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Famous Motherless Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Williams, William Carlos (WCW)
...er daughter, lost her "baby," 
seized the two boys of 
the oldest son by the second marriage 
mothered them—they being 
motherless—fought for them 
against the other grandmother 
and the aunts, brought them here 
summer after summer, defended 
herself here against thieves, 
storms, sun, fire, 
against flies, against girls
that came smelling about, against
drought, against weeds, storm-tides, 
neighbors, weasels that stole her chickens, 
against the weakness of her own hands, ...Read more of this...



by Swinburne, Algernon Charles
...ouled earth?
Did her heart rejoice, and the might of her spirit exult in her then,
Child yet no child of the night, and motherless mother of men?
Was it Love brake forth flower-fashion, a bird with gold on his wings,
Lovely, her firstborn passion, and impulse of firstborn things?
Was Love that nestling indeed that under the plumes of the night
Was hatched and hidden as seed in the furrow, and brought forth bright?
Was it Love lay shut in the shell world-shaped, having over hi...Read more of this...

by Levine, Philip
...ess, 
almost as large as your hunger 
to see and be seen over and over. 

30 years ago I heard a woman sing 
of the motherless child sometimes 
she felt like. In a white dress 
this black woman with a gardenia 
in her hair leaned on the piano 
and stared out into the breathing darkness 
of unknown men and women needing 
her songs. There were those among 
us who cried, those who rejoiced 
that she was back before us for a time, 
a time not to be much longer, for 
t...Read more of this...

by McGonagall, William Topaz
..., "Dear little wren, come again to-morrow;
Now be sure and come, your singing will chase away my sorrow." 

She was motherless, but she had a drunken father,
Who in his savage moods drank all he could gather,
And would often cruelly beat her until she would cry,
"Dear father, if you beat me I will surely die." 

She spent the days in getting ready her father's food,
Which was truly for her drunken father's good;
But one night he came home, reeling drunk,
And the poor ...Read more of this...

by Miller, Alice Duer
...human pride
In all creation— save in this common one.

XXXI 
Maternity is common, but not so 
It seemed to me. Motherless, I did not know— 
I was all unprepared to feel this glow, 
Holy as a Madonna's, and as crude 
As any animal's beatitude— 
Crude as my own black cat's, who used to bring 
Her newest litter to me every spring, 
And say, with green eyes shining in the sun: 
'Behold this miracle that I have done.' 
And John came home on leave, and all was joy 
And...Read more of this...



by Lawrence, D. H.
...d mama are old acquaintances, of course,
Though family feeling there is none, not even the beginnings.

Fatherless, motherless, brotherless, sisterless
Little tortoise.

Row on then, small pebble,
Over the clods of the autumn, wind-chilled sunshine,
Young gaiety.

Does he look for a companion?

No, no, don't think it.
He doesn't know he is alone;
Isolation is his birthright,
This atom.

To row forward, and reach himself tall on spiny toes,
To travel, to bu...Read more of this...

by Barnes, William
...ay an' my childern
She died at Woak Hill.

But still I do think that, in soul,
She do hover about us;
To ho vor her motherless childern,
Her pride at Woak Hill.

Zoo—lest she should tell me hereafter
I stole off 'ithout her,
An' left her, uncalled at house-ridden,
To bide at Woak Hill— 

I called her so fondly, wi' lippens
All soundless to others,
An' took her wi' air-reachen hand
To my zide at Woak Hill.

On the road I did look round, a-talken
To light at my shou...Read more of this...

by Bachmann, Ingeborg
...ay an' my childern
She died at Woak Hill.

But still I do think that, in soul,
She do hover about us;
To ho vor her motherless childern,
Her pride at Woak Hill.

Zoo—lest she should tell me hereafter
I stole off 'ithout her,
An' left her, uncalled at house-ridden,
To bide at Woak Hill— 

I called her so fondly, wi' lippens
All soundless to others,
An' took her wi' air-reachen hand
To my zide at Woak Hill.

On the road I did look round, a-talken
To light at my shou...Read more of this...

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