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Famous Defender Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...REVERED defender of beauteous Stuart,
 Of Stuart, a name once respected;
A name, which to love was the mark of a true heart,
 But now ’tis despis’d and neglected.


Tho’ something like moisture conglobes in my eye,
 Let no one misdeem me disloyal;
A poor friendless wand’rer may well claim a sigh,
 Still more if that wand’rer were royal.


My fathers that name have r...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert



...'d.—And what pretence have I
To take up arms for public liberty?
My Father governs with unquestion'd right;
The Faith's defender, and mankind's delight:
Good, gracious, just, observant of the laws;
And Heav'n by wonders has espous'd his cause.
Whom has he wrong'd in all his peaceful reign?
Who sues for justice to his throne in vain?
What millions has he pardon'd of his foes,
Whom just revenge did to his wrath expose?
Mild, easy, humble, studious of our good;
Inclin'd to mercy...Read more of this...
by Dryden, John
...d, what's more yet, kept him upright 
‘Midst flattering Hope and bloudy Fight. 
Cromwell his whole Right never gain'd, 
Defender of the Faith remain'd, 
For which his Predecessors fought 
And writ, but none so dearly bought. 
Never was Prince so much beseiged, 
At home provok'd, abroad obliged; 
Nor ever Man resisted thus, 
No not great Athanasius. 
No help of Friends could, or Foes spight, 
To fierce Invasion him invite. 
Revenge to him no pleasure is, 
He spar'd their bloud...Read more of this...
by Philips, Katherine
...Wealhtheow seek,
couch of his queen. The King-of-Glory
against this Grendel a guard had set,
so heroes heard, a hall-defender,
who warded the monarch and watched for the monster.
In truth, the Geats’ prince gladly trusted
his mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
Cast off then his corselet of iron,
helmet from head; to his henchman gave, --
choicest of weapons, -- the well-chased sword,
bidding him guard the gear of battle.
Spake then his Vaunt the valiant man,
Beo...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,
...mrade, unfeeling, espies him,
He darts thro' the thicket, in hopes to surprize him;
But EDMUND, of Valour the dauntless defender,
Now smiles , while his CORPORAL bids him--"SURRENDER!"

Soon, prov'd a DESERTER, Stern Justice prevailing,
HE DIED! and his Spirit to AGNES is fled:--
The breeze, on the mountain's tall summit now sailing
Fans lightly the dew-drops, that spangle their bed!
The Villagers, thronging around, scatter roses,
The grey wing of Evening the western sky clos...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Mary Darby



...a strike
to the outlet who is already shoveling

an underhand pass toward the other guard
scissoring past a flat-footed defender

who looks stunned and nailed to the floor
in the wrong direction, trying to catch sight

of a high, gliding dribble and a man
letting the play develop in front of him

in slow motion, almost exactly
like a coach's drawing on the blackboard,

both forwards racing down the court
the way that forwards should, fanning out

and filling the lanes in tand...Read more of this...
by Hirsch, Edward
...a strike
to the outlet who is already shoveling

an underhand pass toward the other guard
scissoring past a flat-footed defender

who looks stunned and nailed to the floor
in the wrong direction, trying to catch sight

of a high, gliding dribble and a man
letting the play develop in front of him

in slow motion, almost exactly
like a coach's drawing on the blackboard,

both forwards racing down the court
the way that forwards should, fanning out

and filling the lanes in tand...Read more of this...
by Hirsch, Edward
...lace of meeting
They keep a home and shrine.
Your angel twists a purple flax,
Then weaves a mantle fine.

My angel, her defender
Upstanding, spreads the light
On painted clouds of fancy
And mists that touch the height.

Their sturdy babes speak kindly
And fly and run with joy,
Shepherding the helpless lambs —
A Grecian girl and boy.

These children visit Heaven
Each year and make of worth
All we planned and wrought in youth
And all our tears on earth.

From books our God has ...Read more of this...
by Lindsay, Vachel
...ce, but ever just; 
Foe to falsehood, wrong, and treason, 
Honour's shield, and virtue's trust ! 
Worker, thinker, firm defender 
Of Heaven's truth­man's liberty; 
Soul of iron­proof to slander, 
Rock where founders tyranny. 
Fame he seeks not­but full surely 
She will seek him, in his home; 
This I know, and wait securely 
For the atoning hour to come. 
To that man my faith is given, 
Therefore, soldier, cease to sue; 
While God reigns in earth and heaven, 
I to him will sti...Read more of this...
by Bronte, Charlotte
...urse,
The children are in health, so it might have been worse.
That fellow in the coffin led a life most foul.
A fierce defender of the red bar-tender,
At the church he would rail,
At the preacher he would howl.
He planted every deviltry to see it grow.
He wasted half his income on the lewd and the low.
He would trade engender for the red bar-tender,
He would homage render to the red bar-tender,
And in ultimate surrender to the red bar-tender,
He died of the tremens, as crazy...Read more of this...
by Lindsay, Vachel
...at sunrise the Austrian commander called on the garrison to surrender,
But the Grenadier replied, "Never, I am its sole defender." 

Then a piece of artillery was brought to bear upon the tower,
But the Grenadier from his big gun rapid fire on it did shower;
He kept up a rapid fire, and most accurate,
And when the Austrian commander noticed it he felt irate. 

And at sunset the last assault was made,
Still the noble Grenadier felt not the least afraid;
But the Austrian comman...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz
...orlorn. 

For 217 days the Boers tried to obtain Mafeking's surrender,
But their strategy was futile owing to its noble defender,
Colonel Baden-Powell, that hero of renown,
Who, by his masterly generalship, saved the town. 

Methinks I see him and his gallant band,
Looking terror to the foe: Oh! The sight was really grand,
As he cried, "Give it them, lads; let's do or die;
And from Mafeking we'll soon make them fly,
And we'll make them rue their rash undertaking
The day they ...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

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Book: Reflection on the Important Things