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Famous Uncle Poems by Famous Poets

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

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry
...t night.


Wee Jenny to her graunie says,
 “Will ye go wi’ me, graunie?
I’ll eat the apple at the glass, 10
 I gat frae uncle Johnie:”
She fuff’t her pipe wi’ sic a lunt,
 In wrath she was sae vap’rin,
She notic’t na an aizle brunt
 Her braw, new, worset apron
 Out thro’ that night.


“Ye little skelpie-limmer’s face!
 I daur you try sic sportin,
As seek the foul thief ony place,
 For him to spae your fortune:
Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!
 Great cause ye hae to fear it;
...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert



...for smoking a cigarette, and then with a smirk you ate it. And
then it was breakfast under the balloons."

"Were there Uncles like in our house?"
"There are always Uncles at Christmas. The same Uncles. And on Christmas morning, with dog-disturbing whistle
and sugar fags, I would scour the swatched town for the news of the little world, and find always a dead bird
by the Post Office or by the white deserted swings; perhaps a robin, all but one of his fires out. Men and
women ...Read more of this...
by Thomas, Dylan
...ay the Lord's Prayer. 
I have mystical visions and cosmic vibrations. 
America I still haven't told you what you did to Uncle 
 Max after he came over from Russia.

I'm addressing you. 
Are you going to let your emotional life be run by 
 Time Magazine? 
I'm obsessed by Time Magazine. 
I read it every week. 
Its cover stares at me every time I slink past the corner 
 candystore. 
I read it in the basement of the Berkeley Public Library. 
It's always telling me about responsib...Read more of this...
by Ginsberg, Allen
...never readily known, except Fitela by his side,
as they were always, when Sigemund wished to speak
of their travails, uncle to nephew—
through every hardship, needful comrades—
they had destroyed very many of the tribe
of giants with their swords. Not too little glory
sprung from Sigemund since his dying day,
after the battle-hardened slew a dragon,
the treasure’s watcher. The son of nobles dared
to proceed alone under the hoary stone,
an audacious deed, nor was Fit...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,
...were told to tribes of men,
the feuds and the frauds, save to Fitela only,
when of these doings he deigned to speak,
uncle to nephew; as ever the twain
stood side by side in stress of war,
and multitude of the monster kind
they had felled with their swords. Of Sigemund grew,
when he passed from life, no little praise;
for the doughty-in-combat a dragon killed
that herded the hoard: {13a} under hoary rock
the atheling dared the deed alone
fearful quest, nor was Fite...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,



...ying pup.



16



The aunt I loved the

Best was worst of all;

She slept away the war

With every man she knew

While Uncle Jack played

Tanks in Africa and learned

Pontoon at Alamein and then

Broke every window pane on

His return and Grandad

Nicky said, “Decide to go

Or keep your bride” and

Pride lost that day

And Lucifer lay low

And six children grew

In Rough Lea by the

Poplar’s side and when I

Shared their meal; it was

A feast of love and Auntie

Betty smiled...Read more of this...
by Tebb, Barry
...more
Mama's there, underneath the floor
Brother Death, please mind the store

Old Aunty Death Don't hide your bones
Old Uncle Death I hear your groans
O Sister Death how sweet your moans

O Children Deaths go breathe your breaths
Sobbing breasts'll ease your Deaths
Pain is gone, tears take the rest

Genius Death your art is done
Lover Death your body's gone
Father Death I'm coming home

Guru Death your words are true
Teacher Death I do thank you
For inspiring me to sing this ...Read more of this...
by Ginsberg, Allen
...w as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even f...Read more of this...
by Collins, Billy
...r is surely past
That should have warned us with its double knock?
The twilight wanes, and morning comes at last -
"Oh, Uncle, what's o'clock?" 

The Uncle gravely nods, and wisely winks.
It MAY mean much, but how is one to know?
He opens his mouth - yet out of it, methinks,
No words of wisdom flow. 


II 

Empress of Art, for thee I twine
This wreath with all too slender skill.
Forgive my Muse each halting line,
And for the deed accept the will! 


O day of tears! Whence com...Read more of this...
by Carroll, Lewis
...ay
to know that you were not abandoned,
that happiness saved its most extreme form
for you alone.

No, happiness is the uncle you never 
knew about, who flies a single-engine plane
onto the grassy landing strip, hitchhikes
into town, and inquires at every door
until he finds you asleep midafternoon
as you so often are during the unmerciful
hours of your despair.

It comes to the monk in his cell.
It comes to the woman sweeping the street
with a birch broom, to the child
whose...Read more of this...
by Kenyon, Jane
...

Hamlet discovered his father's murderer by a play
That he composed for the purpose, without dismay,
And the king, his uncle, couldn't endure to see that play,
And he withdrew from the scene without delay. 

And by that play the murder was found out,
And clearly proven, without any doubt;
Therefore, stage representation has a greater effect
On the minds of the people than religious precept. 

We see in Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello, which is sublime,
Cassio losing his lie...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz
...riends seduce thy mind to fame,
By arrogating Jonson's hostile name.
Let Father Flecknoe fire thy mind with praise,
And Uncle Ogleby thy envy raise.
Thou art my blood, where Jonson has no part;
What share have we in Nature or in Art?
Where did his wit on learning fix a brand,
And rail at arts he did not understand?
Where made he love in Prince Nicander's vein,
Or swept the dust in Psyche's humble strain?
Where sold he bargains, whip-stitch, kiss my ****,
Promis'd a play and d...Read more of this...
by Dryden, John
...cca Offendort),
Was given to this furious sport.

She would deliberately go
And slam the door like billy-o!
To make her uncle Jacob start.
She was not really bad at heart,
But only rather rude and wild;
She was an aggravating child...

It happened that a marble bust
Of Abraham was standing just
Above the door this little lamb
Had carefully prepared to slam,
And down it came! It knocked her flat!
It laid her out! She looked like that.

Her funeral sermon (which was long
And fo...Read more of this...
by Belloc, Hilaire
...the new-knit stocking-heel, 
Told how the Indian hordes came down 
At midnight on Concheco town, 
And how her own great-uncle bore 
His cruel scalp-mark to fourscore. 
Recalling, in her fitting phrase, 
So rich and picturesque and free 
(The common unrhymed poetry 
Of simple life and country ways), 
The story of her early days, -- 
She made us welcome to her home; 
Old hearths grew wide to give us room; 
We stole with her a frightened look 
At the gray wizard's conjuring-book...Read more of this...
by Whittier, John Greenleaf
...Drewitt
Never knew it.
The High did not suspect it;
The Low could not detect it.
Aunt Sue
Said it was obviously untrue.
Uncle Ned
Said I was off my head:
(This from a Colonial
Was really a good testimonial.)
Still everybody seemed to think
That genius owes a good deal to drink.
So that is how
I am not a poet now,
And why
My inspiration has run dry.
It is no sort of use
To cultivate the Muse
If vulgar people
Can't tell a village pump from a church steeple.
I am merely apologiz...Read more of this...
by Raleigh, Sir Walter
...closes them.
But the rain keeps hammering. Is this a cloudburst?
Should he do something? Secure the house
in some way? Uncle Bo stayed married to Aunt Ruby for 47 years. Then hanged himself.
He opens his eyes again. Nothing adds up.
It all adds up. How long will this storm go on?...Read more of this...
by Carver, Raymond
...ceed without further remark
To the day when you took me aboard of your ship
 To help you in hunting the Snark.

"A dear uncle of mine (after whom I was named)
 Remarked, when I bade him farewell--"
"Oh, skip your dear uncle!" the Bellman exclaimed,
 As he angrily tingled his bell.

"He remarked to me then," said that mildest of men,
 " 'If your Snark be a Snark, that is right:
Fetch it home by all means--you may serve it with greens,
 And it's handy for striking a light.

" '...Read more of this...
by Carroll, Lewis
...e 47 pictures: 47 black
faces: my father, mother, grandmothers (1 dead), grand-
fathers (both dead), brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts,
cousins (1st and 2nd), nieces, and nephews.They stare
across the space at me sprawling on my bunk.I know
their dark eyes, they know mine.I know their style,
they know mine.I am all of them, they are all of me;
they are farmers, I am a thief, I am me, they are thee.

I have at one time or another been in love with my mother,
1 grandmother, 2 si...Read more of this...
by Knight, Etheridge
...'s hand he kindly pressed,—
     'O, could I point a place of rest!
     My sovereign holds in ward my land,
     My uncle leads my vassal band;
     To tame his foes, his friends to aid,
     Poor Malcolm has but heart and blade.
     Yet, if there be one faithful Graeme
     Who loves the chieftain of his name,
     Not long shall honored Douglas dwell
     Like hunted stag in mountain cell;
     Nor, ere yon pride-swollen robber dare,—
     I may not give the re...Read more of this...
by Scott, Sir Walter
...h joy he couldn't tell how he began to sing. 

And on drawing near the city he met his little brother,
Who told him his uncle had visited his mother,
And on beholding their misery had left them money to buy food,
Then Alois cried, Thank God, the news is good! 

Then 'twas on the first day after Alois came home,
He began the printing of the Sprig of Moss on the stone;
And by taking the impressions of watch-cases he discovered, one day,
What is now called the art of Lithography...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry