Famous Strong Drink Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Tribute to Mr Murphy and the Blue Ribbon Army

...as crossed the mighty Atlantic wave,
For what purpose let me pause and think-
I answer, to warn the people not to taste strong drink. 

And, I'm sure, if they take his advice, they never will rue
The day they joined the Blue Ribbon Army in the year 1882;
And I hope to their colours they will always prove true,
And shout, Hurrah ! for Mr Murphy and the Ribbon of Blue. 

What is strong drink? Let me think-- I answer 'tis a thing
From whence the majority of evils spring,
And cau...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz


Intolerance

...t hold;
 By betting I've been bit:
Conclusion: to get honest gold
 You've got to sweat for it.

Though there be evil in strong drink
 It's brought me heaps of fun;
And now, with some reserve, I think
 My toping days are done.
Though at teetotal cranks I laugh,
 Yet being sound and hale,
I find the best of drinks to quaff
 Is good old Adam's ale.

I do not like your moralist,
 Who with a righteous grin
Informs you o'er a pounding fist:
 "Unchastity is sin."
I don't believe it,...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

The Death of Prince Leopold

...beautiful to see,
Who was wont to fill your audience's hearts with glee,
With your charming songs, and lectures against strong drink:
Britain had nothing else to fear, as far as you could think

A wise prince you were, and well worthy of the name,
And to write in praise of thee I cannot refrain;
Because you were ever ready to defend that which is right,
Both pleasing and righteous in God's eye-sight.

And for the loss of such a prince the people will mourn,
But, alas! unto th...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

The Demon Drink

...

And in that knock down she fractures her head,
And perhaps the poor wife she is killed dead,
Whereas, if there was no strong drink to be got,
To be killed wouldn't have been the poor wife's lot. 

Then the unfortunate husband is arrested and cast into jail,
And sadly his fate he does bewail;
And he curses the hour that ever was born,
And paces his cell up and down very forlorn. 

And when the day of his trial draws near,
No doubt for the murdering of his wife he drops a tea...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

The Destroying Angel

...dens of iniquity.
Therefore, friends of God, come, follow me. 

"Because God has said there's no use preaching against strong drink,
Therefore, by taking up arms against it, God does think,
That is the only and the effectual cure
To banish it from the land, He is quite sure. 

"Besides, it has been denounced in Dundee for fifty years
By the friends of Temperance, while oft they have shed tears.
Therefore, God thinks there's no use denouncing it any longer,
Because the more t...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz


The Four Zoas (excerpt)

...he smiles if you hear him sigh. If pale, say he is ruddy.
Preach temperance: say he is overgorg'd and drowns his wit
In strong drink, though you know that bread and water are all
He can afford. Flatter his wife, pity his children, till we can
Reduce all to our will, as spaniels are taught with art.' 

The sun has left his blackness and has found a fresher morning,
And the mild moon rejoices in the clear and cloudless night,
And Man walks forth from midst of the fires: the evi...Read more of this...
by Blake, William

The Four Zoas (excerpt)

...if you hear him sigh. If pale, say he is ruddy.
2.10 Preach temperance: say he is overgorg'd and drowns his wit
2.11 In strong drink, though you know that bread and water are all
2.12 He can afford. Flatter his wife, pity his children, till we can
2.13 Reduce all to our will, as spaniels are taught with art." 

3.1 The sun has left his blackness and has found a fresher morning,
3.2 And the mild moon rejoices in the clear and cloudless night,
3.3 And Man walks forth from midst...Read more of this...
by Blake, William

The Funeral of the Late Ex-Provost Rough Dundee

...e,
So in a short time his spirit fled to heaven, where all troubles are o'er. 

I'm sure very little good emanates from strong drink,
And many people, alas! it leads to hell's brink!
Some to the scaffold, and some to a pauper's grave,
Whereas if they would abstain from drink, Christ would them save. 

'Twas on Friday afternoon, in November the 23rd day,
That the funeral cortege to the Western Cemetery wended its way,
Accompanied by the Magistrates, and amongst those present w...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

The Rhyme Of The Restless Ones

...a dozen times or so.

And you'll find us in Alaska after gold,
 And you'll find us herding cattle in the South.
We like strong drink and fun, and, when the race is run,
 We often die with curses in our mouth.
We are wild as colts unbroke, but never mean.
 Of our sins we've shoulders broad to bear the blame;
But we'll never stay in town and we'll never settle down,
 And we'll never have an object or an aim.

No, there's that in us that time can never tame;
And life will always...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

Three Marching Songs

...
Robbers had taken his old tambourinc.

"A girl I had, but she followed another,
Money I had, and it went in the night,
Strong drink I had, and it brought me to sorrow,
But a good strong cause and blows are delight.'
All there caught up the tune:
"Oh, on, my darling man.'

Robbers had taken his old tambourine,
But he took down the moon
And rattled out a tune;
Robbers had taken his old tambourine.

"Money is good and a girl might be better,
No matter what happens and who takes...Read more of this...
by Yeats, William Butler

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