Famous Duke Poems by Famous Poets

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...old strife;
67 No Crook-backt Tyrant now usurps the Seat, 68 Whose tearing tusks did wound, and kill, and threat. 69 No Duke of
York nor Earl of March to soil
70 Their hands in Kindred's blood whom they did foil;
71 No need of Tudor Roses to unite:
72 None knows which is the Red or which the White.
73 Spain's braving Fleet a second time is sunk.
74 France knows how of my fury she hath drunk
75 By Edward third and Henry fifth of fame;
76 Her Lilies in my Arms avouch the same.
...Read more of this...

by Bradstreet, Anne

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...the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing's a Duke;
From all his ill-got honors flung,
Turned to that dirt from whence he sprung....Read more of this...

by Swift, Jonathan

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...er loosens,
unwinds the wave-bonds, wielding all
seasons and times: the true God he!
Nor took from that dwelling the duke of the Geats
save only the head and that hilt withal
blazoned with jewels: the blade had melted,
burned was the bright sword, her blood was so hot,
so poisoned the hell-sprite who perished within there.
Soon he was swimming who safe saw in combat
downfall of demons; up-dove through the flood.
The clashing waters were cleansed now,
waste of waves...Read more of this...

by Anonymous,

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..., and saved the town. 
 'Twas he, indignant at the honor paid 
 To crime, who with his heel an onslaught made 
 Upon Duke Lupus' shameful monument, 
 Tore down, the statue he to fragments rent; 
 Then column of the Strasburg monster bore 
 To bridge of Wasselonne, and threw it o'er 
 Into the waters deep. The people round 
 Blazon the noble deeds that so abound 
 From Altorf unto Chaux-de-Fonds, and say, 
 When he rests musing in a dreamy way, 
 "Behold, 'tis Charl...Read more of this...

by Hugo, Victor

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...84 Thee the ancientest peer, Duke of Burgundy, rose from the monarch's right hand, red as wines
85 From his mountains; an odor of war, like a ripe vineyard, rose from his garments,
86 And the chamber became as a clouded sky; o'er the council he stretch'd his red limbs,
87 Cloth'd in flames of crimson; as a ripe vineyard stretches over sheaves of corn,
88 The fierce Duke hung over the co...Read more of this...

by Blake, William

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...the rare inventress free 
Of's Higness's Royal Society-- 
Happiest of women, if she were but able 
To make her glassen Dukes once malle?ble! 
Paint her with oyster lip and breath of fame, 
Wide mouth that 'sparagus may well proclaim; 
With Chancellor's belly and so large a rump, 
There--not behind the coach--her pages jump. 
Express her study now if China clay 
Can, without breaking, venomed juice convey, 
Or how a mortal poison she may draw 
Out of the cordial meal of the c...Read more of this...

by Marvell, Andrew

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...
Some new arrangement, but it would not do.

III
A lady in a Manor-house, alone, Whose husband 
is in Flanders with the Duke
Of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, she's grown Too apathetic 
even to rebuke
Her idleness. What is she on this Earth? No woman 
surely, since she neither can
Be wed nor single, must not let her mind Build 
thoughts upon a man
Except for hers. Indeed that were no dearth
Were her Lord here, for well she knew his worth,
And when she thought of him her eyes ...Read more of this...

by Lowell, Amy

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...he obtained the rank of lieutenant,
Then to her Majesty's ship Galatea he was sent;
Which was under the command of the Duke of Edinburgh,
And during his service there he felt but little sorrow. 

And from that he was promoted to be commander of the Britannia,
And was well liked by the men, for what he said was law;
And by him Prince Albert Victor and Prince George received a naval education.
Which met with the Prince of Wales' roost hearty approbation. 

'Twas in the year 18...Read more of this...

by McGonagall, William Topaz

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...I.

You're my friend:
I was the man the Duke spoke to;
I helped the Duchess to cast off his yoke, too;
So here's the tale from beginning to end,
My friend!

II.

Ours is a great wild country:
If you climb to our castle's top,
I don't see where your eye can stop;
For when you've passed the cornfield country,
Where vineyards leave off, flocks are packed,
And sheep-range leads to cattle-tract,
And ca...Read more of this...

by Browning, Robert

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...ignorance,
2.28 Freedom from Envy and from Arrogance.
2.29 How to be rich, or great, I did not cark,
2.30 A Baron or a Duke ne'r made my mark,
2.31 Nor studious was, Kings favours how to buy,
2.32 With costly presents, or base flattery;
2.33 No office coveted, wherein I might
2.34 Make strong my self and turn aside weak right.
2.35 No malice bare to this or that great Peer,
2.36 Nor unto buzzing whisperers gave ear.
2.37 I gave no hand, nor vote, for death, of life.
2.38 I'd...Read more of this...

by Bradstreet, Anne

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...ountour: Probably a steward or accountant in the county
court.

31. Vavasour: A landholder of consequence; holding of a duke,
marquis, or earl, and ranking below a baron.

32. On the dais: On the raised platform at the end of the hall,
where sat at meat or in judgement those high in authority, rank
or honour; in our days the worthy craftsmen might have been
described as "good platform men".

33. To take precedence over all in going to the evening service
of the Church, or to ...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey

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...too had thorns,
Sharp rumors, how the three Estates of France,
Like old Three-headed Cerberus of Hell
Had set upon the Duke of Normandy,
Their rightful Regent, snarled in his great face,
Snapped jagged teeth in inch-breadth of his throat,
And blown such hot and savage breath upon him,
That he had tossed great sops of royalty
Unto the clamorous, three-mawed baying beast.
And was not further on his way withal,
And had but changed a snarl into a growl:
How Arnold de Cervolles h...Read more of this...

by Lanier, Sidney

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...WHILOM*, as olde stories tellen us, *formerly
There was a duke that highte* Theseus. *was called 
Of Athens he was lord and governor,
And in his time such a conqueror
That greater was there none under the sun.
Full many a riche country had he won.
What with his wisdom and his chivalry,
He conquer'd all the regne of Feminie,
That whilom was y-cleped Scythia;
And weddede the Queen Hippolyta
And brought her home...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey

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...
Ogier died. His sons grew English-Anglo-Saxon was their name--
Till out of blossomed Normandy another pirate came;
For Duke William conquered England and divided with his men,
And our Lower River-field he gave to William of Warenne.

But the Brook (you know her habit) rose one rainy autumn night 
And tore down sodden flitches of the bank to left and right.
So, said William to his Bailiff as they rode their dripping rounds:
"Hob, what about that River-bit--the Brook's got up ...Read more of this...

by Kipling, Rudyard

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...e introduction
to the poem called "The Book of the Duchess." It relates to the
death of Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the
poet's patron, and afterwards his connexion by marriage.

5. The Saintes Legend of Cupid: Now called "The Legend of
Good Women". The names of eight ladies mentioned here are
not in the "Legend" as it has come down to us; while those of
two ladies in the "legend" -- Cleopatra and Philomela -- are her
omitted.

6. Not the Muses, who had ...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey

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...eet I looked at first. 

Some hounds I’ve known were wise as half your saints, 
And better hunters. That old dog of the Duke’s, 
Harlequin; what a dog he was to draw! 
And what a note he had, and what a nose
When foxes ran down wind and scent was catchy! 
And that light lemon ***** of the Squire’s, old Dorcas— 
She were a marvellous hunter, were old Dorcas! 
Ay, oft I’ve thought, ‘If there were hounds in Heaven, 
With God as master, taking no subscription; 
And all His bless?...Read more of this...

by Sassoon, Siegfried

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...He was his father: upon which another 
Was sure he was his mother's cousin's brother: 

LXXVII 

Another, that he was a duke, or a knight, 
An orator, a lawyer, or a priest, 
A nabob, a man-midwife; but the wight 
Mysterious changed his countenance at least 
As oft as they their minds; though in full sight 
He stood, the puzzle only was increased; 
The man was a phantasmagoria in 
Himself — he was so volatile and thin. 

LXXVIII 

The moment that you had pronounce him one, 
P...Read more of this...

by Byron, George (Lord)

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...st Victorian spot.—
Lives there a novel-reader who has not 
At some time wept for those delightful girls, 
Daughters of dukes, prime ministers and earls, 
In bonnets, berthas, bustles, buttoned basques, 
Hiding behind their pure Victorian masks 
Hearts just as hot - hotter perhaps than those 
Whose owners now abandon hats and hose? 
Who has not wept for Lady Joan or Jill 
Loving against her noble parent's will 
A handsome guardsman, who to her alarm 
Feels her hand kissed beh...Read more of this...

by Miller, Alice Duer

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...virtuous,
And will himselfe do no gentle deedes,
Nor follow his gentle ancestry, that dead is,
He is not gentle, be he duke or earl;
For villain sinful deedes make a churl.
For gentleness is but the renomee* *renown
Of thine ancestors, for their high bounte,* *goodness, worth
Which is a strange thing to thy person:
Thy gentleness cometh from God alone.
Then comes our very* gentleness of grace; *true
It was no thing bequeath'd us with our place.
Think how noble, as saith Vale...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey

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...knave.
To steal a hint was never known,
But what he writ was all his own.
He never thought an honour done him
Because a duke was proud to own him;
Would rather slip aside and choose
To talk with wits in dirty shoes;
Despised the fools with stars and garters,
So often seen caressing Chartres.
He never courted men in station,
Nor persons held in admiration.
Of no man's greatness was afraid,
Because he sought for no man's aid.
Though trusted long in great affairs,
He gave himsel...Read more of this...

by Swift, Jonathan

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