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Famous Fray Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
..."'You must fetch a duck when you come to stay; 
A great big duck -- a Muscovy toff -- 
Ready and fit,' I says, 'for the fray; 
And if the grasshoppers come our way 
You turn your duck into the lucerne patch, 
And I'd be ready to make a match 
That the grasshoppers eat his feathers off!" 

"He came to visit us by and by, 
And it just so happened one day in spring 
A kind of cloud came over the sky -- 
A wall of grasshoppers nine miles high, 
And nine miles thick, and nine hund...Read more of this...
by Paterson, Andrew Barton



...it impart;
Nest of young ioyes, Schoolemaster of delight,
Teaching the meane at once to take and giue;
The friendly fray, where blowes both wound and heale,
The prettie death, while each in other liue.
Poore hopes first wealth, ostage of promist weale;
Breakfast of loue. But lo, lo, where she is,
Cease we to praise; now pray we for a kisse. 
LXXX 

Sweet-swelling lip, well maist thou swell in pride,
Since best wits thinke it wit thee to admire;
Natures praise, Ve...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip
...ouds away; 
Few trophies of the fight are there: 
The shouts that shook the midnight-bay 
Are silent; but some signs of fray 
That strand of strife may bear, 
And fragments of each shiver'd brand; 
Steps stamp'd; and dash'd into the sand 
The print of many a struggling hand 
May there be mark'd; nor far remote 
A broken torch, an oarless boat; 
And tangled on the weeds that heap 
The beach where shelving to the deep 
There lies a white capote! 
'Tis rent in twain — one dark-r...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)
...unerring and unseen.



XXIII.
The hours advance; the storm clouds roll away; 
Still furious and more furious grows the fray.
The yellow sun makes ghastlier still the sight
Of painted corpses, staring in its light.
No longer slaves, but comrades of their griefs, 
The squaws augment the forces of their chiefs.
They chant weird dirges in a minor key, 
While from the narrow door of wigwam and tepee



XXIII.
Cold glittering eyes above cold glittering steel
Their deadly purpose a...Read more of this...
by Wilcox, Ella Wheeler
...
But as the murmuring surge. Chilly and numb
His bosom grew, when first he, far away,
Descried an orbed diamond, set to fray
Old darkness from his throne: 'twas like the sun
Uprisen o'er chaos: and with such a stun
Came the amazement, that, absorb'd in it,
He saw not fiercer wonders--past the wit
Of any spirit to tell, but one of those
Who, when this planet's sphering time doth close,
Will be its high remembrancers: who they?
The mighty ones who have made eternal day
For Gree...Read more of this...
by Keats, John



...d its pow'r until his latest day.
In Freedom's lists and for the aid of Right
Still in the foremost rank he waged the fray;
Wrong lived; His occupation was not gone.
He died in action with his armor on!

We weep for him, but we have touched his hand,
And felt the magic of his presence nigh,
The current that he sent thro' out the land,
The kindling spirit of his battle-cry
O'er all that holds us we shall triumph yet
And place our banner where his hopes were set!

...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul
...ers met within a neighbouring hall, 
And he, incensed and heedless of them all, 
The cause and conqueror in this sudden fray, 
In haughty silence slowly strode away; 
He back'd his steed, his homeward path he took, 
Nor cast on Otho's tower a single look. 

VI. 

But where was he? that meteor of a night, 
Who menaced but to disappear with light. 
Where was this Ezzelin? who came and went 
To leave no other trace of his intent. 
He left the dome of Otho long ere morn, 
In dark...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)
...`To become now self-acquainters,
``And paint man man, whatever the issue!
``Make new hopes shine through the flesh they fray,
``New fears aggrandize the rags and tatters:
``To bring the invisible full into play!
``Let the visible go to the dogs---what matters?''

XX.

Give these, I exhort you, their guerdon and glory
For daring so much, before they well did it. 
The first of the new, in our race's story,
Beats the last of the old; 'tis no idle quiddit. 
The worthies began a r...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert
...heir lighter wings. To whom these most adhere 
He rules a moment: Chaos umpire sits, 
And by decision more embroils the fray 
By which he reigns: next him, high arbiter, 
Chance governs all. Into this wild Abyss, 
The womb of Nature, and perhaps her grave, 
Of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire, 
But all these in their pregnant causes mixed 
Confusedly, and which thus must ever fight, 
Unless th' Almighty Maker them ordain 
His dark materials to create more worlds-- 
I...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...ad gone to wrack, disturbed and torn 
With violence of this conflict, had not soon 
The Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, 
Hung forth in Heaven his golden scales, yet seen 
Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign, 
Wherein all things created first he weighed, 
The pendulous round earth with balanced air 
In counterpoise, now ponders all events, 
Battles and realms: In these he put two weights, 
The sequel each of parting and of fight: 
The latter quick up flew, and kicked th...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...bleating lambs over the plain, 
Their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly, 
But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray; 
With cruel tournament the squadrons join; 
Where cattle pastured late, now scattered lies 
With carcasses and arms the ensanguined field, 
Deserted: Others to a city strong 
Lay siege, encamped; by battery, scale, and mine, 
Assaulting; others from the wall defend 
With dart and javelin, stones, and sulphurous fire; 
On each hand slaughter, and gigant...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...m adown did fall. 


17 

So long as Jove's great bird did make his flight, 
Bearing the fire with which heaven doth us fray, 
Heaven had not fear of that presumptuous might, 
With which the Giants did the Gods assay. 
But all so soon, as scorching Sun had brent 
His wings, which wont to the earth to overspread, 
The earth out of her massy womb forth sent 
That antique horror, which made heaven adread. 
Then was the German raven in disguise 
That Roman eagle seen to cleave as...Read more of this...
by Spenser, Edmund
...,
Who cast your sword away."
And the King took, with a random eye,
A rude axe from a hind hard by
And turned him to the fray.

For the swords of the Earls of Daneland
Flamed round the fallen lord.
The first blood woke the trumpet-tune,
As in monk's rhyme or wizard's rune,
Beginneth the battle of Ethandune
With the throwing of the sword.




BOOK VI ETHANDUNE: THE SLAYING OF THE CHIEFS


As the sea flooding the flat sands
Flew on the sea-born horde,
The two hosts shocked with ...Read more of this...
by Chesterton, G K
...ouds away; 
Few trophies of the fight are there: 
The shouts that shook the midnight-bay 
Are silent; but some signs of fray 
That strand of strife may bear, 
And fragments of each shiver'd brand; 
Steps stamp'd; and dash'd into the sand 
The print of many a struggling hand 
May there be mark'd; nor far remote 
A broken torch, an oarless boat; 
And tangled on the weeds that heap 
The beach where shelving to the deep 
There lies a white capote! 
'Tis rent in twain — one dark-r...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)
...daring lost their life,
When thou forbadest us the strife.
And yet my heart I felt a prey
To gloom, and panted for the fray;
Ay, even in the stilly night,
In vision gasped I in the fight;
And when the glimmering morning came,
And of fresh troubles knowledge gave,
A raging grief consumed my frame,
And I resolved the thing to brave."

"And to myself I thus began:
'What is't adorns the youth, the man?
What actions of the heroes bold,
Of whom in ancient song we're told,
Blind he...Read more of this...
by Schiller, Friedrich von
...hat heeds nor pain nor toil;
One cry to Mahomet for aid,
One prayer to Allah all he made:
He knew and crossed me in the fray -
I gazed upon him where he lay,
And watched his spirit ebb away:
Though pierced like pard by hunters' steel,
He felt not half that now I feel.
I searched, but vainly searched, to find
The workings of a wounded mind;
Each feature of that sullen corse
Betrayed his rage, but no remorse.
Oh, what had vengeance given to trace
Despair upon his dying face I
T...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)
...ark'd I till we parted, how, hard by,
Love in her train stood ready for his prey.
She, as too proud to join herself the fray,
Trusting too much to her divine ally,
When she saw victory tarry, chid him--"Why
Dost thou not at one stroke this rebel slay?" 
Then generous Love, who holds my heart in fee,
Told of our ancient truce: so from the fight
We straight withdrew our forces, all the three.
Baffled but not dishearten'd she took flight
Scheming new tactics: Love came home with...Read more of this...
by Bridges, Robert Seymour
...at hay;
     Prompt at the signal of alarms,
     Each son of Alpine rushed to arms;
     So swept the tumult and affray
     Along the margin of Achray.
     Alas, thou lovely lake! that e'er
     Thy banks should echo sounds of fear!
     The rocks, the bosky thickets, sleep
     So stilly on thy bosom deep,
     The lark's blithe carol from the cloud
     Seems for the scene too gayly loud.
     XV.

     Speed, Malise, speed! The lake is past,
     Duncragg...Read more of this...
by Scott, Sir Walter
...Wings, and sate to view the Fight,
Propt on their Bodkin Spears, the Sprights survey
The growing Combat, or assist the Fray.

While thro' the Press enrag'd Thalestris flies,
And scatters Deaths around from both her Eyes,
A Beau and Witling perish'd in the Throng,
One dy'd in Metaphor, and one in Song. 
O cruel Nymph! a living Death I bear,
Cry'd Dapperwit, and sunk beside his Chair.
A mournful Glance Sir Fopling upwards cast,
Those Eyes are made so killing---was his last:
Th...Read more of this...
by Pope, Alexander
...es.
'Twas at these friendly gates that the law was spoken by sages;
In their Penates' defence, heroes rushed out to the fray.
On the high walls appeared the mothers, embracing their infants,
Looking after the march, till the distance 'twas lost.
Then in prayer they threw themselves down at the deities' altars,
Praying for triumph and fame, praying for your safe return.
Honor and triumph were yours, but naught returned save your glory,
And by a heart-touching stone, told are y...Read more of this...
by Schiller, Friedrich von

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Book: Reflection on the Important Things