Famous Perplexing Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Corn

...new and old
Into a one of higher mould;
So thou dost reconcile the hot and cold,
The dark and bright,
And many a heart-perplexing opposite,
And so,
Akin by blood to high and low,
Fitly thou playest out thy poet's part,
Richly expending thy much-bruised heart
In equal care to nourish lord in hall
Or beast in stall:
Thou took'st from all that thou mightst give to all.

O steadfast dweller on the selfsame spot
Where thou wast born, that still repinest not --
Type of the home-fo...Read more of this...
by Lanier, Sidney


Endymion: Book I

...y, thou hast seen
Her naked limbs among the alders green;
And that, alas! is death. No, I can trace
Something more high perplexing in thy face!"

 Endymion look'd at her, and press'd her hand,
And said, "Art thou so pale, who wast so bland
And merry in our meadows? How is this?
Tell me thine ailment: tell me all amiss!--
Ah! thou hast been unhappy at the change
Wrought suddenly in me. What indeed more strange?
Or more complete to overwhelm surmise?
Ambition is no sluggard: 't...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Endymion: Book IV

...ke his very dream: the gods
Stood smiling; merry Hebe laughs and nods;
And Phoebe bends towards him crescented.
O state perplexing! On the pinion bed,
Too well awake, he feels the panting side
Of his delicious lady. He who died
For soaring too audacious in the sun,
Where that same treacherous wax began to run,
Felt not more tongue-tied than Endymion.
His heart leapt up as to its rightful throne,
To that fair shadow'd passion puls'd its way--
Ah, what perplexity! Ah, well a da...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Lincoln

...es, 
Over the million intricate threads of life wavering and crossing, 
In the midst of problems we know not, tangling, perplexing, ensnaring, 
Rises one white tomb alone. 

Beam over it, stars, 
Wrap it round, stripes -- stripes red for the pain that he bore for you -- 
Enfold it forever, O flag, rent, soiled, but repaired through your anguish; 
Long as you keep him there safe, the nations shall bow to your law. 

Strew over him flowers: 
Blue forget-me-nots from the north, ...Read more of this...
by Fletcher, John Gould

Paradise Lost: Book 08

...me, pure 
Intelligence of Heaven, Angel serene! 
And, freed from intricacies, taught to live 
The easiest way; nor with perplexing thoughts 
To interrupt the sweet of life, from which 
God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, 
And not molest us; unless we ourselves 
Seek them with wandering thoughts, and notions vain. 
But apt the mind or fancy is to rove 
Unchecked, and of her roving is no end; 
Till warned, or by experience taught, she learn, 
That, not to know at larg...Read more of this...
by Milton, John


Prayer of Columbus

...esent; 
Dim, ever-shifting guesses of it spread before me,
Of newer, better worlds, their mighty parturition, 
Mocking, perplexing me. 

And these things I see suddenly—what mean they? 
As if some miracle, some hand divine unseal’d my eyes, 
Shadowy, vast shapes, smile through the air and sky,
And on the distant waves sail countless ships, 
And anthems in new tongues I hear saluting me....Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

Sonnet VII

....Far hence is every light celestial gone,That guides mankind through life's perplexing maze;And those, whom Helicon's sweet waters please,From mocking crowds receive contempt alone.Who now would laurel, myrtle-wreaths obtain?Let want, let shame, Philosophy attend!Cries the base world, intent on sordid gain.Read more of this...
by Petrarch, Francesco

The Discontent

...Things undertake;
 But Fatal Voyages, alas, they make:
 For 'tis not long before their Feet,
 Inextricable Mazes meet,
 Perplexing Doubts obstruct their Way,
 Mountains with-stand them of Dismay;
 Or to the Brink of black Dispaire them lead,
 Where's nought their Ruine to impede, 

 In vain for Aide they then to Reason call,
 Their Senses dazle, and their Heads turn round,
 The sight does all their Pow'rs confound,
And headlong down the horrid Precipice they fall:
 Where stor...Read more of this...
by Killigrew, Anne

The Spleen

...bus'd Mankind,
Who never yet thy real Cause cou'd find,
Or fix thee to remain in one continued Shape.
Still varying thy perplexing Form,
Now a Dead Sea thou'lt represent,
A Calm of stupid Discontent,
Then, dashing on the Rocks wilt rage into a Storm. 
Trembling sometimes thou dost appear,
Dissolv'd into a Panick Fear;
On Sleep intruding dost thy Shadows spread,
Thy gloomy Terrours round the silent Bed,
And croud with boading Dreams the Melancholy Head:
Or, when the Midnight H...Read more of this...
by Finch, Anne Kingsmill

The Two Old Bachelors

...leads forth; - 
"And there among the rugged rocks abides an ancient Sage, - 
"An earnest Man, who reads all day a most perplexing page. 
"Climb up, and seize him by the toes!-all studious as he sits, - 
"And pull him down, - and chop him into endless little bits! 
"Then mix him with your Onion, (cut up likewise into Scraps,) - 
"When your Stuffin' will be ready-and very good: perhaps."

Those two old Bachelors without loss of time 
The nearly purpledicular crags at once bega...Read more of this...
by Lear, Edward

There was an old person of Jodd

...
There was an old person of Jodd,Whose ways were perplexing and odd;She purchased a whistle, and sate on a thistle,And squeaked to the people of Jodd. ...Read more of this...
by Lear, Edward

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