Get Your Premium Membership

Famous Slee Poems by Famous Poets

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

See also:

by Burns, Robert
...n’ blew,
 “Up, Willie, waur them a’, man!”


Behind the throne then Granville’s gone,
 A secret word or twa, man;
While slee Dundas arous’d the class
 Be-north the Roman wa’, man:
An’ Chatham’s wraith, in heav’nly graith,
 (Inspired bardies saw, man),
Wi’ kindling eyes, cry’d, “Willie, rise!
 Would I hae fear’d them a’, man?”


But, word an’ blow, North, Fox, and Co.
 Gowff’d Willie like a ba’, man;
Till Suthron raise, an’ coost their claise
 Behind him in a raw, man:
An’...Read more of this...



by Burns, Robert
...My muse, tho’ hamely in attire,
 May touch the heart.


O for a ***** o’ Allan’s glee,
Or Fergusson’s the bauld an’ slee,
Or bright Lapraik’s, my friend to be,
 If I can hit it!
That would be lear eneugh for me,
 If I could get it.


Now, sir, if ye hae friends enow,
Tho’ real friends, I b’lieve, are few;
Yet, if your catalogue be fu’,
 I’se no insist:
But, gif ye want ae friend that’s true,
 I’m on your list.


I winna blaw about mysel,
As ill I like my fauts to ...Read more of this...

by Burns, Robert
...the lay.


Tho’ now thou’s dowie, stiff, an’ crazy,
An’ thy auld hide as white’s a daisie,
I’ve seen thee dappl’t, sleek an’ glaizie,
 A bonie gray:
He should been tight that daur’t to raize thee,
 Ance in a day.


Thou ance was i’ the foremost rank,
A filly buirdly, steeve, an’ swank;
An’ set weel down a shapely shank,
 As e’er tread yird;
An’ could hae flown out-owre a stank,
 Like ony bird.


It’s now some nine-an’-twenty year,
Sin’ thou was my guid-father’s m...Read more of this...

by Scott, Sir Walter
...bends of the Bow, 
Ilk carline was flyting and shaking her pow; 
But the young plants of grace they looked couthie and slee, 
Thinking luck to thy bonnet, thou Bonny Dundee! 
Come fill up my cup, etc. 

With sour-featured Whigs the Grass-market was crammed, 
As if half the West had set tryst to be hanged;
There was spite in each look, there was fear in each e’e, 
As they watched for the bonnets of Bonny Dundee. 
Come fill up my cup, etc. 

These cowls of Kilmarno...Read more of this...

by Dunbar, William
...me. 

Our plesance here is all vain glory, 
This fals world is but transitory, 
The flesh is bruckle, the Feynd is slee:-- 
 Timor Mortis conturbat me. 

The state of man does change and vary, 
Now sound, now sick, now blyth, now sary, 
Now dansand mirry, now like to die:-- 
 Timor Mortis conturbat me. 

No state in Erd here standis sicker; 
As with the wynd wavis the wicker 
So wannis this world's vanitie:-- 
 Timor Mortis conturbat me. 

Unto the Death gois...Read more of this...



by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...'Unhappes fallen thikke
Alday for love, and in swich maner cas,
As men ben cruel in hem-self and wikke;
And if this man slee here him-self, allas!
In my presence, it wol be no solas. 
What men wolde of hit deme I can nat seye;
It nedeth me ful sleyly for to pleye.'

And with a sorwful syk she seyde thrye,
'A! Lord! What me is tid a sory chaunce!
For myn estat lyth in Iupartye, 
And eek myn emes lyf lyth in balaunce;
But nathelees, with goddes governaunce,
I shal so do...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...ked ever his nece newe and newe,
And seyde, 'Wo bigon ben hertes trewe!
For love of god, make of this thing an ende,
Or slee us bothe at ones, er that ye wende.'

'I? What?' quod she, 'By god and by my trouthe, 
I noot nought what ye wilne that I seye.'
'I? What?' quod he, 'That ye han on him routhe,
For goddes love, and doth him nought to deye.'
'Now thanne thus,' quod she, 'I wolde him preye
To telle me the fyn of his entente; 
Yet wist I never wel what that he ...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...are, in conclusioun,
I wol not be of thyn opinioun,
Touching al this; for whiche I thee biseche,
So hold thy pees; thou sleest me with thy speche. 

'Thow biddest me I sholde love an-other
Al freshly newe, and lat Criseyde go!
It lyth not in my power, leve brother.
And though I mighte, I wolde not do so.
But canstow pleyen raket, to and fro, 
Netle in, dokke out, now this, now that, Pandare?
Now foule falle hir, for thy wo that care!

'Thow farest eek by me, thou ...Read more of this...

by Chaucer, Geoffrey
...make at ones riche and pore
To have y-nough to done, er that she go?
Why nil I bringe al Troye upon a rore? 
Why nil I sleen this Diomede also?
Why nil I rather with a man or two
Stele hir a-way? Why wol I this endure?
Why nil I helpen to myn owene cure?'

But why he nolde doon so fel a dede, 
That shal I seyn, and why him liste it spare;
He hadde in herte alweyes a maner drede,
Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare,
Sholde han ben slayn; lo, this was al his care.
A...Read more of this...

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Slee poems.


Book: Shattered Sighs