Get Your Premium Membership

Famous Herbert Poems by Famous Poets

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

See also:

by Herbert, George
...Man. SWEETEST Saviour, if my soul 
 Were but worth the having, 
Quickly should I then control 
 Any thought of waving. 
But when all my care and pains 
Cannot give the name of gains 
To Thy wretch so full of stains, 
What delight or hope remains? 

Saviour. What, child, is the balance thine, 
 Thine the poise and measure? 
If I say, 'Thou shalt...Read more of this...



by Herbert, George
...When thou didst entice to thee my heart, 
I thought the service brave: 
So many joys I writ down for my part, 
Besides what I might have
Out of my stock of natural delights, 
Augmented with thy gracious benefits.

I looked on thy furniture so fine, 
And made it fine to me: 
Thy glorious household-stuff did me entwine, 
And 'tice me unto thee.
Such ...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Kill me not ev'ry day, 
Thou Lord of life, since thy one death for me
Is more than all my deaths can be, 
Though I in broken pay
Die over each hour of Methusalem's stay.

If all men's tears were let
Into one common sewer, sea, and brine; 
What were they all, compar'd to thine? 
Wherein if they were set, 
They would discolour thy most bloody sweat.
...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Ah, my dear angry Lord,
Since thou dost love, yet strike;
Cast down, yet help afford;
Sure I will do the like.

I will complain, yet praise;
I will bewail, approve;
And all my sour-sweet days
I will lament and love....Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...When my devotions could not pierce 
Thy silent ears; 
Then was my heart broken, as was my verse: 
My breast was full of fears 
And disorder: 

My bent thoughts, like a brittle bow, 
Did fly asunder: 
Each took his way; some would to pleasures go, 
Some to the wars and thunder 
Of alarms. 

As good go any where, they say, 
As to benumb 
Both knees and h...Read more of this...



by Herbert, George
...I Got me flowers to straw Thy way, 
I got me boughs off many a tree; 
But Thou wast up by break of day, 
And brought’st Thy sweets along with Thee. 

The sunne arising in the East, 
Though he give light, and th’ East perfume, 
If they should offer to contest 
With Thy arising, they presume. 

Can there be any day but this, 
Though many sunnes to sh...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
  Though foolishly he lost the same,
   Decaying more and more,
     Till he became
      Most poor:
      With thee
     O let me rise
    As larks, harmoniously, 
  And sing this day thy victories:
 Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

  My tender age in sorrow did begin:
  And still with sicknes...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...If as a flower doth spread and die, 
Thou wouldst extend me to some good, 
Before I were by frost's extremity
Nipt in the bud; 

The sweetness and the praise were thine; 
But the extension and the room, 
Which in thy garland I should fill, were mine
At thy great doom.

For as thou dost impart thy grace, 
The greater shall our glory be.
The measure ...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Immortal Heat, O let thy greater flame
Attract the lesser to it: let those fires
Which shall consume the world, first make it tame,
And kindle in our hearts such true desires,

As may consume our lusts, and make thee way.
Then shall our hearts pant thee; then shall our brain
All her invention on thine Altar lay,
And there in hymnes send back thy fire a...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack,
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lack'd anything.

A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.
I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.
Love too...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...My God, I heard this day
That none doth build a stately habitation,
     But he that means to dwell therein.
     What house more stately hath there been,
Or can be, than is Man? to whose creation
          All things are in decay.

          For Man is every thing,
And more:  he is a tree, yet bears more fruit;
     A beast, yet ...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Full of rebellion, I would die, 
Or fight, or travel, or deny
That thou has aught to do with me.
O tame my heart; 
It is thy highest art
To captivate strong holds to thee.

If thou shalt let this venom lurk, 
And in suggestions fume and work, 
My soul will turn to bubbles straight, 
And thence by kind
Vanish into a wind, 
Making thy workmanship dec...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...the yellow legged plovers live at the university and stare down
pale students who dare to walk near them

we like them

they are the smartest things around with their brown caps and stiffish know-it-all walk
god, don't they look like the newly arrived so proud to be here, 

and busy, 

the plovers should have keys and a whistle on a lanyard each 
like bris...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Having been tenant long to a rich lord, 
Not thriving, I resolved to be bold, 
And make a suit unto him, to afford 
A new small-rented lease, and cancel the old. 
In heaven at his manor I him sought; 
They told me there that he was lately gone 
About some land, which he had dearly bought 
Long since on earth, to take possession.
I straight returned...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry 
Oceans of Ink ; for, as the Deluge did 
Cover the Earth, so doth thy Majesty : 
Each Cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid 
Poets to turn it to another use. 
Roses and Lillies speak thee ; and to make 
A pair of Cheeks of them, is thy abuse. 
Why should I Womens eyes for Chrystal take? 
Such poor inve...Read more of this...

by McGonagall, William Topaz
...lton. 

Those that sent wreaths were but very few,
But one in particular was the Duke of Buccleuch;
Besides Dr. Herbert Spencer, and Countess Rosebery, and Lady Bennett,
Which no doubt were sent by them with heartfelt regret. 

Besides those that sent wreaths in addition were the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen,
Especially the Prince of Wales' was most lovely to be seen,
And the Earl of Dalkeith's wreath was very pretty too,
With a mixture of green and white flowers...Read more of this...

by Scott, Sir Walter
...eined up his horse,—
     With wonder viewed the bloody spot,—
     'Exclaim not, gallants' question not.—
     You, Herbert and Luffness, alight
     And bind the wounds of yonder knight;
     Let the gray palfrey bear his weight,
     We destined for a fairer freight,
     And bring him on to Stirling straight;
     I will before at better speed,
     To seek fresh horse and fitting weed.
     The sun rides high;—I must be boune
     To see the archer-game at noo...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Oh all ye, who pass by, whose eyes and mind
To worldly things are sharp, but to me blind; 
To me, who took eyes that I might you find: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

The Princes of my people make a head
Against their Maker: they do wish me dead, 
Who cannot wish, except I give them bread: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

Without me each one, who doth now me brav...Read more of this...

by Chesterton, G K
...should be quite forgotten, 
And therefore got on a Committee 
With several chaps out of the City, 
And Shorter and Sir Herbert Tree, 
Lord Rothschild and Lord Rosebery, 
And F.C.G. and Comyn Carr 
Two dukes and a dramatic star, 
Also a clergy man now dead; 
And while the vain world careless sped 
Unheeding the heroic name -- 
The souls most fed with Shakespeare's flame 
Still sat unconquered in a ring, 
Remembering him like anything. 

Lord Lilac did not long...Read more of this...

by Herbert, George
...Love built a stately house, where Fortune came,
And spinning fancies, she was heard to say
That her fine cobwebs did support the frame,
Whereas they were supported by the same;
But Wisdom quickly swept them all away.

The Pleasure came, who, liking not the fashion,
Began to make balconies, terraces,
Till she had weakened all by alteration;
But ...Read more of this...

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Herbert poems.


Book: Reflection on the Important Things