Famous Viewing Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A Fountain a Bottle a Donkeys Ears and Some Books

...well see that and save the day."

"Don't donkey's ears suggest we shake our own?"

"For God's sake, aren't you fond of viewing nature?
You don't like nature. All you like is books.
What signify a donkey's cars and bottle,
However natural? Give you your books!
Well then, right here is where I show you books.
Come straight down off this mountain just as fast
As we can fall and keep a-bouncing on our feet.
It's hell for knees unless done hell-for-leather."

Be ready, I thought,...Read more of this...
by Frost, Robert


Astrophel and Stella

...wanting shafts of sight,
Clos'd with their quiuers, in Sleeps armory;
With windowes ope, then most my mind doth lie,
Viewing the shape of darknesse, and delight
Takes in that sad hue, which, with th' inward night
Of his mazde powers, keepes perfet harmony:
But when birds charme, and that sweete aire which is
Mornes messenger, with rose-enameld skies
Cals each wight to salute the floure of blisse;
In tombe of lids then buried are mine eyes,
Forst by their Lord, who i...Read more of this...
by Sidney, Sir Philip

Ballad of the Moon

...

They are crying in the forge,
all the gypsies, shouting, crying.
The air is veiwing all, views all.
The air is at the viewing....Read more of this...
by García Lorca, Federico

Beautiful Nairn

...h,
Besides, there's very beautiful walks by the sea beach. 

The visitors to Nairn can pass away the time agreeably,
By viewing Tarbetness, which slopes downwards to the sea;
And Queen Street is one of the prettiest thoroughfares,
Because there's splendid shops in it, and stocked with different wares. 

And there's ornamental grounds, and lovely shady nooks,
Which is a great advantage to visitors while reading their books;
And there's a certain place known as the Ladies' Beac...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

Britannias Pastorals

...en in a nook:
Here pulls his line, there throws it in again,
Mendeth his cork and bait, but all in vain,
He long stands viewing of the curled stream;
At last a hungry pike, or well-grown bream
Snatch at the worm, and hasting fast away,
He knowing it a fish of stubborn sway,
Pulls up his rod, but soft, as having skill,
Wherewith the hook fast holds the fish's gill;
Then all his line he freely yieldeth him,
Whilst furiously all up and down doth swim
Th' insnared fish, here on t...Read more of this...
by Browne, William


Jottings of New York

...e are people on the Sabbath day in thousands resort--
All lov'd, in conversation, and eager for sport;
And some of them viewing the wild beasts there,
While the joyous shouts of children does rend the air--
And also beautiful black swans, I do declare. 

And there's beautiful boats to be seen there,
And joyous shouts of children does rend the air,
While the boats sail along with them o'er Lohengrin Lake,
And fare is 5 cents for children, and adults ten is all they take. 

And...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

Last Instructions to a Painter

...hapes, all these he does survey, 
And all admires, but most his easy prey. 
The seamen search her all within, without: 
Viewing her strength, they yet their conquest doubt; 
Then with rude shouts, secure, the air they vex, 
With gamesome joy insulting on her decks. 
Such the feared Hebrew, captive, blinded, shorn, 
Was led about in sport, the public scorn. 

Black day accursed! On thee let no man hale 
Out of the port, or dare to hoist a sail, 
Nor row a boat in thy unlucky h...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Laughter and Tears IX

...months of comfort and travel await us; for a year we will spend my father's gold at the blue lakes of Switzerland, and viewing the edifices of Italy and Egypt, and resting under the Holy Cedars of Lebanon; you will meet the princesses who will envy you for your jewels and clothes. 

"All these things I will do for you; will you be satisfied?" 

In a little while I saw them walking and stepping on flowers as the rich step upon the hearts of the poor. As they disappeared from ...Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil

May

...memory hath no names
Oft racing round the nookey church
Or calling ecchos in the porch
And jilting oer the weather cock
Viewing wi jealous eyes the clock
Oft leaping grave stones leaning hights
Uncheckt wi mellancholy sights
The green grass swelld in many a heap
Where kin and friends and parents sleep
Unthinking in their jovial cry
That time shall come when they shall lye
As lowly and as still as they
While other boys above them play
Heedless as they do now to know
The unconc...Read more of this...
by Clare, John

On Salathiel Pavy

...y  
As sooth the Parcae thought him one 15 
He play'd so truly. 
So by error to his fate 
They all consented; 
But viewing him since alas too late! 
They have repented; 20 
And have sought to give new birth  
In baths to steep him; 
But being so much too good for earth  
Heaven vows to keep him. ...Read more of this...
by Jonson, Ben

Paradise Lost: Book 02

...pleased, and with attractive graces won 
The most averse--thee chiefly, who, full oft 
Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing, 
Becam'st enamoured; and such joy thou took'st 
With me in secret that my womb conceived 
A growing burden. Meanwhile war arose, 
And fields were fought in Heaven: wherein remained 
(For what could else?) to our Almighty Foe 
Clear victory; to our part loss and rout 
Through all the Empyrean. Down they fell, 
Driven headlong from the pitch of Heaven...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 09

...unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams 
Incumbered, now had left them; up they rose 
As from unrest; and, each the other viewing, 
Soon found their eyes how opened, and their minds 
How darkened; innocence, that as a veil 
Had shadowed them from knowing ill, was gone; 
Just confidence, and native righteousness, 
And honour, from about them, naked left 
To guilty Shame; he covered, but his robe 
Uncovered more. So rose the Danite strong, 
Herculean Samson, from the harlot-lap 
...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Paradise Lost: Book 10

...to Chaos, since the Fiend passed through, 
Sin opening; who thus now to Death began. 
O Son, why sit we here each other viewing 
Idly, while Satan, our great author, thrives 
In other worlds, and happier seat provides 
For us, his offspring dear? It cannot be 
But that success attends him; if mishap, 
Ere this he had returned, with fury driven 
By his avengers; since no place like this 
Can fit his punishment, or their revenge. 
Methinks I feel new strength within me rise, 
W...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Reading An Anthology Of Chinese Poems Of The Sung Dynasty I Pause To Admire The Length And Clarity Of Their Titles

...ad to drink.

Maybe it is autumn and he is looking at a sparrow.
Maybe it is snowing on a town with a beautiful name.

"Viewing Peonies at the Temple of Good Fortune
on a Cloudy Afternoon" is one of Sun Tung Po's.
"Dipping Water from the River and Simmering Tea"
is another one, or just
"On a Boat, Awake at Night."

And Lu Yu takes the simple rice cake with
"In a Boat on a Summer Evening
I Heard the Cry of a Waterbird.
It Was Very Sad and Seemed To Be Saying
My Woman Is Cruel-...Read more of this...
by Collins, Billy

The Female Vagrant

...y constant toil and constant prayer supplied.  Three lovely infants lay upon my breast;  And often, viewing their sweet smiles, I sighed,  And knew not why. My happy father died  When sad distress reduced the childrens' meal:  Thrice happy! that from him the grave did hide  The empty loom, cold hearth, and silent wheel,  And tears that flowed for ills which patience could not heal.   'Twas ...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William

The Lady of the Lake

...ts to the gale,
          And broken arms and disarray
          Marked the fell havoc of the day.
     XX.

     'Viewing the mountain's ridge askance,
     The Saxons stood in sullen trance,
     Till Moray pointed with his lance,
          And cried: "Behold yon isle!—
     See! none are left to guard its strand
     But women weak, that wring the hand:
     'Tis there of yore the robber band
          Their booty wont to pile;—
     My purse, with bonnet-piec...Read more of this...
by Scott, Sir Walter

The Newport Railway

...,
I am sure 'twill fill their hearts with glee
By crossing o'er to Newport,
And there they can have excellent sport,
By viewing the scenery beautiful and gay,
During the livelong summer day, 

And then they can return at night
With spirits light and gay,
By the Newport Railway,
By night or by day,
Across the Railway Gridge o' the Silvery Tay. 

Success to the undertakers of the Newport Railway,
Hoping the Lord will their labours repay,
And prove a blessing to the people
For m...Read more of this...
by McGonagall, William Topaz

To The Dead

...up,

sick, throbbing with remorse and self-loathing,

insight like ashes: clung
to; useless; hated . . .

This was the viewing of the power of the waters

while the waters were asleep:--
secrets, histories of loves, betrayals, double-binds

not fit (you thought) for the light of day . . .

There is a NIGHT within the NIGHT,--

. . . for, there at times at night, still we
inhabit the secret place together . . .

Is this wisdom, or self-pity?--

The love I've known is the love...Read more of this...
by Bidart, Frank

Upon Appleton House to My Lord Fairfax

...ul Sin.
And yet that Worm triumphs not long,
But serves to feed the Hewels young.
While the Oake seems to fall content,
Viewing the Treason's Punishment.

Thus I, easie Philosopher,
Among the Birds and Trees confer:
And little now to make me, wants
Or of the Fowles, or of the Plants.
Give me but Wings as they, and I
Streight floting on the Air shall fly:
Or turn me but, and you shall see
I was but an inverted Tree.

Already I begin to call
In their most-learned Original:
And ...Read more of this...
by Marvell, Andrew

Yesterday and Today XII

...ealed to him the pages of his life's drama which he read with falling tears that veiled his eyes and prevented him from viewing man's feeble additions to Nature. 

He looked back with piercing regret to the images of his early life, woven into pattern by the gods, until he could no longer control his anguish. He said aloud, "Yesterday I was grazing my sheep in the green valley, enjoying my existence, sounding my flute, and holding my head high. Today I am a prisoner of greed....Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil

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