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Famous Courtiers Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Cavafy, Constantine P
...d poetic,
the sky was a light azure,
the Alexandrian Gymnasium was
a triumphant achievement of art,
the opulence of the courtiers was extraordinary,
Caesarion was full of grace and beauty
(son of Cleopatra, blood of the Lagidae);
and the Alexandrians rushed to the ceremony,
and got enthusiastic, and cheered
in greek, and egyptian, and some in hebrew,
enchanted by the beautiful spectacle --
although they full well knew what all these were worth,
what hollow words these kingshi...Read more of this...



by Finch, Anne Kingsmill
...here witt, nor art,
Nor plainer Nature, ever bear a part;
The Cristall springs, shall murmure as we passe,
But not like Courtiers, sinking to disgrace;
Nor, shall the louder Rivers, in their fall, 
Like unpaid Saylers, or hoarse Pleaders brawle;
But all shall form a concert to delight,
And all to peace, and all to love envite.
Come then, my Dafnis, and the feilds survey,
And throo' the Groves, with your Ardelia stray. 

As Baucis and Philemon spent their lives,
Of hus...Read more of this...

by Sexton, Anne
...spinning wheel
and the clocks stopped.
Yes indeed. She went to sleep.
The king and queen went to sleep,
the courtiers, the flies on the wall.
The fire in the hearth grew still
and the roast meat stopped crackling.
The trees turned into metal
and the dog became china.
They all lay in a trance,
each a catatonic
stuck in a time machine.
Even the frogs were zombies.
Only a bunch of briar roses grew
forming a great wall of tacks
around the castle.Read more of this...

by Hugo, Victor
...ts power o'er her must keep." 
 "But she will surely wake at break of day?" 
 "In darkness." 
 
 "What will all the courtiers say 
 When in the place of her they find two men?" 
 "To them we will declare ourselves—and then 
 They at our feet will fall." 
 
 "Where leads this hole?" 
 "To where the crow makes feast and torrents roll 
 To desolation. Let us end it now." 
 
 These young and handsome men had seemed to grow 
 Deformed and hideous—so doth foul black h...Read more of this...

by Seeger, Alan
...In that fair capital where Pleasure, crowned 
Amidst her myriad courtiers, riots and rules, 
I too have been a suitor. Radiant eyes 
Were my life's warmth and sunshine, outspread arms 
My gilded deep horizons. I rejoiced 
In yielding to all amorous influence 
And multiple impulsion of the flesh, 
To feel within my being surge and sway 
The force that all the stars acknowledge too. 
Amid the nebulous humanity ...Read more of this...



by Finch, Anne Kingsmill
...of painted Mischiefs shun, 
Whose gay Inhabitants thou shalt behold 
Plum'd like our Birds, and sparkling all in Gold; 
Courtiers, that will thy rustick Garb despise, 
And mock thy Plainness with disdainful Eyes. 
But above all, that Structure see thou fly, 
Where hoarded Vanities and Witchcrafts lie; 
To shun that Path be thy peculiar Care. 
I ask, what of that Place the Dangers are: 
To which he soon replies, there shalt thou meet 
Of soft Enchantresses th' Enchantm...Read more of this...

by Pinsky, Robert
...ld
Becomes a "favorite *****" ennobled
By decree of the Czar and founds
A great family, a line of generals,
Dandies and courtiers including the poet
Pushkin, killed in a duel concerning
His wife's honor, while the other cousin sails

In the belly of a slaveship to the port
Of Baltimore where she is raped
And dies in childbirth, but the infant
Will marry a Seminole and in the next
Chorus of time their child fathers
A great Hawk or Bird, with many followers
Among them this grea...Read more of this...

by Hugo, Victor
...
 ("Courtisans! attablés dans le splendide orgie.") 
 
 {Bk. I. x., Jersey, December, 1852.} 


 Cheer, courtiers! round the banquet spread— 
 The board that groans with shame and plate, 
 Still fawning to the sham-crowned head 
 That hopes front brazen turneth fate! 
 Drink till the comer last is full, 
 And never hear in revels' lull, 
 Grim Vengeance forging arrows fleet, 
 Whilst I gnaw at the crust 
 Of Exile in the dust— 
 But Honor makes...Read more of this...

by Robinson, Mary Darby
...gars freezing ;
Titled gluttons dainties carving,
Genius in a garret starving.

Lofty mansions, warm and spacious ;
Courtiers clinging and voracious ;
Misers scarce the wretched heeding ;
Gallant soldiers fighting, bleeding.

Wives who laugh at passive spouses ;
Theatres, and meeting-houses ;
Balls, where simp'ring misses languish ;
Hospitals, and groans of anguish.

Arts and sciences bewailing ;
Commerce drooping, credit failing ;
Placemen mocking subjects loyal ...Read more of this...

by Marvell, Andrew
...d discipline-- 
In loyal haste they left young wives in bed, 
And Denham these by one consent did head. 
Of the old courtiers, next a squadron came, 
That sold their master, led by Ashburnham. 
To them succeeds a desipicable rout, 
But know the word and well could face about; 
Expectants pale, with hopes of spoil allured, 
Though yet but pioneers, and led by Stew'rd. 
Then damning cowards ranged the vocal plain, 
Wood these command, the Knight of the Horn and Cane...Read more of this...

by Byron, George (Lord)
...d his slender stock 
And to the monarch and his men 
The whole or portion offered then
With far less of inquietude
Than courtiers at a banquet would.
And Charles of this his slender share
With smiles partook a moment there,
To force of cheer a greater show,
And seem above both wounds and woe;-
And then he said -'Of all our band,
Though firm of heart and strong of hand,
In skirmish, march, or forage, none
Can less have said or more have done
Than thee, Mazeppa! On the eart...Read more of this...

by Scott, Sir Walter
...lack Sir Roderick e'er, and smiled?
     In Holy-Rood a knight he slew;
     I saw, when back the dirk he drew,
     Courtiers give place before the stride
     Of the undaunted homicide;
     And since, though outlawed, hath his hand
     Full sternly kept his mountain land.

     Who else dared give—ah! woe the day,
     That I such hated truth should say!—
     The Douglas, like a stricken deer,
     Disowned by every noble peer,
     Even the rude refuge we ha...Read more of this...

by Hugo, Victor
...and all his court, 
 Turned the fair head of the proud Montespan, 
 Calling her Amaryllis?—La Fontaine, 
 Flying the courtiers' ears of stone, came he, 
 Tears on his eyelids, to reveal to you 
 The sorrows of his nymphs of Vaux?—What said 
 Boileau to you—to you—O lettered Faun, 
 Who once with Virgil, in the Eclogue, held 
 That charming dialogue?—Say, have you seen 
 Young beauties sporting on the sward?—Have you 
 Been honored with a sight of Molière 
 In dream...Read more of this...

by Vaughan, Henry
...de us mansions there.
A stable was Thy court, and when
Men turned to beasts, beasts would be men.
They were Thy courtiers, others none;
And their poor manger was Thy throne.
No swaddling silks Thy limbs did fold,
Though Thou couldst turn Thy rays to gold.
No rockers waited on Thy birth,
No cradles stirred, nor songs of mirth;
But her chaste lap and sacred breast
Which lodged Thee first did give Thee rest.
But stay: what light is that doth stream,
And drop ...Read more of this...

by Pope, Alexander
...nd Tweezer-Cases.
There broken Vows, and Death-bed Alms are found,
And Lovers Hearts with Ends of Riband bound;
The Courtiers Promises, and Sick Man's Pray'rs,
The Smiles of Harlots, and the Tears of Heirs, 
Cages for Gnats, and Chains to Yoak a Flea;
Dry'd Butterflies, and Tomes of Casuistry.

But trust the Muse---she saw it upward rise,
Tho' mark'd by none but quick Poetic Eyes:
(So Rome's great Founder to the Heav'ns withdrew,
To Proculus alone confess'd in view.Read more of this...

by Southey, Robert
...l song?

"Fair is the occasion," thus the one replied,
"And now let all our tuneful skill be tried.
"Whilst the gay courtiers quaff the smiling bowl,
"And wine's strong fumes inspire the madden'd soul,
"Where all around is merriment, be mine
"To strike the lute, and praise the power of Wine.

"And whilst" his friend replied in state alone
"Lord of the earth Darius fills the throne,
"Be yours the mighty power of Wine to sing,
"My lute shall sound the praise of Persia's...Read more of this...

by Robinson, Mary Darby
...tock with revels did ring,
While they sang and carous'd--one and all:
For the monarch a plentiful treasury had,
And his Courtiers were pleas'd, and no visage was sad,
And the knavish and foolish with drinking were mad,
While they sat in the Banquetting hall.

Some talk'd of their Valour, and some of their Race,
And vaunted, till vaunting was black in the face;
Some bragg'd for a title, and some for a place,
And, like braggarts, they bragg'd one and all!
Some spoke of thei...Read more of this...

by Dyke, Henry Van
...er stood,
And cast his line across the rippling flood.
His silver spoil lay near him on the green:
"Such fish," the courtiers cried, "were never seen!"
"Three salmon larger than a cloth-yard shaft---
"This man must be the master of his craft!"
"An easy art!" the jealous King replied:
"Myself could learn it better, if I tried,
"And catch a hundred larger fish a week---
"Wilt thou accept the challenge, fellow? Speak!"
The fisher turned, came near, and bent his knee:
"'Tis n...Read more of this...

by Shelley, Percy Bysshe
...of the sunlike throne
Would place a gaudy mock-bird to repeat
The chatterings of the monkey. Every one
Of the prone courtiers crawled to kiss the feet
Of their great emperor when the morning came;
And kissed--alas, how many kiss the same!

The soldiers dreamed that they were blacksmiths, and
Walked out of quarters in somnambulism;
Round the red anvils you might see them stand
Like Cyclopses in Vulcan's sooty abysm,
Beating their swords to ploughshares:--in a band
The jail...Read more of this...

by Swift, Jonathan
...olitician:
The country members, when in town,
To all their boroughs send them down;
You never met a thing so smart!
The courtiers have them all by heart;
Those maids of honour (who can read),
Are taught to use them for their creed.
The rev'rend author's good intention
Has been rewarded with a pension.
He does an honour to his gown,
By bravely running priestcraft down:
He shows, as sure as God's in Gloucester,
That Moses was a grand imposter;
That all his miracles were...Read more of this...

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