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Famous Lock Up Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Donne, John
...lie in harbours
And not to seek new lands, or not to deal withal?
Or built fair houses, set trees, and arbors,
Only to lock up, or else to let them fall?
Good is not good unless
A thousand it possess,
But dost waste with greediness....Read more of this...



by Kizer, Carolyn
...that learning was a dangerous thing
for her: no end of trouble would it bring.

An educated woman is a danger.
Lock up your mate! Keep a submissive stranger

like Darby's Joan, content with church and Kinder,
not like that sainted Joan, burnt to a cinder.

Whether we wield a scepter or a mop
It's clear you fear that we may get on top.

And if we do -I say it without animus-
It's not from you we learned to be magnaminous....Read more of this...

by Eliot, T S (Thomas Stearns)
...ew something of his fame,
At Hammersmith and Putney people shuddered at his name.
They would fortify the hen-house, lock up the silly goose,
When the rumour ran along the shore: GROWLTIGER'S ON THE LOOSE!

Woe to the weak canary, that fluttered from its cage;
Woe to the pampered Pekinese, that faced Growltiger's rage.
Woe to the bristly Bandicoot, that lurks on foreign ships,
And woe to any Cat with whom Growltiger came to grips!

But most to Cats of foreign race his ...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...tide within
Red with free chase and heather-scented air,
Pulsing full man; can Arthur make me pure
As any maiden child? lock up my tongue
From uttering freely what I freely hear?
Bind me to one? The wide world laughs at it.
And worldling of the world am I, and know
The ptarmigan that whitens ere his hour
Woos his own end; we are not angels here
Nor shall be: vows--I am woodman of the woods,
And hear the garnet-headed yaffingale
Mock them: my soul, we love but while we may...Read more of this...

by Laurence Dunbar, Paul
...omes
To enter his domain?
Turn key and lift bar,
Loose, oh, bolt and chain!
Open the door and let him in,
And then lock up again.
But, oh, heart, and woe, heart,
Why do you ache so sore?
Never a moment's peace have you
[Pg 202]Since Love hath passed the door.
Turn key and lift bar,
And loose bolt and chain;
But Love took in his esquire, Grief,
And there they both remain.
...Read more of this...



by Milosz, Czeslaw
...nd talk to themselves. Sleep on benches in parks,
Or on pavements in alleys. For there aren't enough prisons
To lock up all the poor. I smile and keep quiet. 
They won't get me now. 
To feast with the chosen—that I do well....Read more of this...

by Masefield, John
...Thy place is biggyd above the sterrys cleer, 
Noon erthely paleys wrouhte in so statly wyse, 
Com on my freend, my brothir moost enteer, 
For the I offryd my blood in sacrifise. 
John Lydgate. 


From '41 to '51 
I was folk's contrary son; 
I bit my father's hand right through 
And broke my mother's heart in two. 
I sometimes go without my dinn...Read more of this...

by Tennyson, Alfred Lord
...e within 
Red with free chase and heather-scented air, 
Pulsing full man; can Arthur make me pure 
As any maiden child? lock up my tongue 
From uttering freely what I freely hear? 
Bind me to one? The wide world laughs at it. 
And worldling of the world am I, and know 
The ptarmigan that whitens ere his hour 
Woos his own end; we are not angels here 
Nor shall be: vows--I am woodman of the woods, 
And hear the garnet-headed yaffingale 
Mock them: my soul, we love but whil...Read more of this...

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