Famous Reproachful Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Letter from Artemesia in the Town to Chloe in the Country

...ou succeed!
Thus, like an errant woman as I am,
No sooner well convinced writing's a shame,
That whore is scarce a more reproachful name
Than poetess-
Like men that marry, or like maids that woo,
'Cause 'tis the very worst thing they can do,
Pleased with the contradiction and the sin,
Methinks I stand n thorns till I begin.
--Y' expect at least to hear what loves have passed
In this lewd town, since you and I met last;
What change has happened of intrigues, and whether
The ol...Read more of this...
by Wilmot, John


By Rugged Ways

...ut faith serene is over all.
Beside our way the streams are dried,
And famine mates us side by side.
Discouraged and reproachful eyes
Seek once again the frowning skies.
Yet shall there come, spite storm and shock,
A Moses who shall smite the rock,
Call manna from the Giver's hand,
And lead us to the promised land!
The way is dark and cold and steep,
And shapes of horror murder sleep,
And hard the unrelenting years;
But 'twixt our sighs and moans and tears,
We st...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

Conscripts

...dropped his crown. 
Rhyme got sore heels and wanted to fall out.
‘Left, right! Press on your butts!’ They looked at me 
Reproachful; how I longed to set them free! 

I gave them lectures on Defence, Attack; 
They fidgeted and shuffled, yawned and sighed, 
And boggled at my questions. Joy was slack,
And Wisdom gnawed his fingers, gloomy-eyed. 
Young Fancy—how I loved him all the while— 
Stared at his note-book with a rueful smile. 

Their training done, I shipped them all to F...Read more of this...
by Sassoon, Siegfried

End of Another Home Holiday

...inger,
Crouching as little houses crouch under the mist when I turn.
Forever, out of the mist the church lifts up her reproachful finger,
Pointing my eyes in wretched defiance where love hides her face to
mourn.

    Oh but the rain creeps down to wet the grain
        That struggles alone in the dark,
    And asking nothing, cheerfully steals back again!
        The moon sets forth o' nights
        To walk the lonely, dusky heights
        Serenely, with steps un...Read more of this...
by Lawrence, D. H.

Inferno (English)

...they bend; 
 Continual crescents trace, at either end 
 Meeting again in fresh rebound, and high 
 Above their travail reproachful howlings rise 
 Incessant at those who thwart their round. 

 And I, 
 Who felt my heart stung through with anguish, said, 
 "O Master, show me who these peoples be, 
 And if those tonsured shades that left we see 
 Held priestly office ere they joined the dead." 

 He answered, "These, who with such squinting eyes 
 Regarded God's providing, tha...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante


Last Instructions to a Painter

...
Now a cheap spoil, and the mean victor's slave, 
Taught the Dutch colours from its top to wave; 
Of former glories the reproachful thought 
With present shame compared, his mind destraught. 
Such from Euphrates' bank, a tigress fell 
After the robber for her whelps doth yell; 
But sees enraged the river flow between, 
Frustrate revenge and love, by loss more keen, 
At her own breast her useless claws does arm: 
She tears herself, since him she cannot harm. 

The guards, plac...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Mistress Gurtons Cat

...ght, upon the pent-house side?
"I heard her for assistance call;
"I heard her shrill and dying squall!
"I heard her, in reproachful tone,
"Pour, to the stars, her feeble groan!

"Alone, I heard her piercing cries--
"With not a Friend to close her Eyes!"
"Poor Puss ! I vow it grieves me sore,
"Never to see thy beauties more!
"Never again to hear thee purr,
"To stroke thy back, of Zebra fur;
"To see thy emral'd eyes--so bright,
"Flashing around their lust'rous light
"Amid the s...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Mary Darby

My Library

...,
And with deep shame and blame avow
I am too old to read you now;
So I will lock you in glass cases
And shun your sad, reproachful faces."

 * * * * * * * * *

My library is noble planned,
Yet in it desolate I stand;
And though my thousand books I prize,
Feeling a witling in their eyes,
I turn from them in weariness
To wallow in the Daily Press.

For, oh, I never, never will
The noble field of knowledge till:
I pattern words with artful tricks,
As children play with painted ...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

Oh! Mr Best Youre Very Bad

...rses in your praise
As finely and as fast. 

But if you still refuse to go
I'll never let your rest,
Buy haunt you with reproachful song
Oh! wicked Mr. Best!--...Read more of this...
by Austen, Jane

Paradise Lost: Book 12

...obedience and by love, though love 
Alone fulfil the law; thy punishment 
He shall endure, by coming in the flesh 
To a reproachful life, and cursed death; 
Proclaiming life to all who shall believe 
In his redemption; and that his obedience, 
Imputed, becomes theirs by faith; his merits 
To save them, not their own, though legal, works. 
For this he shall live hated, be blasphemed, 
Seised on by force, judged, and to death condemned 
A shameful and accursed, nailed to the cr...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Parting Address From Z.Z. To A.E

...eled my mind
Sorrow and strife to greet,
Joy with my love I leave behind,
Care with my friends I meet. 

A mother's sad reproachful eye,
A father's scowling brow -­
But he may frown, and she may sigh;
I will not break my vow! 

I love my mother, I revere
My sire, but doubt not me. 
Believe that Death alone can tear
This faithful heart from thee....Read more of this...
by Bronte, Anne

Sams Christmas Pudding

...his gun true.'
Sam answered, 'You'd best ask your favours
From them as you give pudding to.'

The Duke looked at Sam so reproachful
'And don't take it that way,' said he.
'Us Generals have got to be ruthless
It hurts me more than it did thee.'

Sam sniffed at these words kind of sceptic,
Then looked down the Duke's private gun.
And said 'We'd best put in two charges,
We'll never bust bastion with one.'

He tipped cannon ball out of muzzle
He took out the wadding and all.
He f...Read more of this...
by Edgar, Marriott

Says Mister Doojabs

...otton, since last Easter Day,
When she ran across it, quite by chance,
In the left hip-pocket of my pants;
And the only reproachful thing she said
Was, “Look out or some day you’ll lose your head.”...Read more of this...
by Butler, Ellis Parker

Sea Song

...taste.

   Youth, even Youth, seems futile and forlorn
     While the new day grows slowly white above.
   Pale and reproachful comes the chilly Dawn
     After the fervour of a night of love....Read more of this...
by Nicolson, Adela Florence Cory

Stanzas

...eled my mind
Sorrow and strife to greet;
Joy with my love I leave behind,
Care with my friends I meet. 

A mother's sad reproachful eye,
A father's scowling brow -­
But he may frown and she may sigh:
I will not break my vow! 

I love my mother, I revere
My sire, but fear not me­
Believe that Death alone can tear
This faithful heart from thee....Read more of this...
by Bronte, Anne

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