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Famous Inclination Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Burns, Robert
...’s the poor man’s friend in need,
The gentleman in word and deed,
It’s no thro’ terror of damnation;
It’s just a carnal inclination.


 Morality, thou deadly bane,
Thy tens o’ thousands thou hast slain!
Vain is his hope, whase stay an’ trust is
In moral mercy, truth, and justice!


 No—stretch a point to catch a plack:
Abuse a brother to his back;
Steal through the winnock frae a whore,
But point the rake that taks the door;
Be to the poor like ony whunstane,
And haud the...Read more of this...



by Burns, Robert
...Bard through many a shire?
At howes, or hillocks never stumbled,
And late or early never grumbled?—
O had I power like inclination,
I’d heeze thee up a constellation,
To canter with the Sagitarre,
Or loup the ecliptic like a bar;
Or turn the pole like any arrow;
Or, when auld Phoebus bids good-morrow,
Down the zodiac urge the race,
And cast dirt on his godship’s face;
For I could lay my bread and kail
He’d ne’er cast saut upo’ thy tail.—
Wi’ a’ this care and a’ this grie...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
...&c.


In raptures sweet, this hour we meet,
 Wi’ mutual love an’ a’ that;
But for how lang the flie may stang,
 Let inclination law that.
 For a’ that, &c.


Their tricks an’ craft hae put me daft,
 They’ve taen me in, an’ a’ that;
But clear your decks, and here’s—“The Sex!”
 I like the jads for a’ that.


Chorus For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
 An’ twice as muckle’s a’ that;
 My dearest bluid, to do them guid,
 They’re welcome till’t for a’ that.


RecitativoSo...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
..., &c.


In rapture sweet this hour we meet,
 Wi’ mutual love an’ a’ that,
But for how lang the flie may stang,
 Let inclination law that.
 For a’ that, &c.


Their tricks an’ craft hae put me daft.
 They’ve taen me in, an’ a’ that;
But clear your decks, and here’s—“The Sex!”
 I like the jads for a’ that.
 For a’ that, &c.


 Note 1. A later version of “I am a bard of no regard” in “The Jolly Beggars.” [back]...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
...laces,
Before ye gie poor Frailty names,
 Suppose a change o’ cases;
A dear-lov’d lad, convenience snug,
 A treach’rous inclination—
But let me whisper i’ your lug,
 Ye’re aiblins nae temptation.


Then gently scan your brother man,
 Still gentler sister woman;
Tho’ they may gang a kennin wrang,
 To step aside is human:
One point must still be greatly dark,—
 The moving Why they do it;
And just as lamely can ye mark,
 How far perhaps they rue it.


Who made the heart,...Read more of this...



by Milton, John
...ewhat raised 
By false presumptuous hope, the ranged Powers 
Disband; and, wandering, each his several way 
Pursues, as inclination or sad choice 
Leads him perplexed, where he may likeliest find 
Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain 
The irksome hours, till his great Chief return. 
Part on the plain, or in the air sublime, 
Upon the wing or in swift race contend, 
As at th' Olympian games or Pythian fields; 
Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal 
With r...Read more of this...

by Milton, John
...n 
By this new-felt attraction and instinct. 
Whom thus the meager Shadow answered soon. 
Go, whither Fate, and inclination strong, 
Leads thee; I shall not lag behind, nor err 
The way, thou leading; such a scent I draw 
Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste 
The savour of death from all things there that live: 
Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest 
Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid. 
So saying, with delight he snuffed the smell 
Of mortal change on ea...Read more of this...

by Whitman, Walt
...ier sphere—a wide, untried domain awaits, demands you. 

3
Responsive to our summons, 
Or rather to her long-nurs’d inclination,
Join’d with an irresistible, natural gravitation, 

She comes! this famous Female—as was indeed to be expected; 
(For who, so-ever youthful, ’cute and handsome, would wish to stay in mansions such as
 those,

When offer’d quarters with all the modern improvements, 
With all the fun that ’s going—and all the best society?)

She comes! I hear the ...Read more of this...

by Graves, Robert
...ith none but spirits-
Leaving true-wedded hearts like ours
In enforced night-long separation,
Each to its random bodily inclination,
The thread of miracle snapped?...Read more of this...

by Byron, George (Lord)
...save their kings, — 

XLI 

'And these but as a kind of quit-rent, to 
Assert my right as lord: and even had 
I such an inclination, 'twere (as you 
Well know) superfluous; they are grown so bad, 
That hell has nothing better left to do 
Than leave them to themselves: so much more mad 
And evil by their own internal curse, 
Heaven cannot make them better, nor I worse. 

XLII 

'Look to the earth, I said, and say again: 
When this old, blind, mad, helpless, weak, poor worm...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...s.] 25
Mine ascendant was Taure,* and Mars therein: *Taurus
Alas, alas, that ever love was sin!
I follow'd aye mine inclination
By virtue of my constellation:
That made me that I coulde not withdraw
My chamber of Venus from a good fellaw.
[Yet have I Marte's mark upon my face,
And also in another privy place.
For God so wisly* be my salvation, *certainly
I loved never by discretion,
But ever follow'd mine own appetite,
All* were he short, or long, or black, or whi...Read more of this...

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