hoods--
A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes--
 And a Broker, to value their goods.

A Billiard-marker, whose skill was immense,
 Might perhaps have won more t...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...my woe thou *givest little charge*. *takest little heed*
Thou mayst, since thou hast wisdom and manhead*, *manhood, courage
Assemble all the folk of our kindred,
And make a war so sharp on this country
That by some aventure, or some treaty,
Thou mayst have her to lady and to wife,
For whom that I must needes lose my life.
For as by way of possibility,
Since thou art at thy large, of prison free,
And art a lord, great is thine avantage,
More than is mine, that sterve h...Read more of this...

by Scott, Sir Walter
...drew,
     The laboring stag strained full in view.
     Two dogs of black Saint Hubert's breed,
     Unmatched for courage, breath, and speed,
     Fast on his flying traces came,
     And all but won that desperate game;
     For, scarce a spear's length from his haunch,
     Vindictive toiled the bloodhounds stanch;
     Nor nearer might the dogs attain,
     Nor farther might the quarry strain
     Thus up the margin of the lake,
     Between the precipice and...Read more of this...

by Blake, William
...it is a kingly title!

The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the mouth of water, the
beard of earth.

The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the
lion. the horse; how he shall take his prey. 
The thankful reciever bears a plentiful harvest.

If others bad not been foolish. we should be so.
The soul of sweet delight. can never be defil'd,

When thou seest an Eagle, thou seest a porti...Read more of this...

by Miller, Alice Duer
...love, your laugh, your kindness. But—goodbye.
Please do not hate me; give the devil his due,
This is an act of courage. Always, Sue. 

XX 
The boat-train rattling 
Through the green country-side; 
A girl within it battling 
With her tears and pride. 
The Southampton landing, 
Porters, neat and quick, 
And a young man standing, 
Leaning on his stick. 
'Oh, John, John, you shouldn't 
Have come this long way. . . 
'Did you really think I woul...Read more of this...

by Bronte, Charlotte
...ring high 
Above a farm-stead rude. 

Refreshed, erelong, with rustic fare, 
We'll seek a couch of dreamless ease; 
Courage will guard thy heart from fear, 
And Love give mine divinest peace: 
To-morrow brings more dangerous toil, 
And through its conflict and turmoil 
We'll pass, as God shall please....Read more of this...

by Angelou, Maya
...We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are ...Read more of this...

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