Famous Pay Off Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Cabbage Patch

...Folk ask if I'm alive,
 Most think I'm not;
Yet gaily I contrive
 To till my plot.
The world its way can go,
 I little heed,
So long as I can grow
 The grub I need.

For though long overdue,
 The years to me,
Have taught a lesson true,
 --Humility.
Such better men than I
 I've seen pass on;
Their pay-off when they die;
 --Oblivion.

And so I mock at fame,
...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William


Beak-Bashing Boy

...But yesterday I banked on fistic fame,
Figgerin' I'd be a champion of the Ring.
Today I've half a mind to quit the Game,
For all them rosy dreams have taken wing,
Since last night a secondary bout
I let a goddam ****** knock me out.

It must have been that T-bone steak I ate;
They might have doped it, them smart gambling guys,
For round my heart I felt a h...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

Immortality

...Full well I trow that when I die
 Down drops the curtain;
Another show is all my eye
 And Betty Martin.
I know the score, and with a smile
 Of rueful rating,
I reckon I am not worth while
 Perpetuating.

I hope that God,--if God there be
 Of love and glory,
Will let me off Eternity,
 And end my story.
Will count me just a worn-out bit
 Of human matter,
Who...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

In re a Gentleman One

...One". 

For soon he runs short of the dollars, 
He fears he must go to the wall; 
So Peters' trust-money he collars 
To pay off his creditor, Paul; 
Then robs right and left -- for he goes it 
In earnest when once he's begun. 
Descensus Averni -- he knows it; 
It's easy for "Gentleman, One". 

The crash comes as soon as the seasons, 
He loses his coin in a mine, 
Or booming in land, or for reasons 
Connected with women and wine. 
Or maybe the cards or the horses 
A share of t...Read more of this...
by Paterson, Andrew Barton

The Rum Parade

...toria; 
And we hope they'll understand that the moment that we land 
We are ready for a march upon Pretoria. 
And we'll pay off all the scores on old Kruger and his Boers, 
And just to prove our manners aren't a failure, 
And to show we are not mean, shure we'll give them the quinine, 
And drink the rum in honour of Australia....Read more of this...
by Paterson, Andrew Barton


The Sum-Up

...It is not power and fame
 That make success;
It is not rank or name
 Rate happiness.
It is not honour due
 Nor pile of pelf:
The pay-off is: Did you
 Enjoy yourself?

A pal of days gone by
 I reckon more
Of a success than I
 Who've gold in store
His life, though none too long,
 Was never dull:
Of woman, wine and song
 Bill had his full.

Friend, you are a ...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

The Yarn of the Loch Achray

...The Loch Achray was a clipper tall
With seven-and-twenty hands in all.
Twenty to hand and reef and haul,
A skipper to sail and mates to bawl
'Tally on to the tackle-fall,
Heave now 'n' start her, heave 'n' pawl!'
Hear the yarn of a sailor,
An old yarn learned at sea.

Her crew were shipped and they said 'Farewell,
So-long, my Tottie, my lovely gell;
We sai...Read more of this...
by Masefield, John

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