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Famous Outdone Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...URANIA who inspires 
A thousand Joys a thousand ways, 
She, who cou'd with a Glance convey 
Favours, that had my Hopes outdone, 
Has lent me Money on that Day, 
Which our Acquaintance first begun. 

Nor with the Happiness I taste, 
Let any jealous Doubts contend: 
Her Friendship is secure to last, 
Beginning where all others end. 

And thou, known Cheat! upheld by Law, 
Thou Disappointer of the craving Mind, 
BASSETTE, who thy Original dost draw 
From Venice (by uncertain Se...Read more of this...
by Finch, Anne Kingsmill



...Very often for lesser deeds I have made reward,
hoard-worthy things, of humbler warriors
weaker in conflict. You have outdone them all yourself
with your deeds, so that your glory will live on
always and evermore. May the All-Wielding God
requite you with every good, as he has done thus far!” (ll. 942b-56)

Beowulf replied to him, the son of Ecgtheow:
“By many graces, we have performed a courageous work
by fighting, recklessly risking the unknowable strength.
I woul...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,
...what law should we leave?”





30



And when she bellowed back, “Our Pete’ll do you

When ‘e’s ‘ome!” Jim, not to be outdone, laughed

And yelled, “‘E’s eighteen stone and couldn’t

Bash a bean, the gozzle-bag.”





31



When Margaret Gardiner came I left Jim and

He went with the older lads while I sat on

Margaret’s mam’s wall and made up stories.

Marlene joined up when we played ‘Doctors,

And Nurses’ and I was always the doctor and

Margaret the nurse and Marlene th...Read more of this...
by Tebb, Barry
...Babel, and the works of Memphian kings, 
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame 
And strength, and art, are easily outdone 
By Spirits reprobate, and in an hour 
What in an age they, with incessant toil 
And hands innumerable, scarce perform. 
Nigh on the plain, in many cells prepared, 
That underneath had veins of liquid fire 
Sluiced from the lake, a second multitude 
With wondrous art founded the massy ore, 
Severing each kind, and scummed the bullion-dross. 
A third ...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...beral art shall give
Such piles of curls as nature never knew.
Eve, with her veil of tresses, at the sight
Had blushed, outdone, and owned herself a fright.

Soft voices and light laughter wake the street,
Like notes of woodbirds, and where'er the eye
Threads the long way, plumes wave, and twinkling feet
Fall light, as hastes that crowd of beauty by.
The ostrich, hurrying o'er the desert space,
Scarce bore those tossing plumes with fleeter pace.

No swimming Juno gait, of lan...Read more of this...
by Bryant, William Cullen



...Nicou's friendship, happiness, and joy: 
They sought in vain, 'till Vicat, Vichon's son, 
Never in feats of wickedness outdone, 
Saw Nica, sister to the Mountain king, 
Drest beautiful, with all the flow'rs of spring; 
He saw, and scatter'd poison in her eyes; 
From limb to limb in varied forms he flies; 
Dwelt on her crimson lip, and added grace 
To every glossy feature of her face. 
Rorest was fir'd with passion at the sight. 
Friendship and honor, sunk to Vicat's right; 
...Read more of this...
by Chatterton, Thomas
...
I sat, and gazing on her domes and towers
Call'd up her famous children one by one:
And three who all the rest had far outdone,
Mild Giotto first, who stole the morning hours,
I saw, and god-like Buonarroti's powers,
And Dante, gravest poet, her much-wrong'd son. 

Is all this glory, I said, another's praise?
Are these heroic triumphs things of old,
And do I dead upon the living gaze?
Or rather doth the mind, that can behold
The wondrous beauty of the works and days,
Create ...Read more of this...
by Bridges, Robert Seymour
...much more serene since you came hither.
You influence the heavens; but should the sun
Withdraw himself to see his rays outdone
By your bright eyes, they would supply the morn,
And make a day before the day be born."
With mouth screwed up, conceited winking eyes,
And breasts thrust forward, "Lord, sir!" she replies.
"It is your goodness, and not my deserts,
Which makes you show this learning, wit, and parts."
He, puzzled, butes his nail, both to display
The sparkling ring, an...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John
...t fix
More sense than I can do in six;
It gives me such a jealous fit,
I cry "Pox take him and his wit!"
I grieve to be outdone by Gay
In my own hum'rous biting way.
Arbuthnot is no more my friend,
Who dares to irony pretend,
Which I was born to introduce,
Refined it first, and shewed its use.
St. John, as well as Pultney, knows
That I had some repute for prose;
And till they drove me out of date
Could maul a minister of state.
If they have mortified my pride,
And made me thr...Read more of this...
by Swift, Jonathan

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry