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Famous Propriety Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...will give you at large 
A Lesson in Natural History." 

In his genial way he proceeded to say 
(Forgetting all laws of propriety, 
And that giving instruction, without introduction, 
Would have caused quite a thrill in Society), 

"As to temper the Jubjub's a desperate bird, 
Since it lives in perpetual passion: 
Its taste in costume is entirely absurd-- 
It is ages ahead of the fashion: 

"But it knows any friend it has met once before: 
It never will look at a bride: 
And ...Read more of this...
by Carroll, Lewis



...h upon the waters, and wadeth thro the land in snow. 

Let Mishael bless with the Stoat -- the praise of the Lord gives propriety to all things. 

Let Savaran bless with the Elephant, who gave his life for his country that he might put on immortality. 

Let Nehemiah, the imitator of God, bless with the Monkey, who is work'd down from Man. 

Let Manasses bless with the Wild-Ass -- liberty begetteth insolence, but necessity is the mother of prayer. 

Let Jebus bless with the Ca...Read more of this...
by Smart, Christopher
...stain 
But our Destroyer, foe to God and Man? 
Hail, wedded Love, mysterious law, true source 
Of human offspring, sole propriety 
In Paradise of all things common else! 
By thee adulterous Lust was driven from men 
Among the bestial herds to range; by thee 
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, 
Relations dear, and all the charities 
Of father, son, and brother, first were known. 
Far be it, that I should write thee sin or blame, 
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,...Read more of this...
by Milton, John
...Oh, I should like to ride the seas,
A roaring buccaneer;
A cutlass banging at my knees,
A dirk behind my ear.
And when my captives' chains would clank
I'd howl with glee and drink,
And then fling out the quivering plank
And watch the beggars sink.

I'd like to straddle gory decks,
And dig in laden sands,
And know the feel of throbbing necks
Between my knot...Read more of this...
by Parker, Dorothy
...Attend my words, my gentle knave, 
And you shall learn from me 
How boys at dinner may behave 
With due propriety. 

Guard well your hands: two things have been 
Unfitly used by some; 
The trencher for a tambourine, 
The table for a drum. 

We could not lead a pleasant life, 
And 'twould be finished soon, 
If peas were eaten with the knife, 
And gravy with the spoon. 

Eat slowly: only men in rags 
And gluttons old in sin 
Mistake themselves for carpet bags 
A...Read more of this...
by Raleigh, Sir Walter



...ow alluvion fell,
Of shipwrackt Cockle and the Muscle-shell;
This indigested vomit of the Sea
Fell to the Dutch by just Propriety.
Glad then, as Miners that have found the Oar,
They with mad labour fish'd the Land to Shoar;
And div'd as desperately for each piece
Of Earth, as if't had been of Ambergreece;
Collecting anxiously small Loads of Clay,
Less then what building Swallows bear away;
Transfursing into them their Dunghil Soul.
How did they rivet, with Gigantick Piles,
Th...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew
...r to that of mere description: it is spoken in the character of the melancholy Man, and has therefore a dramatic propriety. The Author makes this remark, to rescue himself from the charge of having alluded with levity to a line in Milton: a charge than which none could be more painful to him, except perhaps that of having ridiculed his Bible.]   When he had better far have stretch'd his limbs  Beside a 'brook in mossy forest-dell  B...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William
...I will give you at large
 A Lesson in Natural History."

In his genial way he proceeded to say
 (Forgetting all laws of propriety,
And that giving instruction, without introduction,
 Would have caused quite a thrill in Society),

"As to temper the Jubjub's a desperate bird,
 Since it lives in perpetual passion:
Its taste in costume is entirely absurd--
 It is ages ahead of the fashion:

"But it knows any friend it has met once before:
 It never will look at a bride:
And in ch...Read more of this...
by Carroll, Lewis

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Book: Reflection on the Important Things