Famous Pawned Poems by Famous Poets

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

See also:

The Peace Of Dives

by Rudyard Kipling
 The Word came down to Dives in Torment where he lay:
"Our World is full of wickedness, My Children maim and slay,
 "And the Saint and Seer and Prophet
 "Can make no better of it
"Than to sanctify and prophesy and pray.

"Rise up, rise up, thou Dives, and take again thy gold,
"And thy women and thy housen as they were to...Read more of this...

A Brown Girl Dead

by Countee Cullen
 With two white roses on her breasts, 
White candles at head and feet, 
Dark Madonna of the grave she rests; 
Lord Death has found her sweet.

Her mother pawned her wedding ring
To lay her out in white; 
She'd be so proud she'd dance and sing
to see herself tonight....Read more of this...

The Rhyme of the OSullivan

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 Pro Bono Publico 
Went out the streets to scan, 
And marching to and fro 
He met a seedy man, 
Who did a tale unfold 
In solemn tones and slow 
And this is what he told 
Pro Bono Publico. 

"For many years I led 
The people's onward march; 
I was the 'Fountain Head', 
The 'Democratic Arch'. 

"In more than regal...Read more of this...

Demon

by Anne Sexton
 A young man is afraid of his demon and puts his hand
over the demon's mouth sometimes...-- D. H. Lawrence

I mentioned my demon to a friend
and the friend swam in oil and came forth to me
greasy and cryptic
and said,
"I'm thinking of taking him out of hock.
I pawned him years ago."

Who would buy?
The pawned demon,
Yellowing with forgetfulness
and hand at his throat?
Take...Read more of this...

Sudden Movements

by Bob Hicok
 My father's head has become a mystery to him.
We finally have something in common.
When he moves his head his eyes 
get big as roses filled 
with the commotion of spring. 
Not long ago he was a man 
who had tomato soup for lunch 
and dusted with the earnestness 
of a gun fight. Now he's a man 
who sits at...Read more of this...

The Wedding Ring

by Robert William Service
 I pawned my sick wife's wedding ring,
To drink and make myself a beast.
I got the most that it would bring,
Of golden coins the very least.
With stealth into her room I crept
And stole it from her as she slept.

I do not think that she will know,
As in its place I left a band
Of brass that has a brighter glow
And gleamed...Read more of this...

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Pawned poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace