Famous Jade Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Letter From Li Po

...e the song of Lady Flying Swallow:
which Hsuang Sung, the emperor, forthwith played,
moving quick fingers on a flute of jade.
Who will forget that afternoon? Still, still,
the singer holds his phrase, the rising moon
remains unrisen. Even the fountain's falling blade
hangs in the air unbroken, and says: Wait!

VIII

Text into text, text out of text. Pretext
for scholars or for scholiasts. The living word
springs from the dying, as leaves in spring
spring from dead leaves, our...Read more of this...
by Aiken, Conrad


A Ramble in St. Jamess Park

...e I raised.
Such natural freedoms are but just:
There's something generous in mere lust.
But to turn a damned abandoned jade
When neither head nor tail persuade;
To be a whore in understanding,
A passive pot for fools to spend in!
The devil played booty, sure, with thee
To bring a blot on infamy.

But why am I, of all mankind,
To so severe a fate designed?
Ungrateful! Why this treachery
To humble fond, believing me,
Who gave you privilege above
The nice allowances of love?
Di...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John

Cows

...one taillight flash and flare

then flicker-fade
to an afterimage of tourmaline
set in a dark part-jet, part-jasper or -jade?

That smoker's cough again: it triggers off from drumlin
to drumlin an emphysemantiphon
of cows. They hoist themselves onto their trampoline

and steady themselves and straight away divine
water in some far-flung spot
to which they then gravely incline. This is no Devon

cow-coterie, by the way, whey-faced, with Spode
hooves and horns: nor are they the...Read more of this...
by Muldoon, Paul

Eviradnus

...." 
 "What shall you do with her?" asked Joss. 
 
 "I know. 
 Make her a corpse," said Zeno; "marked you how 
 The jade insulted me just now! Too small 
 She called me—such the words her lips let fall. 
 I say, that moment ere the dice I threw 
 Had yawning Hell cried out, 'My son, for you 
 The chance is open still: take in a heap 
 The fair Lusace's seven towns, and reap 
 The corn, and wine, and oil of counties ten, 
 With all their people diligent, and then 
...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor

Good Old Moon

...When I was a boy I called the moon a
white plate of jade, sometimes it looked
like a great mirror hanging in the sky,
first came the two legs of the fairy
and the cassia tree, but for whom the rabbit
kept on pounding medical herbs, I
just could not guess. Now the moon is being
swallowed by the toad and the light
flickers out leaving darkness all around;
I hear that when nine of the burning suns out
of the ten...Read more of this...
by Po, Li


Last Instructions to a Painter

...ial justice her behavior binds, 
But the just street does the next house invade, 
Mounting the neighbour couple on lean jade, 
The distaff knocks, the grains from kettle fly, 
And boys and girls in troops run hooting by: 
Prudent antiquity, that knew by shame, 
Better than law, domestic crimes to tame, 
And taught youth by spect?cle innocent! 
So thou and I, dear Painter, represent 
In quick effigy, others' faults, and feign 
By making them ridiculous, to restrain. 
With home...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Moon over Mountain Pass

...an Mountain,
Lost in a vast ocean of clouds.
The long wind, across thousands upon thousands of miles,
Blows past the Jade-gate Pass.
The army of Han has gone down the Baiteng Road,
As the barbarian hordes probe at Qinghai Bay.
It is known that from the battlefield
Few ever live to return.
Men at Garrison look on the border scene,
Home thoughts deepen sorrow on their faces.
In the towered chambers tonight,
Ceaseless are the women's sighs.
...Read more of this...
by Bai, Li

Song Of The Jade Cup

...A jade cup was broken because old age came
too soon to give fulfilment to hopes; after drinking
three cups of wine I wiped my sword and
started to dance under an autumn moon first
singing in a high voice then unable to halt
tears coming; I remember the day when first
I was summoned to court and I was feasted splendidly
writing poems in praise of the Emperor, m...Read more of this...
by Po, Li

Symphony In Yellow

...leaves begin to fade
And flutter from the Temple elms,
And at my feet the pale green Thames
Lies like a rod of rippled jade....Read more of this...
by Wilde, Oscar

Tam OShanter

...
But here my Muse her wing maun cour,
Sic flights are far beyond her power;
To sing how Nannie lap and flang,
(A souple jade she was and strang),
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitched,
And thought his very een enriched;
Even Satan glowered, and fidged fu' fain,
And hotched and blew wi' might and main:
Till first ae caper, syne anither,
Tam tint his reason a' thegither,
And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant all was dark:
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

The Chinese Nightingale

...world was the field of the Chinese man
And we were the pride of the Sons of Han?
We copied deep books and we carved in jade,
And wove blue silks in the mulberry shade...."

"I remember, I remember
That Spring came on forever,
That Spring came on forever,"
Said the Chinese nightingale.

My heart was filled with marvel and dream,
Though I saw the western street-lamps gleam,
Though dawn was bringing the western day,
Though Chang was a laundryman ironing away....
Mingled there w...Read more of this...
by Lindsay, Vachel

The Everlasting Mercy

.... 
Our Fates are strange, and no one now his; 
Our lovely Saviour Christ disposes.

Jane wasn't where we'd planned, the jade. 
She'd thought me drunk and hadn't stayed. 
So I went up the Walk to look for her 
And lingered by the little brook for her, 
And dowsed my face, and drank at spring, 
And watched two wild ducks on the wing, 
The moon come pale, the wind come cool, 
A big pike leapt in Lower Pool, 
The Peacock screamed, the clouds were straking, 
My cut cheek felt the ...Read more of this...
by Masefield, John

The Growth of Love

...omes not to an end: her city-hives
Swarm with the tokens of a changeless trade,
With rolling wheel, driver and flagging jade,
Rich men and beggars, children, priests and wives.
New homes on old are set, as lives on lives;
Invention with invention overlaid:
But still or tool or toy or book or blade
Shaped for the hand, that holds and toils and strives. 
The men to-day toil as their fathers taught,
With little better'd means; for works depend
On works and overlap, and thought o...Read more of this...
by Bridges, Robert Seymour

The House Of Dust: Complete (Long)

...secret
Might give so warm a grace . . .

Was it the quiet mouth, restrained a little?
The eyes, half-turned aside?
The jade ring on her wrist, still almost swinging? . . .
The secret was denied,

He chose his favorite pen and drew these verses,
And slept; and as he slept
A dream came into his heart, his lover entered,
And chided him, and wept.

And in the morning, waking, he remembered,
And thought the dream was strange.
Why did his darkened lover rise from the garden?
He tu...Read more of this...
by Aiken, Conrad

The Mistletoe (A Christmas Tale)

...her stars, 'twas over! 
Next, KATE, with a reluctant pace,
Was tempted to the mystic place;
Then SUE, a merry laughing jade
A dimpled yielding blush betray'd;
While JOAN her chastity to shew
Wish'd "the bold knaves would serve her so,"
She'd "teach the rogues such wanton play!"
And well she could, she knew the way.

The FARMER, mute with jealous care,
Sat sullen, in his wicker chair;
Hating the noisy gamesome host
Yet, fearful to resign his post;
He envied all their sportive...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Mary Darby

The Sale of Saint Thomas

...lched out of the earth's old pockets 
And hoisted up into walls and domes; the gold, 
Ebony, agate stairs, wainscots of jade, 
The windows of jargoon, and heavenly lofts 
Of marble, all the stuff he takes to be wealth, 
Reckons like savage mud and wattle against 
The matter of my building.' -- And the king, 
Gloating upon the white sheen of that palace, 
And weeping like a girl ashamed, inquired 
'What is that stone?' And the voice answered him, 
'Soul.' 'But in my palaces to...Read more of this...
by Abercrombie, Lascelles

The Sun Weilds Mercy

...kets leap,
the rockets leap like hares,
clearing clump and dog
replacing out-dated bullets;
the Chineses still carve
in jade,quietly stuffing rice
into their hunger, a hunger
a thousand years old,
their muddy rivers moving with fire
and song, barges, houseboats
pushed by drifting poles
of waiting without wanting;
in Turkey they face the East
on their carpets
praying to a purple god
who smokes and laughs
and sticks fingers in their eyes
blinding them, as gods will do;
but the ...Read more of this...
by Bukowski, Charles

The Wizard Way

...e four ingredients 
Of the evil elements; 
Ambergris from golden spar, 
Musk of ox from Mongol jar,
Civet from a box of jade, 
Mixed with fat of many a maid 
Slain by the inchauntments cold 
Of the witches wild and old. 

He had crucified a toad 
In the basilisk abode, 
Muttering the Runes averse 
Mad with many a mocking curse. 

He had traced the serpent sigil 
In his ghastly virgin vigil. 
Sursum cor! the elfin hill, 
Where the wind blows deadly chill 
From the world that w...Read more of this...
by Crowley, Aleister

Verses on the Death of Doctor Swift

...try he's past his prime:
He takes an hour to find a rhyme;
His fire is out, his wit decayed,
His fancy sunk, his Muse a jade.
I'd have him throw away his pen; - 
But there's no talking to some men!"

And then their tenderness appears,
By adding largely to my years:
"He's older than he would be reckoned,
And well remembers Charles the Second.
He hardly drinks a pint of wine;
And that, I doubt, is no good sign.
His stomach too begins to fail;
Last year we thought him strong and...Read more of this...
by Swift, Jonathan

What Were They Like?

...ey hold ceremonies
to reverence the opening of buds?
Were they inclined to quiet laughter?
Did they use bone and ivory,
jade and silver, for ornament?
Had they an epic poem?
Did they distinguish between speech and singing?

Sir, their light hearts turned to stone.
It is not remembered whether in gardens
stone gardens illumined pleasant ways.
Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom,
but after their children were killed
there were no more buds.
Sir, laughter is bitter ...Read more of this...
by Levertov, Denise

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