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Famous Vanguard Poems by Famous Poets

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

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by Horace,
...stood calm and silent,
          And looked upon the foes,
     And a great shout of laughter
          From all the vanguard rose:
     And forth three chiefs came spurring
          Before that deep array;
     To earth they sprang, their swords they drew,
     And lifted high their shields, and flew
          To win the narrrow way;

               XXXVII

     Aunus from green Tifernum,
          Lord of the Hill of Vines;
     And Seius, whose eight hundred...Read more of this...



by Lawson, Henry
...fight."

'Twas of such stuff the men were made who saw our nation born,
And such as Lalor were the men who led the vanguard on;
And like such men may we be found, with leaders such as they,
In the roll-up of Australians on our darkest, grandest day!...Read more of this...

by Milton, John
...d. At interview both stood 
A while; but suddenly at head appeared 
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud. 
Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold; 
That all may see who hate us, how we seek 
Peace and composure, and with open breast 
Stand ready to receive them, if they like 
Our overture; and turn not back perverse: 
But that I doubt; however witness, Heaven! 
Heaven, witness thou anon! while we discharge 
Freely our part: ye, who appointed stand 
Do as yo...Read more of this...

by McGonagall, William Topaz
...and the havoc did increase,
And, with a wild slogan cry, the Highlanders bounded down the hill,
And many of the English vanguard, with their claymores, they did kill. 

Then, taken by surprise and the suddenness of the attack,
The vanguard of the English army instantly fell back,
But rallied again immediately-- to be beaten back once more,
Whilst beneath the Highlanders' claymores they fell by the score. 

But a large body of horsemen came to the rescue,
And the wing ...Read more of this...

by McGonagall, William Topaz
...iors clad in armour bright,
Especially the form of Shuac, in the midst of the fight. 

The royal guard, forming the vanguard, made the first attack,
Under the command of King Ulva, who courage didn't lack;
And cries of "King Ulva!" and "King Shuac!" rent the air,
While Shuac cried, I'll burn Shina to the ground, I now do swear! 

King Shuac was mounted on a powerful steed,
Which pressed its way through the ranks with lightning speed;
And with its hoofs the earth it uptear...Read more of this...



by McGonagall, William Topaz
...earthly thunder along thr river Nile,
And the British ship Orion went into action in splendid style;
Also Nelson's Ship Vanguard bore down on the foe,
With six flags flying from her rigging high and low. 

Then she opened a tremendous fire on the Spartiate,
And Nelson cried, fear not my lads we'll soon make them retreat!
But so terrific was the fire of the enemy on them,
That six of the Vanguards guns were cleared of men. 

Yet there stood Nelson, the noble Hero of th...Read more of this...

by McCrae, John
...ride,
Yet unashamed: her memories remain.

It was Nelson in the `Captain', Cape St. Vincent far alee,
With the `Vanguard' leading s'uth'ard in the haze --
Little Jervis and the Spaniards and the fight that was to be,
Twenty-seven Spanish battleships, great bullies of the sea,
And the `Captain' there to find her day of days.

Right into them the `Vanguard' leads, but with a sudden tack
The Spaniards double swiftly on their trail;
Now Jervis overshoots his mark, lik...Read more of this...

by Kipling, Rudyard
...ectuals
 Who crack beneath a strain--
John Bunyan met that helpful set
 In Charles the Second's reign.


Emmanuel's vanguard dying
 For right and not for rights,
My Lord Apollyon lying
 To the State-kept Stockholmites,
The Pope, the swithering Neutrals
 The Kaiser and his Gott--
Their roles, their goals, their naked souls--
 He knew and drew the lot.


Now he hath left his quarters,
 In Bunhill Fields to lie,
The wisdom that he taught us
 Is proven prophecy--
One watc...Read more of this...

by Kipling, Rudyard
...Trumpets, for the shuddering ground-swell brings 
Clamour over ocean of the harsh, pursuing Trumpets--
 Trumpets of the Vanguard that have sworn no truce with Kings! 

All we have of freedom, all we use or know--
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.

Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw--
Leave to live by no man's leave, underneath the Law.

Lance and torch and tumult, steel and grey-goose wing
Wrenched it, inch and ell and all, slowly from the k...Read more of this...

by Kipling, Rudyard
...oves unshod --
Break forth the mad White Horses
 To seek their meat from God!

Girth-deep in hissing water
 Our furious vanguard strains --
Through mist of mighty tramplings
 Roll up the fore-blown manes --
A hundred leagues to leeward,
 Ere yet the deep is stirred,
The groaning rollers carry
 The coming of the herd!

Whose hand may grip your nostrils --
 Your forelock who may hold?
E'en they that use the broads with us --
 The riders bred and bold,
That spy upon our matings,...Read more of this...

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