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Famous Toilers Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...one.
To the master in his seat,
Comes the burden, full and sweet,
Of the mellow minor music growing clearer,
As the toilers raise the hymn,
Thro' the silence dusk and dim,
To the cabin's restful shelter drawing nearer.
Oh, we hoe de co'n
Since de ehly mo'n;
Now de sinkin' sun
Says de day is done.
And a tear is in the eye
Of the master sitting by,
As he listens to the echoes low-replying
To the music's fading calls
As it faints away and falls
Into silence, deep...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul



...n's intent
That not in darkness should the world be done!
And then, and then, how long before the sun
Bade silently the toilers of the earth
Get forth to fruitless cares or empty mirth!

And long it seemed that in the market-place
He stood and saw the chaffering folk go by,
Ere from the ivory throne King Schœneus' face
Looked down upon the murmur royally,
But then came trembling that the time was nigh
When he midst pitying looks his love must claim,
And jeering voices must sa...Read more of this...
by Morris, William
...lions." 

At night the watchmen of the city say, "Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east." 

And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers say, "we have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset." 

In winter say the snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills." 

And in the summer heat the reapers say, "We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves, and we saw a drift of snow in her hair." 

All these things have you said ...Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil
...owlish gray. 
They scare the singing birds of earth away 
As, greed-impelled, they circle threateningly, 
Watching the toilers with malignant eye, 
From their exclusive haven--birds of prey. 
They swoop down for the spoil in certain might, 
And fasten in our bleeding flesh their claws. 
They beat us to surrender weak with fright, 
And tugging and tearing without let or pause, 
They flap their hideous wings in grim delight, 
And stuff our gory hearts into their maws....Read more of this...
by McKay, Claude
...ange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger. 

When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices, - 

Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value. 

And suffer not the barren-handed to take part in your transactions, who would sell their words for your l...Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil



...The day is past and the toilers cease;
The land grows dim 'mid the shadows grey,
And hearts are glad, for the dark brings peace
At the close of day.

Each weary toiler, with lingering pace,
As he homeward turns, with the long day done,
Looks out to the west, with the light on his face
Of the setting sun.

Yet some see not (with their sin-dimmed eyes)
The promise of rest in the fadi...Read more of this...
by McCrae, John
...for the owners of the faces in the street. 

And then the only faces till the sun is sinking down
Are those of outside toilers and the idlers of the town,
Save here and there a face that seems a stranger in the street,
Tells of the city's unemployed upon his weary beat 
 Drifting round, drifting round,
 To the tread of listless feet 
Ah! My heart aches for the owner of that sad face in the street. 

And when the hours on lagging feet have slowly dragged away,
And sickly yell...Read more of this...
by Lawson, Henry
...thee
And gave thee harvest of their gain;
And weary myriads of yore
Dug out for thee earth’s buried ore.


The shadowy toilers for thee fought
In chaos of primeval day
Blind battles with they knew not what;
And each before he passed away
Gave clear articulate cries of woe:
Your pain is theirs of long ago.


And all the old heart sweetness sung,
The joyous life of man and maid
In forests when the earth was young,
In rumours round your childhood strayed:
The careless sweetness...Read more of this...
by Russell, George William
...of your ribs,
yellow blossoms flourished above you in autumn, and in winter
frost heaved your bones in the ground - old toilers, soil makers:

O Roger, Mackerel, Riley, Ned, Nellie, Chester, Lady Ghost....Read more of this...
by Hall, Donald
...your ribs,
yellow blossoms flourished above you in autumn, and in winter
frost heaved your bones in the ground - old toilers, soil makers:

O Roger, Mackerel, Riley, Ned, Nellie, Chester, Lady Ghost....Read more of this...
by Hall, Donald
...orld of day, its bitterness and cark,
No longer have the power to make me weep;
I welcome this communion of the dark
As toilers welcome sleep....Read more of this...
by Lanier, Sidney
...of many distant countries, habitués of far-distant dwellings, 
Trusters of men and women, observers of cities, solitary toilers, 
Pausers and contemplators of tufts, blossoms, shells of the shore, 
Dancers at wedding-dances, kissers of brides, tender helpers of children, bearers of
 children,

Soldiers of revolts, standers by gaping graves, lowerers down of coffins,
Journeyers over consecutive seasons, over the years—the curious years, each emerging from
 that
 which preceded...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt
...t shall make 'em settle;
But when to crown the work he goes,
Gods! What a stink salutes his nose!

Where are the honest toilers. Where
The. gravid mistress of their care?
 A busy scene, indeed, he sees,
 But not a sign or sound of bees.
 Worms of the riper grave unhid
 By any kindly coffin-lid,
 Obscene and shameless to the light,
 Seethe in insatiate appetite,
 Through putrid offal, while--above
 The hissing blow-fly seeks his love,
 Whose offspring, supping where they supt,...Read more of this...
by Kipling, Rudyard
...st race, first men from anywhere 
To face you, eye to eye. 
For that do you curse Avalon
And raise a hue and cry?
These toilers cannot kiss your hand,
Or fawn with hearts bowed down:
Be glad for them, and Avalon,
And Arthur's ghostly crown.

"No doubt your guests, with sage debate
In grave things gentlemen
Will let your trade and farms alone
And turn them back again.
But why should brawling braggarts rise
With hasty words of shame
To drive them back like dogs and swine
Who in...Read more of this...
by Lindsay, Vachel
...ilver fleece;
The signs are sweetly manifold
 Of plenty, praise and peace.
Yet see! The sky is like a cowl
 Where grimy toilers bore
The shards of steel that feed the foul
 Red maw of War.

Instead of butter give us guns;
 Instead of sugur, shells.
Devoted mothers, bear your sons
 To glut still hotter hells.
Alas! When will mad mankind wake
 To banish evermore,
And damn for God in Heaven's sake
 Mass Murder--WAR?...Read more of this...
by Service, Robert William

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry