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Famous Damning Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...art. 
XXIV 

Rich fooles there be whose base and filthy heart
Lies hatching still the goods wherein they flow,
And damning their own selues to Tantals smart,
Wealth breeding want; more rich, more wretched growe:
Yet to those fooles Heau'n doth such wit impart
As what their hands do hold, their heads do know,
And knowing loue, and louing lay apart
As sacred things, far from all dangers show.
But that rich foole, who by blind Fortunes lot
The richest gemme of loue a...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip



...th, and moraliz'd his song:
That not for fame, but virtue's better end,
He stood the furious foe, the timid friend,
The damning critic, half-approving wit,
The coxcomb hit, or fearing to be hit;
Laugh'd at the loss of friends he never had,
The dull, the proud, the wicked, and the mad;
The distant threats of vengeance on his head,
The blow unfelt, the tear he never shed;
The tale reviv'd, the lie so oft o'erthrown;
Th' imputed trash, and dulness not his own;
The morals blacken...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander
...rave?
And where the monster's sting?

If sin be pardoned, I'm secure,
Death hath no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power;
But Christ, my ransom, died.

Now to the God of victory
Immortal thanks be paid,
Who makes us conquerors while we die,
Through Christ our living head....Read more of this...
by Watts, Isaac
...ll 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. 
Still his hook-shoulder seems the blow to dread, 
And under's armpit he defends his head. 
The posture strange men laughed at of his poll, 
Hid with his elbow like the spice he stole. 
Headless St Denys so his head does bear, 
And both of them alike French martyrs ...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew
...And make necessity a merit.
Hence sure perdition must await
The man, who rises 'gainst the State,
Who meets at once the damning sentence,
Without one loophole for repentance;
Ev'n though he gain the Royal See,
And rank among the Powers that be.
For hell is theirs, the scripture shows,
Whoe'er the Powers that be oppose;
And all those Powers (I'm clear that 'tis so)
Are damn'd for ever, ex officio.


"Thus far our Clergy: but 'tis true
We lack'd not earthly reas'ners too.
Had I...Read more of this...
by Trumbull, John



...Rich fools there be, whose base and filthy heart 
Lies hatching still the goods wherein they flow: 
And damning their own selves to Tantal's smart, 
Wealth breeding want, more blist more wretched grow. 

Yet to those fools heav'n such wit doth impart 
As what their hands do hold, their heads do know, 
And knowing love, and loving, lay apart, 
As sacred things, far from all danger's show. 

But that rich fool who by blind Fortune's lot 
The richest gem of love ...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip
...ess
Truth, for truth's a weighty matter,
And, truth at issue, we can't flatter!
Well, 'tis done with: she's exempt
From damning us through such a sally;
And so she glides, as down a valley,
Taking up with her contempt,
Past our reach; and in, the flowers
Shut her unregarded hours.


Oh, could I have him back once more,
This Waring, but one half-day more!
Back, with the quiet face of yore,
So hungry for acknowledgment
Like mine! I'd fool him to his bent!
Feed, should not he, t...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry