Famous Pilate Poems by Famous Poets

• Best Pilate Poems by Famous Poets
• Pilate Poems by Members
• Best Pilate Poems by Members
• Pilate Quotes

...come in my mind.
Then Jonathan Swift Somers challenged me to debate
The subject, (I taking the negative):
"Pontius Pilate, the Greatest Philosopher of the World."
And he won the debate by saying at last,
"Before you reform the world, Mr. Tutt
Please answer the question of Pontius Pilate:
'What is Truth?'"...Read more of this...

...One crown that no one seeks
And yet the highest head
Its isolation coveted
Its stigma deified

While Pontius Pilate lives
In whatsoever hell
That coronation pierces him
He recollects it well....Read more of this...

...t all­I know the dusky sign­
A cross on Calvary, which Jews uprear 

While Romans watch; and when the dawn shall shine 
Pilate, to judge the victim will appear, 
Pass sentence­yield him up to crucify; 
And on that cross the spotless Christ must die. 

Dreams, then, are true­for thus my vision ran; 
Surely some oracle has been with me,
The gods have chosen me to reveal their plan, 
To warn an unjust judge of destiny: 
I, slumbering, heard and saw; awake I know, 
Christ's c...Read more of this...

...Composed, by Special Request, 18th June 1890


Then Pilate, the Roman Governor, took Jesus and scourged Him,
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and thought it no sin
To put it on His head, while meekly Jesus stands;
They put on Him a purple robe, and smote Him with their hands. 

Then Pilate went forth again, and said unto them,
Behold, I bring Him forth to you, but I cannot Him condemn,
And I wo...Read more of this...

...You hearts of snakes, and brains of pigeons, 
You dead devout of dead religions, 
You offspring of the hen and ass, 
By Pilate ruled, and Caiaphas. 
Now your account is totted. Learn 
Hell's flames are loose and you shall burn." 

At that I leaped and screamed and ran, 
I heard their cries go, "Catch him, man." 
"Who was it?" "Down him." "Out him, Em." 
"Duck him at pump, we'll see who'll burn." 
A policeman clutched, a fireman clutched, 
A dozen o...Read more of this...

...ken in adultery? steal the labor of others 
to support him? bear false witness when he omitted making a defence 
before Pilate? covet when he pray'd for his disciples, and when he 
bid them shake off the dust of their feet against such as refused to
lodge them? I tell you, no virtue can exis without breaking these 
ten commandments: Jesus was all virtue and acted from im[PL 24]pulse: 
not from rules.
When he had so spoken: I beheld the Angel who stretched out
his arms emb...Read more of this...

...with difficulty
He would avalen* neither hood nor hat, *uncover
Nor abide* no man for his courtesy, *give way to
But in Pilate's voice he gan to cry,
And swore by armes, and by blood, and bones,
"I can a noble tale for the nones* *occasion,
With which I will now quite* the Knighte's tale." *match
Our Host saw well how drunk he was of ale,
And said; "Robin, abide, my leve* brother, *dear
Some better man shall tell us first another:
Abide, and let us worke thriftily....Read more of this...

...e 
(As done in oils by Piombo's care) 
Did not return from Sheol's lair: 
That Jael set a fiendish snare, 
That Pontius Pilate acted square, 
That never a sword cut Malchus' ear 
And (but for shame I must forbear) 
That -- -- did not reappear! . . . 
- Since thus they hint, nor turn a hair, 
All churchgoing will I forswear, 
And sit on Sundays in my chair, 
And read that moderate man Voltaire....Read more of this...

...
Thus Adam my first breathing rendereth: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

They bind, and lead me unto Herod: he
Sends me to Pilate. This makes them agree; 
But yet their friendship is my enmity: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

Herod and all his bands do set me light, 
Who teach all hands to war, fingers to fight, 
And only am the Lord of hosts and might: 
Was ever grief like mine? 

Herod in judgement sits while I do stand; 
Examines me with a censorious hand: 
I him obey, who a...Read more of this...

...len me. 

Down in Jerusalem they slew a man, 
Or god­it may be that he was a god­
Those mad, wild Jews whom Pontius Pilate rules. 
Thou knowest Pilate, Claudia­ -- a vain man,
Too weak to govern such a howling horde
As those same Jews. This man they crucified.
I knew nought of him­had not heard his name
Until the day they dragged him to his death;
Then all tongues wagged about him and his deeds;
Some said that he had claimed to be their King,
Some that he had ...Read more of this...

...od --
Later, his faint Confederates
Justify the Road --

Flavors of that old Crucifixion --
Filaments of Bloom, Pontius Pilate sowed --
Strong Clusters, from Barabbas' Tomb --

Sacrament, Saints partook before us --
Patent, every drop,
With the Brand of the Gentile Drinker
Who indorsed the Cup --...Read more of this...

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Pilate poems.