Famous Reforming Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Satisfactory Reform

...
Still continue their great mission,
 And still swallow seas of wine.
And they vow they will not falter
 In their great reforming task
Till the last drop has been emptied
 From the very last wine cask....Read more of this...
by Butler, Ellis Parker


A Satyre Against Mankind

...:
That reason which distinguishes by sense,
And gives us rules of good and ill from thence;
That bounds desires. with a reforming will
To keep 'em more in vigour, not to kill. -
Your reason hinders, mine helps to enjoy,
Renewing appetites yours would destroy.
My reason is my friend, yours is a cheat,
Hunger calls out, my reason bids me eat;
Perversely. yours your appetite does mock:
This asks for food, that answers, 'what's o'clock'
This plain distinction, sir, your doubt sec...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John

Ode for the Keats Centenary

...s,
But when the breeze, warned of intrusion,
Draws breathless upward in flight,
The vision reassembles in tranquillity,
Reforming with a gesture of delight,
Reborn with the rebirth of calm.

Spirit of Keats, lend us thy voice,
Breaking like surge in some enchanted cave
On a dream-sea-coast,
To summon Beauty to her desolate world.
For Beauty has taken refuge from our life
That grew too loud and wounding;
Beauty withdraws beyond the bitter strife,
Beauty is gone, (Oh where?)
To...Read more of this...
by Scott, Duncan Campbell

Paradise Lost: Book 09

...ef 
His bursting passion into plaints thus poured. 
More justly, seat worthier of Gods, as built 
With second thoughts, reforming what was old! 
O Earth, how like to Heaven, if not preferred 
For what God, after better, worse would build? 
Terrestrial Heaven, danced round by other Heavens 
That shine, yet bear their bright officious lamps, 
Light above light, for thee alone, as seems, 
In thee concentring all their precious beams 
Of sacred influence! As God in Heaven 
Is cen...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Satyr

...hat Reason that distinguishes by sense, 
And gives us Rules, of good, and ill from thence: 
That bounds desires, with a reforming Will, 
To keep 'em more in vigour, not to kill. 
Your Reason hinders, mine helps t'enjoy, 
Renewing Appetites, yours wou'd destroy. 
My Reason is my Friend, yours is a Cheat, 
Hunger call's out, my Reason bids me eat; 
Perversly yours, your Appetite does mock, 
This asks for Food, that answers what's a Clock? 
This plain distinction Sir your doubt ...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John


To His Noble Friend Mr. Richard Lovelace Upon His Poems

...e unfashioned sons. 
The barb?d censurers begin to look 
Like the grim consistory on thy book; 
And on each line cast a reforming eye, 
Severer than the young presbytery. 
Till when in vain they have thee all perused, 
You shall, for being faultless, be accused. 
Some reading your Lucasta will allege 
You wronged in her the House's privelege. 
Some that you under sequestration are, 
And one the book prohibits, because Kent 
Their first petition by the author sent. 

But when ...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

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