Famous Files Poems by Famous Poets

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

See also:

Beowulf (Old English)

...thers thus!
O’er the roof of the helmet high, a ridge,
wound with wires, kept ward o’er the head,
lest the relict-of-files {15c} should fierce invade,
sharp in the strife, when that shielded hero
should go to grapple against his foes.
Then the earls’-defence {15d} on the floor {15e} bade lead
coursers eight, with carven head-gear,
adown the hall: one horse was decked
with a saddle all shining and set in jewels;
’twas the battle-seat of the best of kings,
when to pl...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,


Courage

...est. 
No dewfall softens this vast belt of dearth. 

But in the socket-chiseled teeth of strife, 
That gleam in serried files in all the lands, 
We may join hungry, understanding hands, 
And drink our share of ardent love and life....Read more of this...
by McKay, Claude

Endymion: Book III

...her soul away, and sigh'd
A lullaby to silence.--"Youth! now strew
These minced leaves on me, and passing through
Those files of dead, scatter the same around,
And thou wilt see the issue."--'Mid the sound
Of flutes and viols, ravishing his heart,
Endymion from Glaucus stood apart,
And scatter'd in his face some fragments light.
How lightning-swift the change! a youthful wight
Smiling beneath a coral diadem,
Out-sparkling sudden like an upturn'd gem,
Appear'd, and, stepping t...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Endymion: Book IV

...
With zebras striped, and sleek Arabians' prance,
Web-footed alligators, crocodiles,
Bearing upon their scaly backs, in files,
Plump infant laughers mimicking the coil
Of seamen, and stout galley-rowers' toil:
With toying oars and silken sails they glide,
 Nor care for wind and tide.

"Mounted on panthers' furs and lions' manes,
From rear to van they scour about the plains;
A three days' journey in a moment done:
And always, at the rising of the sun,
About the wilds they hunt...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Eviradnus

...alway 
 To see the shadows, still prolonged, that seem 
 To take at night the image of a dream. 
 
 These two great files reach from the door afar 
 To where the table and the daïs are, 
 Leaving between their fronts a narrow lane. 
 On the left side the Marquises maintain 
 Their place, but the right side the Dukes retain, 
 And till the roof, embattled by Spignus, 
 But worn by time that even that subdues, 
 Shall fall upon their heads, these forms will stand 
 ...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor


Locksley Hall

...h lower pains! 

Mated with a squalid savage--what to me were sun or clime?
I the heir of all the ages, in the foremost files of time-- 

I that rather held it better men should perish one by one,
Than that earth should stand at gaze like Joshua's moon in Ajalon! 

Not in vain the distance beacons. Forward, forward let us range,
Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change. 

Thro' the shadow of the globe we sweep into the younger day;
Better fifty yea...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

On the Idle Hill of Summer

...and rotten; 
None that go return again. 

Far the calling bugles hollo, 
High the screaming fife replies, 
Gay the files of scarlet follow: 
Woman bore me, I will rise.
...Read more of this...
by Housman, A E

Our Son

...the more she encouraged 

Him to blame us and ‘Make his life his own’, vital signs

Of decline ignored or consigned to files, ‘confidentiality’ reigned supreme.

Insidiously the way back to the ward unveiled

Over painful months, the self-neglect, the inappropriate remarks

In pubs, the neglected perforated eardrum, keeping

Company with his feckless cousins between their bouts in prison.

The pointless team meetings he was patted through,

My abrupt dismissal as carer at th...Read more of this...
by Tebb, Barry

Paradise Lost: Book 01

...iors old, with ordered spear and shield, 
Awaiting what command their mighty Chief 
Had to impose. He through the armed files 
Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse 
The whole battalion views--their order due, 
Their visages and stature as of gods; 
Their number last he sums. And now his heart 
Distends with pride, and, hardening in his strength, 
Glories: for never, since created Man, 
Met such embodied force as, named with these, 
Could merit more than that small inf...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 04

...of Hell, on errand bad no doubt: 
Such, where ye find, seise fast, and hither bring. 
So saying, on he led his radiant files, 
Dazzling the moon; these to the bower direct 
In search of whom they sought: Him there they found 
Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve, 
Assaying by his devilish art to reach 
The organs of her fancy, and with them forge 
Illusions, as he list, phantasms and dreams; 
Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint 
The animal spirits, that from pure bl...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 05

...n all this globous earth in plain outspread, 
(Such are the courts of God) the angelick throng, 
Dispersed in bands and files, their camp extend 
By living streams among the trees of life, 
Pavilions numberless, and sudden reared, 
Celestial tabernacles, where they slept 
Fanned with cool winds; save those, who, in their course, 
Melodious hymns about the sovran throne 
Alternate all night long: but not so waked 
Satan; so call him now, his former name 
Is heard no more in He...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 06

...interposed 
Defence, while others bore him on their shields 
Back to his chariot, where it stood retired 
From off the files of war: There they him laid 
Gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame, 
To find himself not matchless, and his pride 
Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath 
His confidence to equal God in power. 
Yet soon he healed; for Spirits that live throughout 
Vital in every part, not as frail man 
In entrails, heart of head, liver or reins, 
Cannot but by a...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Rugby Chapel

...the brave!
Order, courage, return.
Eyes rekindling, and prayers,
Follow your steps as ye go.
Ye fill up the gaps in our files,
Strengthen the wavering line,
Stablish, continue our march,
On, to the bound of the waste,
On, to the City of God....Read more of this...
by Arnold, Matthew

Song of the Indian Maid

...bras striped, and sleek Arabians' prance, 
Web-footed alligators, crocodiles, 100 
Bearing upon their scaly backs, in files, 
Plump infant laughers mimicking the coil 
Of seamen, and stout galley-rowers' toil: 
With toying oars and silken sails they glide, 
Nor care for wind and tide. 105 

Mounted on panthers' furs and lions' manes, 
From rear to van they scour about the plains; 
A three days' journey in a moment done; 
And always, at the rising of the sun, 
Abou...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

The House Of Dust: Complete (Long)

...m the city imprisoned because of his cunning,
Who dreamed for years in a tower,
Seizes this hour
Of tumult and wind. He files through the rusted bar,
Leans his face to the rain, laughs up at the night,
Slides down the knotted sheet, swings over the wall,
To fall to the street with a cat-like fall,
Slinks round a quavering rim of windy light,
And at last is gone,
Leaving his empty cell for the pallor of dawn . . .

The mother whose child was buried to-day
Turns her face to the...Read more of this...
by Aiken, Conrad

The Iliad

...http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6130/6130-h/6130-h.html...Read more of this...
by Homer,

The Rape of the Lock

...breathes from yonder Box.

The Tortoise here and Elephant unite,
Transform'd to Combs, the speckled and the white.
Here Files of Pins extend their shining Rows,
Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.
Now awful Beauty puts on all its Arms;
The Fair each moment rises in her Charms, 
Repairs her Smiles, awakens ev'ry Grace,
And calls forth all the Wonders of her Face;
Sees by Degrees a purer Blush arise,
And keener Lightnings quicken in her Eyes.
The busy Sylphs surround ...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander

The Seasons: Winter

...ky-mantled Lawn: then slow descend,
Once more to mingle with their Watry Friends.
The vivid Stars shine out, in radiant Files;
And boundless Ether glows, till the fair Moon
Shows her broad Visage, in the crimson'd East; 
Now, stooping, seems to kiss the passing Cloud:
Now, o'er the pure Cerulean, rides sublime.
Wide the pale Deluge floats, with silver Waves,
O'er the sky'd Mountain, to the low-laid Vale;
From the white Rocks, with dim Reflexion, gleams, 
And faintly glitters ...Read more of this...
by Thomson, James

The Siege of Corinth

...arth like broken glass, 
Shiver'd by the shot, that tore 
The ground whereon they moved no more: 
Even as they fell, in files they lay, 
Like the mower's grass at the close of day, 
When is work is done on the levell'd plain; 
Such was the fall of the foremost slain. 

XXIV. 

As the spring-tides, with heavy splash, 
From the cliffs invading dash 
Huge fragments, sapp'd by the ceaseless flow, 
Till white and thundering down they go, 
Like the avalanche's snow 
On the Alpine v...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)

The Triumph Of Fame

...mage to the god of armsAnd Love's seductive power: but, close and deep,Like files that climb'd the Capitolian steepIn years of yore, along the sacred wayA martial squadron came in long array.In ranges as they moved distinct and bright,On every burganet that met the light,Some name of long renown, distinctly read,Read more of this...
by Petrarch, Francesco

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Files poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter