Famous Deride Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Poets Voice XV

...body. The followers of The Nazarene and Socrates are the followers of Deity, and since people will not kill them, they deride them, saying, "Ridicule is more bitter than killing." 

Jerusalem could not kill The Nazarene, nor Athens Socrates; they are living yet and shall live eternally. Ridicule cannot triumph over the followers of Deity. They live and grow forever. 



Part Three


Thou art my brother because you are a human, and we both are sons of one Holy Spirit; we are ...Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil


A Satyre Against Mankind

...se life, his faith and doctrine justifies
Not one blown up, with vain prelatic pride,
Who for reproofs of sins does man deride;
Whose envious heart makes preaching a pretence
With his obstreperous, saucy eloquence,
To chide at kings, and rail at men of sense;
Who from his pulpit vents more peevlsh lies,
More bitter railings, scandals, calumnies,
Than at a gossiping are thrown about
When the good wives get drunk, and then fall out.
None of that sensual tribe, whose talents lie...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John

Ainsi Va le Monde

...rage to tempt Ambition's lofty flight, 
And Conscience to illume his erring sight. 
Who shall the nat'ral Rights of Man deride, 
When Freedom spreads her fost'ring banners wide ? 
Who shall contemn the heav'n-taught zeal that throws 
The balm of comfort on a Nation's woes ? 
That tears the veil from superstition's eye, 
Bids despots tremble, scourg'd oppression die ? 
Wrests hidden treasure from the sordid hand, 
And flings profusion o'er a famish'd land ?­ 
Nor yet, to GALLI...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Mary Darby

An Essay On Criticism

...
Each burns alike, who can, or cannot write,
Or with a Rival's or an Eunuch's spite.
All Fools have still an Itching to deride,
And fain wou'd be upon the Laughing Side;
If Maevius Scribble in Apollo's spight,
There are, who judge still worse than he can write

Some have at first for Wits, then Poets past,
Turn'd Criticks next, and prov'd plain Fools at last;
Some neither can for Wits nor Criticks pass,
As heavy Mules are neither Horse or Ass.
Those half-learn'd Witlings, num...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander

Contentment

..., gems,--such things as these,
Which others often show for pride,
I value for their power to please,
And selfish churls deride;--
One Stradivarius, I confess,
Two Meerschaums, I would fain possess.

Wealth's wasteful tricks I will not learn,
Nor ape the glittering upstart fool;--
Shall not carved tables serve my turn,
But all must be of buhl?
Give grasping pomp its double share,--
I ask but one recumbent chair.

Thus humble let me live and die,
Nor long for Midas' golden touc...Read more of this...
by Holmes, Oliver Wendell


Epistle to Katherine, Lady Aubigny

...  XIII. — EPISTLE TO KATHARINE LADY AUBIGNY.           As what they have lost t' expect, they dare deride. So both the prais'd and praisers suffer ; yet, For others ill ought none their good forget. I therefore, who profess myself in love With every virtue, wheresoe'er it move, And howsoever ;  as I am at feudBy arts, and practice of the vicious, Such as suspect themselves, and think it fit, For their own capital crimes, to indict my wit ; I that have suf...Read more of this...
by Jonson, Ben

First Anniversary

...Chammish issue still does rage, 
The shame and plague both of the land and age, 
Who watched thy halting, and thy fall deride, 
Rejoicing when thy foot had slipped aside, 
That their new king might the fifth sceptre shake, 
And make the world, by his example, quake: 
Whose frantic army should they want for men 
Might muster heresies, so one were ten. 
What thy misfortune, they the spirit call, 
And their religion only is to fall. 
Oh Mahomet! now couldst thou rise again, 
Th...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Four Quartets 4: Little Gidding

...without mirth.
 This is the death of earth.

Water and fire succeed
The town, the pasture and the weed.
Water and fire deride
The sacrifice that we denied.
Water and fire shall rot
The marred foundations we forgot,
Of sanctuary and choir.
 This is the death of water and fire.

In the uncertain hour before the morning
 Near the ending of interminable night
 At the recurrent end of the unending
After the dark dove with the flickering tongue
 Had passed below the horizon of his...Read more of this...
by Eliot, T S (Thomas Stearns)

From The Ladies Defence

...n the Flame, and our Oppressors aid;
Joyn with the Stronger, the Victorious Side,
And all our Suff'ring, all our griefs deride.
Those gen'rous few, whom kinder Thoughts inspire,
And who the Happiness of all desire;
Who wish we were from barb'rous Usage free,
Exempt from Toils, and shameful Slavery,
Yet let us, unreprov'd, mis. spend our Hours,
And to mean Purposes employ our nobler Pow'rs.
They think, if we our Thoughts can but express,
And know but how to Work, to Dance and ...Read more of this...
by Chudleigh, Lady Mary

Heritage

...,
Wishing He I served were black,
Thinking then it would not lack
Precedent of pain to guide it,
Let who would or might deride it;
Surely then this flesh would know
Yours had borne a kindred woe.
Lord, I fashion dark gods, too,
Daring even to give You
Dark despairing features where,
Crowned with dark rebellious hair,
Patience wavers just so much as
Mortal grief compels, while touches
Quick and hot, of anger, rise
To smitten cheek and weary eyes.
Lord, forgive me if my need
So...Read more of this...
by Cullen, Countee

Imitations of Horace: The First Epistle of the Second Book

...pplause.


On Avon's bank, where flow'rs eternal blow,
If I but ask if any weed can grow?
One tragic sentence if I dare deride,
Which Betterton's grave action dignified,
Or well-mouth'd Booth with emphasis proclaims
(Though but, perhaps, a muster-roll of names)
How will our fathers rise up in a rage,
And swear, all shame is lost in George's age!
You'd think no fools disgrac'd the former reign,
Did not some grave examples yet remain,
Who scorn a lad should teach his father ski...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander

Mater Triumphalis

...Their souls are serpents winterbound and frozen,
Their shame is as a tame beast, at their feet
Couched; their cold lips deride thee and thy chosen,
Their lying lips made grey with dust for meat.

Then when their time is full and days run over,
The splendour of thy sudden brow made bare
Darkens the morning; thy bared hands uncover
The veils of light and night and the awful air.

And the world naked as a new-born maiden
Stands virginal and splendid as at birth,
With all thine h...Read more of this...
by Swinburne, Algernon Charles

Satyr

...e, his Faith, and Doctrine Justifies? 
Not one blown up, with vain Prelatique Pride, 
Who for reproof of Sins, does Man deride: 
Whose envious heart makes preaching a pretence 
With his obstrep'rous sawcy Eloquence, 
To chide at Kings, and raile at Men of sense. 
Who from his Pulpit, vents more peevish Lyes, 
More bitter railings, scandals, Calumnies, 
Than at a Gossipping, are thrown about, 
When the good Wives, get drunk, and then fall out. 
None of that sensual Tribe, whos...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John

Self Communion

...th thoughts they need not hide;
Where fortune frowns not on their joy,
And Prudence seeks not to destroy,
Nor Reason to deride. 

Whose love may freely gush and flow,
Unchecked, unchilled by doubt or fear,
For in their inmost hearts they know
It is not vainly nourished there.
They know that in a kindred breast
Their long desires have found a home,
Where heart and soul may kindly rest,
Weary and lorn no more to roam.
Their dreams of bliss were not in vain,
As they love they ar...Read more of this...
by Bronte, Anne

The Crucifixion of Christ

...t any awe,
And there crucified Him with two others, one on either side,
And Jesus in the midst, whilst the Jews did Him deride. 

Then Pilate tried to pacify the Jews, they felt so morose,
And he wrote a title, and put it on the Cross;
And the title he wrote did the Jews amuse,
The writing was, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. 

This title read many of the Jews without any pity;
And the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city;
And the title was written in ...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

The Deserted Village

...s go round;
Nor the coy maid, half willing to be pressed,
Shall kiss the cup to pass it to the rest.

Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,
These simple blessings of the lowly train;
To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm, than all the gloss of art.
Spontaneous joys, where Nature has its play,
The soul adopts, and owns their first-born sway;
Lightly they frolic o'er the vacant mind,
Unenvied, unmolested, unconfined:
But the long pomp, the midnight mas...Read more of this...
by Goldsmith, Oliver

The Donkey

...walking parody 
Of all four-footed things: 

The battered outlaw of the earth 
Of ancient crooked will; 
Scourge, beat, deride me—I am dumb— 
I keep my secret still. 

Fools! For I also had my hour— 
One far fierce hour and sweet: 
There was a shout around my head 
And palms about my feet....Read more of this...
by Chesterton, G K

The First Anniversary Of The Government Under O.C

...a Chammish issue still does rage,
The Shame and Plague both of the Land and Age,
Who watch'd thy halting, and thy Fall deride,
Rejoycing when thy Foot had slipt aside;
that their new King might the fifth Scepter shake,
And make the World, by his Example, Quake:
Whose frantique Army should they want for Men
Might muster Heresies, so one were ten.
What thy Misfortune, they the Spirit call,
And their Religion only is to Fall.
Oh Mahomet! now couldst thou rise again,
Thy Falling...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

The Pig

...most by prepossession; 
But when the thing is clearly shown, 
And fairly stated, fully known, 
We soon applaud what we deride, 
And penitence succeeds to pride.-- 
A certain Baron on a day 
Having a mind to show away, 
Invited all the wits and wags, 
Foot, Massey, Shuter, Yates, and Skeggs, 
And built a large commodious stage, 
For the Choice Spirits of the age; 
But above all, among the rest, 
There came a Genius who profess'd 
To have a curious trick in store, 
Which never...Read more of this...
by Smart, Christopher

The Sacrifice

...for your own fortunes should be kept: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

The soldiers lead me to the common hall; 
There they deride me, they abuse me all: 
Yet for twelve heavn'ly legions I could call: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

Then with a scarlet robe they me array; 
Which shows my blood to be the only way.
And cordial left to repair man's decay: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

Then on my head a crown of thorns I wear: 
For these are all the grapes SIon doth bear, 
Though I my vi...Read more of this...
by Herbert, George

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