Famous Overcoming Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Dream Song 55: Peters not friendly. He gives me sideways looks

...and would have askt for another
but didn't dare.
I feel my application failing. It's growing dark,
some other sound is overcoming. His last words are:
'We betrayed me.'...Read more of this...
by Berryman, John


From: A King Of Kings A King Among The Kings

...ior, it was supreme, for it was accomplished
After the suffering of much evil, the evil of the torment of pride,
By the overcoming of disgust and despair by means of the confrontation of them
By the enduring of nausea, the supporting of exile, the drawing from
 the silence of exile, the pure arias of the
 hidden music of all things, all beings.
For the joy of Joyce was earned by the sweat of the bow of his mind
 by the tears of the agony of his heart;
 hence it was gained, ma...Read more of this...
by Schwartz, Delmore

Hymn 14

..., or sword, or nakedness?
He that hath loved us bears us through,
And makes us more than conquerors too.

Faith hath an overcoming power;
It triumphs in the dying hour:
Christ is our life, our joy, our hope,
Nor can we sink with such a prop.

Not all that men on earth can do,
Nor powers on high, nor powers below,
Shall cause his mercy to remove,
Or wean our hearts from Christ our love....Read more of this...
by Watts, Isaac

Hymn 17

...Victory over death.

1 Cor. 15:55ff 

O for an overcoming faith
To cheer my dying hours;
To triumph o'er the monster Death,
And all his frightful powers!

Joyful with all the strength I have
My quiv'ring lips should sing-
Where is thy boasted vict'ry, Grave?
And where the monster's sting?

If sin be pardoned, I'm secure,
Death hath no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power;
But Christ, my rans...Read more of this...
by Watts, Isaac

Paradise Lost: Book 12

...n his presence; ever to observe 
His providence; and on him sole depend, 
Merciful over all his works, with good 
Still overcoming evil, and by small 
Accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak 
Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise 
By simply meek: that suffering for truth's sake 
Is fortitude to highest victory, 
And, to the faithful, death the gate of life; 
Taught this by his example, whom I now 
Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest. 
To whom thus also the Ange...Read more of this...
by Milton, John


The Poet

...e future is my home:
Often in full flight of longing my soul storms upward,
To gaze on the future of blessed men,
Love, overcoming the law, love from people to people.
I find them all again, nobly transformed:
Farmer, king, tradesman, busy sailors,
Shepherd and gardener, all of them
Gratefully celebrate the festival of the future world.
Only the poet is missing,
The lonely one who looks on,
The bearer of human longing, the pale image
Of whom the future, the fulfillment of the...Read more of this...
by Hesse, Hermann

White Flock

...cisive and wan,
We could see: On the hill, to the forest,
Hobbled a handicapped man.

It was frightening, that he's overcoming
The three horses, sated and glad,
He stood up and then again waddled
Under his heavy load.

We had almost failed to notice him
Before the nomad-tent taking his place.
Just like stars the blue eyes were shining,
Lighting the tormented face.

And I proffered to him the child,
Raising arms with the trace of a chain
He pronounced with joy ...Read more of this...
by Akhmatova, Anna

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