Famous Determination Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Sonnet XIII

by William Shakespeare
 O, that you were yourself! but, love, you are
No longer yours than you yourself here live:
Against this coming end you should prepare,
And your sweet semblance to some other give.
So should that beauty which you hold in lease
Find no determination: then you were
Yourself again after yourself's decease,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.
Who lets so fair a house...Read more of this...

Sonnet 13: O that you were your self! But love you are

by William Shakespeare
 O, that you were your self! But, love, you are
No longer yours than you yourself here live.
Against this coming end you should prepare,
And your sweet semblance to some other give.
So should that beauty which you hold in lease
Find no determination; then you were
Yourself again after yourself's decease,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.
Who lets so fair a...Read more of this...

To Oratists

by Walt Whitman
 TO oratists—to male or female, 
Vocalism, measure, concentration, determination, and the divine power to use words. 
Are you full-lung’d and limber-lipp’d from long trial? from vigorous practice?
 from
 physique? 
Do you move in these broad lands as broad as they? 
Come duly to the divine power to use words?

For only at last, after many years—after chastity, friendship, procreation, prudence,
...Read more of this...

The Criminal V

by Kahlil Gibran
 A young man of strong body, weakened by hunger, sat on the walker's portion of the street stretching his hand toward all who passed, begging and repeating his hand toward all who passed, begging and repeating the sad song of his defeat in life, while suffering from hunger and from humiliation. 

When night came, his lips and tongue were...Read more of this...

Carol of Words

by Walt Whitman
 1
EARTH, round, rolling, compact—suns, moons, animals—all these are words to be
 said; 
Watery, vegetable, sauroid advances—beings, premonitions, lispings of the future, 
Behold! these are vast words to be said. 

Were you thinking that those were the words—those upright lines? those curves,
 angles,
 dots? 
No, those are not the words—the substantial words are in the ground and sea,
They are in...Read more of this...

Lui Et Elle

by D. H. Lawrence
 She is large and matronly
And rather dirty,
A little sardonic-looking, as if domesticity had driven her to it.
Though what she does, except lay four eggs at random in the garden once a year
And put up with her husband,
I don't know.

She likes to eat.
She hurries up, striding reared on long uncanny legs
When food is going.
Oh yes, she can make haste when...Read more of this...

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