Famous Subtlest Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Cuchulans Fight With The Sea

...maid,
And she, to win him, his grey hair caressed;
In vain her arms, in vain her soft white breast.
Then Conchubar, the subtlest of all men,
Ranking his Druids round him ten by ten,
Spake thus: 'Cuchulain will dwell there and brood
For three days more in dreadful quietude,
And then arise, and raving slay us all.
Chaunt in his ear delusions magical,
That he may fight the horses of the sea.'
The Druids took them to their mystery,
And chaunted for three days.
 Cuchulain stirred,...Read more of this...
by Yeats, William Butler


Idylls of the King: The Passing of Arthur (excerpt)

...ith frost against the hilt:
For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks,
Myriads of topaz-lights, and jacinth-work
Of subtlest jewellery. He gazed so long
That both his eyes were dazzled as he stood,
This way and that dividing the swift mind,
In act to throw: but at the last it seem'd
Better to leave Excalibur conceal'd
There in the many-knotted waterflags,
That whistled stiff and dry about the marge.
So strode he back slow to the wounded King.


Then spake King Arthur to S...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

Morte DArthur

...ith frost against the hilt:
For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks,
Myriads of topaz-lights, and jacinth work
Of subtlest jewellery. He gazed so long
That both his eyes were dazzled, as he stood,
This way and that dividing the swift mind,
In act to throw: but at the last it seem'd
Better to leave Excalibur conceal'd
There in the many-knotted water-flags,
That whistled stiff and dry about the marge.
So strode he back slow to the wounded King. 

Then spake King Arthur to...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

Paradise Lost: Book 07

...mberless, 
And thou their natures knowest, and gavest them names, 
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown 
The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, 
Of huge extent sometimes, with brazen eyes 
And hairy mane terrifick, though to thee 
Not noxious, but obedient at thy call. 
Now Heaven in all her glory shone, and rolled 
Her motions, as the great first Mover's hand 
First wheeled their course: Earth in her rich attire 
Consummate lovely smiled; air, water, earth, 
By fowl...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 09

...inspection deep 
Considered every creature, which of all 
Most opportune might serve his wiles; and found 
The Serpent subtlest beast of all the field. 
Him after long debate, irresolute 
Of thoughts revolved, his final sentence chose 
Fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom 
To enter, and his dark suggestions hide 
From sharpest sight: for, in the wily snake 
Whatever sleights, none would suspicious mark, 
As from his wit and native subtlety 
Proceeding; which, in other b...Read more of this...
by Milton, John


Sampan Song

...smile,
     Who play against him play a losing game.

   I, strong in nothing else, have strength in this,
     The subtlest, most resistless, force we know
   Is aiding me; and you must stoop and kiss:
     The genius of the race will have it so!

   Yet, make it not too long, nor too intense
     My thirst; lest I should break beneath the strain,
   And the worn nerves, and over-wearied sense,
     Enjoy not what they spent themselves to gain.

   Lest, in the ...Read more of this...
by Nicolson, Adela Florence Cory

Snowbound a Winter Idyl

...ing pine-boughs winter-weighed. 
From every barn a team afoot, 
At every house a new recruit, 
Where, drawn by Nature's subtlest law, 
Haply the watchful young men saw 
Sweet doorway pictures of the curls 
And curious eyes of merry girls, 
Lifting their hands in mock defence 
Against the snow-ball's compliments, 
And reading in each missive tost 
The charm with Eden never lost. 

We heard once more the sleigh-bells' sound; 
And, following where the teamsters led, 
The wise ol...Read more of this...
by Whittier, John Greenleaf

The Bough of Nonsense

...God than that?” 
S. “But the first day of autumn rain 
The roof fell in and crushed them flat.” 
R. “Ay, for a roof of subtlest logic falls 
When nonsense is foundation for the walls.”

I tell him old Galatian tales; 
He caps them in quick Portuguese, 
While phantom creatures with green scales 
Scramble and roll among the trees. 
The hymn swells; on a bough above us sings
A row of bright pink birds, flapping their wings....Read more of this...
by Graves, Robert

The Passing Of Arthur

...frost against the hilt: 
For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks, 
Myriads of topaz-lights, and jacinth-work 
Of subtlest jewellery. He gazed so long 
That both his eyes were dazzled as he stood, 
This way and that dividing the swift mind, 
In act to throw: but at the last it seemed 
Better to leave Excalibur concealed 
There in the many-knotted waterflags, 
That whistled stiff and dry about the marge. 
So strode he back slow to the wounded King. 

Then spake King Arth...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

Vengeance Is Sweet

...
And held his glory far above
All other earthly things. I cried:
"Come, Love, dear Love, with me abide;"
And with my subtlest art I wooed,
And eagerly the wight pursued.
But Love was gay and Love was shy,
He laughed at me and passed me by.
Well, I grew old and I grew gray,
When Wealth came wending down my way.
I took his golden hand with glee,
And comrades from that day were we.
Then Love came back with doleful face,
And prayed that I would give him place.
But, t...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

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