Famous Despise Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Old Crony

by Robert William Service
 Said she: 'Although my husband Jim
 Is with his home content,
I never should have married him,
 We are so different.
Oh yes, I know he loves me well,
 Our children he adores;
But he's so dull, and I rebel
 Against a life that bores.

'Of course there is another man,
 Quite pennyless is he;
And yet with hope and joy we plan
 A...Read more of this...

A Burdock -- clawed my Gown

by Emily Dickinson
 A Burdock -- clawed my Gown --
Not Burdock's -- blame --
But mine --
Who went too near
The Burdock's Den --

A Bog -- affronts my shoe --
What else have Bogs -- to do --
The only Trade they know --
The splashing Men!
Ah, pity -- then!

'Tis Minnows can despise!
The Elephant's -- calm eyes
Look further on!...Read more of this...

Sonnet CIV

by Francesco Petrarch
SONNET CIV. Pace non trovo, e non ho da far guerra. LOVE'S INCONSISTENCY.  I fynde no peace and all my warre is done,I feare and hope, I bourne and freese lyke yse;I flye above the wynde, yet cannot ryse;And nought I have, yet all the worlde I season,That looseth, nor lacketh,...Read more of this...

The Bee and the Butterfly

by Mary Darby Robinson
 UPON a garden's perfum'd bed 
With various gaudy colours spread, 
Beneath the shelter of a ROSE 
A BUTTERFLY had sought repose; 
Faint, with the sultry beams of day, 
Supine the beauteous insect lay. 

A BEE, impatient to devour
The nectar sweets of ev'ry flow'r, 
Returning to her golden store, 
A weight of fragrant treasure bore; 
With envious eye, she mark'd...Read more of this...

Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard

by Thomas Gray
 The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Save that from yonder...Read more of this...

Against Writing about Children

by Erin Belieu
 When I think of the many people
who privately despise children,
I can't say I'm completely shocked,

having been one. I was not
exceptional, uncomfortable as that is
to admit, and most children are not

exceptional. The particulars of
cruelty, sizes Large and X-Large,
memory gnawing it like

a fat dog, are ordinary: Mean Miss
Smigelsky from the sixth grade;
the orthodontist who

slapped you for crying out. Children
frighten us, other...Read more of this...

To the Ladies

by Lady Mary Chudleigh
 WIFE and servant are the same,
But only differ in the name : 
For when that fatal knot is ty'd, 
Which nothing, nothing can divide : 
When she the word obey has said, 
And man by law supreme has made, 
Then all that's kind is laid aside, 
And nothing left but state and pride : 
Fierce as an eastern prince...Read more of this...

Worm Either Way

by D. H. Lawrence
 If you live along with all the other people 
and are just like them, and conform, and are nice 
you're just a worm -- 

and if you live with all the other people 
and you don't like them and won't be like them and won't conform 
then you're just the worm that has turned, 
in either case, a worm....Read more of this...

Confidence

by Anne Bronte
 Oppressed with sin and woe,
A burdened heart I bear,
Opposed by many a mighty foe:
But I will not despair. 
With this polluted heart
I dare to come to Thee,
Holy and mighty as Thou art;
For Thou wilt pardon me.

I feel that I am weak,
And prone to every sin:
But Thou who giv'st to those who seek,
Wilt give me strength within.

Far as this earth...Read more of this...

Hymn 126

by Isaac Watts
 Charity and uncharitableness.

Rom. 14:17,19; 1 Cor. 10:32. 

Not diff'rent food, or diff'rent dress,
Compose the kingdom of our Lord;
But peace, and joy, and righteousness,
Faith, and obedience to his word.

When weaker Christians we despise,
We do the gospel mighty wrong;
For God, the gracious and the wise,
Receives the feeble with the strong.

Let pride and wrath be banished hence;
Meekness and love our souls pursue;
Nor...Read more of this...

519. Ballad on Mr. Heron's Election—No. 2

by Robert Burns
 FY, let us a’ to Kirkcudbright,
 For there will be bickerin’ there;
For Murray’s light horse are to muster,
 And O how the heroes will swear!
And there will be Murray, Commander,
 And Gordon, the battle to win;
Like brothers they’ll stand by each other,
 Sae knit in alliance and kin.


And there will be black-nebbit Johnie,
 The tongue o’ the trump to...Read more of this...

Psalm 78 part 2

by Isaac Watts
 Israel's rebellion and punishment.

O What a stiff rebellious house
Was Jacob's ancient race!
False to their own most solemn vows,
And to their Maker's grace.

They broke the cov'nant of his love,
And did his laws despise;
Forgot the works he wrought to prove
His power before their eyes.

They saw the plagues on Egypt light
From his revenging hand;
What dreadful tokens of his might
Spread o'er the stubborn...Read more of this...

The Complaint of Lisa

by Algernon Charles Swinburne
 There is no woman living who draws breath 
So sad as I, though all things sadden her. 
There is not one upon life's weariest way 
Who is weary as I am weary of all but death. 
Toward whom I look as looks the sunflower 
All day with all his whole soul toward the sun; 
While in the sun's sight...Read more of this...

You Know Where You Did Despise

by Alexander Pope
 You know where you did despise 
(Tother day) my little Eyes, 
Little Legs, and little Thighs, 
And some things, of little Size, 
You know where. 

You, tis true, have fine black eyes, 
Taper legs, and tempting Thighs, 
Yet what more than all we prize 
Is a Thing of little Size, 
You know where....Read more of this...

The Critick and the Writer of Fables

by Anne Kingsmill Finch
 Weary, at last, of the Pindarick way, 
Thro' which advent'rously the Muse wou'd stray; 
To Fable I descend with soft Delight, 
Pleas'd to Translate, or easily Endite: 
Whilst aery Fictions hastily repair 
To fill my Page, and rid my Thoughts of Care, 
As they to Birds and Beasts new Gifts impart, 
And Teach, as Poets shou'd, whilst they Divert....Read more of this...

To Himself

by Giacomo Leopardi
 Now will you rest forever,
My tired heart. Dead is the last
deception,
That I thought eternal. Dead. Well I
feel
In us the sweet illusions,
Nothing but ash, desire burned out.
Rest forever. You have
Trembled enough. Nothing is worth
Thy beats, nor does the earth
deserve
Thy sighs. Bitter and dull
Is life, there is nought else. The
world is clay.
Rest now. Despair
For the last time. To our kind, Fate
Gives...Read more of this...

Hymn 84

by Isaac Watts
 Salvation, righteousness, and strength in Christ.

Isa. 45:21-25. 

Jehovah speaks! let Isr'el hear;
Let all the earth rejoice and fear,
While God's eternal Son proclaims
His sovereign honors and his names.

"I am the last, and I the first,
The Savior God, and God the just;
There's none beside pretends to show
Such justice and salvation too.

["Ye that in shades of darkness dwell,
Just on the verge of...Read more of this...

The Picture Of Little T.C. In A Prospect Of Flowers

by Andrew Marvell
 See with what simplicity
This Nimph begins her golden daies!
In the green Grass she loves to lie,
And there with her fair Aspect tames
The Wilder flow'rs, and gives them names:
But only with the Roses playes;
And them does tell
What Colour best becomes them, and what Smell.

Who can foretel for what high cause
This Darling of the Gods was born!
Yet this is She whose...Read more of this...

Sonnet CXLI

by William Shakespeare
 In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who in despite of view is pleased to dote;...Read more of this...

Precious to Me -- She still shall be --

by Emily Dickinson
 Precious to Me -- She still shall be --
Though She forget the name I bear --
The fashion of the Gown I wear --
The very Color of My Hair --

So like the Meadows -- now --
I dared to show a Tress of Theirs
If haply -- She might not despise
A Buttercup's Array --

I know the Whole -- obscures the Part --
The...Read more of this...

From The Ladies Defence

by Lady Mary Chudleigh
 Melissa: I've still rever'd your Order [she is responding to a Parson] as Divine;
And when I see unblemish'd Virtue shine,
When solid Learning, and substantial Sense,
Are joyn'd with unaffected Eloquence;
When Lives and Doctrices of a Piece are made,
And holy Truths with humble Zeal convey'd;
When free from Passion, Bigottry, and Pride,
Not sway'd by Int'rest, nor to Parties ty'd,
Contemning Riches, and abhorring...Read more of this...

Despise Not Simple Things

by Anonymous
Despise not simple things:The humblest flower that wakesIn early spring, to scent the airOf woodland brakes,Should have thy love as wellAs blushing parlor rose,That never felt the perfect breathOf nature round it close.[Pg 033]Despise not simple things:The poor demand thy love,As well as those who in the hallsOf splendor move.The beggar at thy doorThou shouldst not e’er despise;For that may...Read more of this...

The Riddle we can guess

by Emily Dickinson
 The Riddle we can guess
We speedily despise --
Not anything is stale so long
As Yesterday's surprise --...Read more of this...

The Clinging Vine

by Edwin Arlington Robinson
 “Be calm? And was I frantic? 
You’ll have me laughing soon. 
I’m calm as this Atlantic, 
And quiet as the moon; 
I may have spoken faster
Than once, in other days; 
For I’ve no more a master, 
And now—‘Be calm,’ he says. 

“Fear not, fear no commotion,— 
I’ll be as rocks and sand;
The moon and stars and ocean 
Will envy...Read more of this...

6th April 1651 LAmitie: To Mrs. M. Awbrey

by Katherine Philips
 Soule of my soule! my Joy, my crown, my friend!
A name which all the rest doth comprehend;
How happy are we now, whose sols are grown,
By an incomparable mixture, One:
Whose well acquainted minds are not as neare
As Love, or vows, or secrets can endeare.
I have no thought but what's to thee reveal'd,
Nor thou desire that is from me conceal'd.
Thy heart...Read more of this...

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