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Famous Failings Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Burns, Robert
...ttle swither
 About the matter;
We, cheek for chow, shall jog thegither,
 I’se ne’er bid better.


We’ve faults and failings—granted clearly,
We’re frail backsliding mortals merely,
Eve’s bonie squad, priests wyte them sheerly
 For our grand fa’;
But still, but still, I like them dearly—
 God bless them a’!


Ochone for poor Castalian drinkers,
When they fa’ foul o’ earthly jinkers!
The witching, curs’d, delicious blinkers
 Hae put me hyte,
And gart me weet my waukrife wi...Read more of this...



by Burns, Robert
...t for human woe,
 The dauntless heart that fear’d no human pride;
The friend of man-to vice alone a foe;
 For “ev’n his failings lean’d to virtue’s side.” 1


 Note 1. Goldsmith.—R. B. [back]...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
...y cracks an’ cants,
And in your wicked, drucken rants,
Ye mak a devil o’ the saunts,
 An’ fill them fou;
And then their failings, flaws, an’ wants,
 Are a’ seen thro’.


Hypocrisy, in mercy spare it!
That holy robe, O dinna tear it!
Spare’t for their sakes, wha aften wear it—
 The lads in black;
But your curst wit, when it comes near it,
 Rives’t aff their back.


Think, wicked Sinner, wha ye’re skaithing:
It’s just the Blue-gown badge an’ claithing
O’ saunts; tak tha...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
...for their thoughtless, careless sakes,
 Would here propone defences—
Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes,
 Their failings and mischances.


Ye see your state wi’ theirs compared,
 And shudder at the niffer;
But cast a moment’s fair regard,
 What maks the mighty differ;
Discount what scant occasion gave,
 That purity ye pride in;
And (what’s aft mair than a’ the lave),
 Your better art o’ hidin.


Think, when your castigated pulse
 Gies now and then a wallop!
Wh...Read more of this...

by Burgess, Gelett
...US GOOPS.
Which you 'll Regard with Yells and Whoops.
Futile Acumen! 
For you Yourselves are Doubtless Dupes
Of Failings Such as Mar these Groups --
We all are Human!

1 ABEDNEGO was Meek and Mild; he Softly Spoke, he Sweetly Smiled.
2 He never Called his Playmates Names, and he was Good in Running Games;
3 But he was Often in Disgrace because he had a Dirty Face!

4 BOHUNKUS would Take Off his Hat, and Bow and Smile, and Things like That.
5 His Face and Hair ...Read more of this...



by Pope, Alexander
...s Merit, but his own.
Such late was Walsh,--the Muse's Judge and Friend,
Who justly knew to blame or to commend;
To Failings mild, but zealous for Desert;
The clearest Head, and the sincerest Heart.
This humble Praise, lamented Shade! receive,
This Praise at least a grateful Muse may give!
The Muse, whose early Voice you taught to Sing,
Prescrib'd her Heights, and prun'd her tender Wing,
(Her Guide now lost) no more attempts to rise,
But in low Numbers short Excursion...Read more of this...

by Khayyam, Omar
...Make light to me the world's oppressive weight,
And hide my failings from the people's hate,
And grant me peace to-day, and on the morrow
Deal with me as Thy mercy may dictate!...Read more of this...

by Cowper, William
...fect innocence,
Whose blood of matchless worth
Whould be the soul's defence;
For he who can for sin atone,
Must have no failings of His own.

The scape-goat on his head
The people's trespass bore,
And to the desert led,
Was to be seen no more:
In him our surety seem'd to say,
"Behold, I bear your sins away."

Dipt in his fellow's blood,
The living bird went free;
The type, well understood,
Express'd the sinner's plea;
Described a guilty soul enlarged,
And by a Saviour...Read more of this...

by Goldsmith, Oliver
...or their faults to scan,
His pity gave ere charity began.

Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride,
And e'en his failings leaned to Virtue's side;
But in his duty prompt at every call,
He watched and wept, he prayed and felt, for all.
And, as a bird each fond endearment tries
To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies,
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay,
Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.

Beside the bed where parting life was laid,
And ...Read more of this...

by Tagore, Rabindranath
...Say of him what you please, but I know my child's failings.
I do not love him because he is good, but because he is my
little child.
How should you know how dear he can be when you try to weigh
his merits against his faults?
When I must punish him he becomes all the more a part of my
being.
When I cause his tears to come my heart weeps with him.
I alone have a right to blame and punish, for ...Read more of this...

by Scannell, Vernon
...irritation
And, under that, a cold
Dark current of dejection moves
That this is so.

There was a time when all her failings were
Delights he marvelled at:
It seemed her clumsiness, 
Forgetfulness and wild non-sequiturs
Could never grow

Wearisome, nor would he ever tire
Of doting on those small
Blemishes that proved 
Her beauty as the blackbird's gloss affirms
The bridal snow.

The clock above the bar records her theft
Of time he cannot spare;
Then suddenly she's her...Read more of this...

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Book: Shattered Sighs