Famous Retold Poems by Famous Poets

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

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An Island

...ch a curst and sodden way 
Made my three colors one. 
—So be it, and the way be as of old: 
So be the weary truth again retold
Of great kings overthrown 
Because they would be kings, and lastly kings alone. 
Fling to each dog his bone. 

Flags that are vanished, flags that are soiled and furled, 
Say what will be the word when I am gone:
What learned little acrid archive men 
Will burrow to find me out and burrow again,— 
But all for naught, unless 
To find there was another ...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Edwin Arlington


An Old Story

...(Retold in Rhyme)

They threw him in a prison cell;
He moaned upon his bed.
And when he crept from coils of hell:
"Last night you killed," they said.

"last night in drunken rage you slew
A being brave with breath;
A radiant soul, because of you
Lies dark in death."

"last night I killed," he moaned distraught,
"When I was wild with wine;
I slew, and I rememb...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

Eviradnus

...e human power your shocking deeds to track. 
 What use in darkness mirror to uphold? 
 What use your doings to be now retold? 
 Drink of the darkness—greedy of the ill 
 To which from habit you're attracted still, 
 Not recognizing in the draught you take 
 The stench that your atrocities must make. 
 I only tell you that this burdened age 
 Tires of your Highnesses, that soil its page, 
 And of your villanies—and this is why 
 You now must swell the stream that pas...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor

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