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Famous Entry Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Browning, Robert
..., 
Giulio Romano's pictures, Dowland's lute; 
Enjoys a show, respects the puppets, too, 
And none more, had he seen its entry once, 
Than "Pandulph, of fair Milan cardinal." 
Why then should I who play that personage, 
The very Pandulph Shakespeare's fancy made, 
Be told that had the poet chanced to start 
From where I stand now (some degree like mine 
Being just the goal he ran his race to reach) 
He would have run the whole race back, forsooth, 
And left being Pandulph,...Read more of this...



by Browning, Robert
...or: and, to KNOW, 
Rather consists in opening out a way 
Whence the imprisoned splendour may escape, 
Than in effecting entry for a light 
Supposed to be without. 

II

I knew, I felt, (perception unexpressed, 
Uncomprehended by our narrow thought, 
But somehow felt and known in every shift 
And change in the spirit,—nay, in every pore 
Of the body, even,)—what God is, what we are 
What life is—how God tastes an infinite joy 
In infinite ways—one everlasting bliss, 
From ...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...was counter to the hearth, and rose 
High that the highest-crested helm could ride 
Therethrough nor graze: and by this entry fled 
The damsel in her wrath, and on to this 
Sir Gareth strode, and saw without the door 
King Arthur's gift, the worth of half a town, 
A warhorse of the best, and near it stood 
The two that out of north had followed him: 
This bare a maiden shield, a casque; that held 
The horse, the spear; whereat Sir Gareth loosed 
A cloak that dropt from collar...Read more of this...

by Alighieri, Dante
...t deep that stream beyond their wading spread, 
 And closed those gates beyond their breach had been, 
 Had they sought entry with us. 
 Of
 coolest green 
 Stretched the wide lawns we midmost found, for there, 
 Intolerant of itself, was Hell made fair 
 To accord with its containing. 
 Grave,
 austere, 
 Quiet-voiced and slow, of seldom words were they 
 That walked that verdure. 
 To a
 place aside 
 Open, and light, and high, we passed, and here 
 Looked downw...Read more of this...

by Alighieri, Dante
...er me si vegna .

because that Emperor who reigns above,
since I have been rebellious to His law,
will not allow me entry to His city.


In tutte parti impera e quivi regge;
quivi ? la sua citt? e l'alto seggio:
oh felice colui cu' ivi elegge! ».

He governs everywhere, but rules from there;
there is His city, His high capital: 
o happy those He chooses to be there!"


E io a lui: «Poeta, io ti richeggio
per quello Dio che tu non conoscesti,
acci? ch'io fugga ques...Read more of this...



by Borges, Jorge Luis
...here is in the South more than one worn gate,
With its cement urns and planted cactus,
Which is already forbidden to my entry,
Inaccessible, as in a lithograph.

There is a door you have closed forever
And some mirror is expecting you in vain;
To you the crossroads seem wide open,
Yet watching you, four-faced, is a Janus.

There is among all your memories one
Which has now been lost beyond recall.
You will not be seen going down to that fountain
Neither by white s...Read more of this...

by Trumbull, John
...ho, should he wish to prove
His claim to his old seat above,
Would, if his cause he'd give them fees in,
Bring writs of Entry sur disseisin,
Plead for him boldly at the session,
And hope to put him in possession;
Merchants who, for his friendly aid
Would make him partner in their trade,
Hang out their signs in goodly show,
Inscribed with, Beelzebub & Co.;
And judges, who would list his pages,
For proper liveries and wages;
And who as humbly cringe and bow
To all his morta...Read more of this...

by Trumbull, John
...r sway."


Thus far M'Fingal told his tale,
When startling shouts his ears assail;
And strait the Constable, their sentry,
Aghast rush'd headlong down the entry,
And with wild outcry, like magician,
Dispersed the residue of vision.
For now the Whigs the news had found
Of Tories must'ring under ground,
And with rude bangs and loud uproar,
'Gan thunder furious at the door.
The lights put out, each tory calls,
To cover him on cellar walls,
Creeps in each box, or bin,...Read more of this...

by Hugo, Victor
...peech! 
 Thus far no harm I've wrought to him your son; 
 But now I give you notice—when night's done, 
 I will make entry at your city-gate, 
 Bringing the prince alive; and those who wait 
 To see him in my jaws—your lackey-crew— 
 Shall see me eat him in your palace, too!" 
 Next morning, this is what was viewed in town: 
 Dawn coming—people going—some adown 
 Praying, some crying; pallid cheeks, swift feet, 
 And a huge lion stalking through the street. 
 It se...Read more of this...

by Browning, Robert
...,
Two unmistakeable eye-points duly
Live and aware looked out of their places.
So, we went and found Jacynth at the entry
Of the lady's chamber standing sentry;
I told the command and produced my companion,
And Jacynth rejoiced to admit any one,
For since last night, by the same token,
Not a single word had the lady spoken:
They went in both to the presence together,
While I in the balcony watched the weather.

XV.

And now, what took place at the very first of al...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...open to the sea, 
And steps that met the breaker! there was none 
Stood near it but a lion on each side 
That kept the entry, and the moon was full. 
Then from the boat I leapt, and up the stairs. 
There drew my sword. With sudden-flaring manes 
Those two great beasts rose upright like a man, 
Each gript a shoulder, and I stood between; 
And, when I would have smitten them, heard a voice, 
`Doubt not, go forward; if thou doubt, the beasts 
Will tear thee piecemea...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...om an hill under a bent* *slope
There stood the temple of Mars Armipotent,
Wrought all of burnish'd steel, of which th' entry
Was long and strait, and ghastly for to see.
And thereout came *a rage and such a vise*, *such a furious voice*
That it made all the gates for to rise.
The northern light in at the doore shone,
For window on the walle was there none
Through which men mighten any light discern.
The doors were all of adamant etern,
Y-clenched *overthwart and ...Read more of this...

by Smart, Christopher
...er was perform'd before. 
Thro' all the town this soon got air, 
And the whole house was like a fair; 
But soon his entry as he made, 
Without a prompter, or parade, 
'Twas all expectance, all suspense, 
And silence gagg'd the audience. 
He hid his head behind his wig, 
With with such truth took off* a Pig, [imitated] 
All swore 'twas serious, and no joke, 
For doubtless underneath his cloak, 
He had conceal'd some grunting elf, 
Or was a real hog himself. 
A sear...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...allas for a sign, 
By two sphere lamps blazoned like Heaven and Earth 
With constellation and with continent, 
Above an entry: riding in, we called; 
A plump-armed Ostleress and a stable wench 
Came running at the call, and helped us down. 
Then stept a buxom hostess forth, and sailed, 
Full-blown, before us into rooms which gave 
Upon a pillared porch, the bases lost 
In laurel: her we asked of that and this, 
And who were tutors. 'Lady Blanche' she said, 
'And Lady ...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...alace ran the field 
Flat to the garden-wall: and likewise here, 
Above the garden's glowing blossom-belts, 
A columned entry shone and marble stairs, 
And great bronze valves, embossed with Tomyris 
And what she did to Cyrus after fight, 
But now fast barred: so here upon the flat 
All that long morn the lists were hammered up, 
And all that morn the heralds to and fro, 
With message and defiance, went and came; 
Last, Ida's answer, in a royal hand, 
But shaken here and ther...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...they lifted up, dead weights, and bare 
Straight to the doors: to them the doors gave way 
Groaning, and in the Vestal entry shrieked 
The virgin marble under iron heels: 
And on they moved and gained the hall, and there 
Rested: but great the crush was, and each base, 
To left and right, of those tall columns drowned 
In silken fluctuation and the swarm 
Of female whisperers: at the further end 
Was Ida by the throne, the two great cats 
Close by her, like supporters on a s...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...*sweetheart
But ere thou go, one thing I will thee tell.
When that thou wendest homeward by the mill,
Right at the entry of the door behind
Thou shalt a cake of half a bushel find,
That was y-maked of thine owen meal,
Which that I help'd my father for to steal.
And goode leman, God thee save and keep."
And with that word she gan almost to weep.
Alein uprose and thought, "Ere the day daw
I will go creepen in by my fellaw:"
And found the cradle with his hand an...Read more of this...

by Seeger, Alan
...he thing that Christ's own flesh enforms; 
And down the Gothic nave the crowd flows by 
And through the portal's carven entry swarms. 
Maddened he peers upon each passing face 
Till the long drab procession terminates. 
No princess passes out with proud majestic pace. 
She has not come, the woman that he waits. 


Back in the empty silent church alone 
He walks with aching heart. A white-robed boy 
Puts out the altar-candles one by one, 
Even as by inches ...Read more of this...

by Simic, Charles
...a shudder
As if I held the key to mysteries in my hand.



 3

Where's the Lost and Found Department,
And the quiet entry,
The undeveloped film
Of the few clear moments
Of our blurred lives?

Where's the drop of blood
And the teeny nail
That pricked my finger
As I bent down to touch the toy

And caught its eye?



 4

Evening light,

Make me a Sunday
Go-to meeting shadow
For my toy.

My dearest memories are
Steep stair-wells
In dusty buildings
On dead-end streets,

Wh...Read more of this...

by Douglas, Keith
...he sun.

The frowning barrel of his gun
overshadowing. As we came on
that day, he hit my tank with one
like the entry of a demon.

Look. Here in the gunpit spoil
the dishonoured picture of his girl
who has put: Steffi. Vergissmeinnicht.
in a copybook gothic script.

We see him almost with content,
abased, and seeming to have paid
and mocked at by his own equipment
that's hard and good when he's decayed.

But she would weep to see today
how on h...Read more of this...

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Book: Shattered Sighs