Famous Wisdom Poems by Famous Poets

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

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A poem on divine revelation

...sing, throws a dark eclipse 
On that high learning by her sages taught, 
In each high school of philosophic fame; 
Vain wisdom, useless sophistry condemn'd, 
As ignorance and foolishness of men. 
Let her philosophers debate no more 
In the Lyceum, or the Stoics porch, 
Holding high converse, but in error lost 
Of pain, and happiness, and fate supreme. 
Fair truth from heav'n draws all their reas'ning high 
In captive chains bound at her chariot wheels. 


Now Rome imperial, m...Read more of this...
by Brackenridge, Hugh Henry


Beowulf (Modern English)

...47)

Wulfgar spoke in reply—he was a prince of the Wendels—
his mindful spirit was known by many,
his valor and his wisdom: “I gladly will inquire
with the friend of the Danes, the lord of the Scyldings,
the dispenser of rings and famous prince,
as you are petitioning about your mission,
and will presently make known the answer
that the good man thinks to return to me.” (ll. 348-55)

Hastily he turned away to where Hrothgar sat
old and hoary, among his company of ...Read more of this...
by Anonymous,

Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

...ize, hung
Over his shoulders; his forehead was high; and glasses with horn bows
Sat astride on his nose, with a look of wisdom supernal.
Father of twenty children was he, and more than a hundred
Children's children rode on his knee, and heard his great watch tick.
Four long years in the times of the war had he languished a captive,
Suffering much in an old French fort as the friend of the English.
Now, though warier grown, without all guile or suspicion,
Ripe in wisdom was he...Read more of this...
by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth

Four Riddles

..., 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 comes this spectre grim,
Parting, like Death's cold river, souls that love?
Is not he bound to thee, as thou to him,
By vows, unwhispered here, yet heard above? 

And stil...Read more of this...
by Carroll, Lewis

Humanitad

...kes discontent to be its paramour,
And gives its kingdom to the rude control
Of what should be its servitor, - for sure
Wisdom is somewhere, though the stormy sea
Contain it not, and the huge deep answer ''Tis not in me.'

To burn with one clear flame, to stand erect
In natural honour, not to bend the knee
In profitless prostrations whose effect
Is by itself condemned, what alchemy
Can teach me this? what herb Medea brewed
Will bring the unexultant peace of essence not subdue...Read more of this...
by Wilde, Oscar


Hyperion

...ze of many centuries:
Now lost, save what we find on remnants huge
Of stone, or rnarble swart; their import gone,
Their wisdom long since fled.---Two wings this orb
Possess'd for glory, two fair argent wings,
Ever exalted at the God's approach:
And now, from forth the gloom their plumes immense
Rose, one by one, till all outspreaded were;
While still the dazzling globe maintain'd eclipse,
Awaiting for Hyperion's command.
Fain would he have commanded, fain took throne
And bid ...Read more of this...
by Keats, John

Inferno (English)

...r, 
 The wolfhound that shall rend her. His desire 
 Is not for rapine, as the promptings stir 
 Of her base heart; but wisdoms, and devoirs 
 Of manhood, and love's rule, his thoughts prefer. 
 The Italian lowlands he shall reach and save, 
 For which Camilla of old, the virgin brave, 
 Turnus and Nisus died in strife. His chase 
 He shall not cease, nor any cowering-place 
 Her fear shall find her, till he drive her back, 
 From city to city exiled, from wrack to wrack 
 Sl...Read more of this...
by Alighieri, Dante

Paradise Lost: Book 09

...of right: 
So standing, moving, or to highth up grown, 
The Tempter, all impassioned, thus began. 
O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving Plant, 
Mother of science! now I feel thy power 
Within me clear; not only to discern 
Things in their causes, but to trace the ways 
Of highest agents, deemed however wise. 
Queen of this universe! do not believe 
Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die: 
How should you? by the fruit? it gives you life 
To knowledge; by the threatener? ...Read more of this...
by Milton, John

Song of the Open Road

...usion of strength and will overwhelms law, and mocks all authority and all argument
 against
 it. 

Here is the test of wisdom; 
Wisdom is not finally tested in schools; 
Wisdom cannot be pass’d from one having it, to another not having it; 
Wisdom is of the Soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof,
Applies to all stages and objects and qualities, and is content, 
Is the certainty of the reality and immortality of things, and the excellence of things; 
Something th...Read more of this...
by Whitman, Walt

The Bride of Abydos

...n intents. 
And some — and I have studied all 
Distinguish'd from the vulgar rank, 
But chiefly to my council call 
The wisdom of the cautious Frank — 
And some to higher thoughts aspire, 
The last of Lambro's patriots there [35] 
Anticipated freedom share; 
And oft around the cavern fire 
On visionary schemes debate, 
To snatch the Rayahs from their fate. [36] 
So let them ease their hearts with prate 
Of equal rights, which man ne'er knew; 
I have a love of freedom too. 
Ay...Read more of this...
by Byron, George (Lord)

The Dungeon

...  And this place our forefathers made for man!  This is the process of our love and wisdom  To each poor brother who offends against us—  Most innocent, perhaps—and what if guilty?  Is this the only cure? Merciful God!  Each pore and natural outlet shrivell'd up  By ignorance and parching poverty,  His energies roll back upon his heart,  And stagnate and corrupt; till cha...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William

The Growth of Love

...n, when she sings,
Wins on the hearing like a shapen prow
Borne by the mastery of its urgent wings:
Or if she deign her wisdom, she doth show
She hath the intelligence of heavenly things,
Unsullied by man's mortal overthrow. 

32
Thus to be humbled: 'tis that ranging pride
No refuge hath; that in his castle strong
Brave reason sits beleaguer'd, who so long
Kept field, but now must starve where he doth hide;
That industry, who once the foe defied,
Lies slaughter'd in the trenc...Read more of this...
by Bridges, Robert Seymour

The Holy Grail

...udden light 
So that the angels were amazed, and she 
Followed Him down, and like a flying star 
Led on the gray-haired wisdom of the east; 
But her thou hast not known: for what is this 
Thou thoughtest of thy prowess and thy sins? 
Thou hast not lost thyself to save thyself 
As Galahad." When the hermit made an end, 
In silver armour suddenly Galahad shone 
Before us, and against the chapel door 
Laid lance, and entered, and we knelt in prayer. 
And there the hermit slaked ...Read more of this...
by Tennyson, Alfred Lord

The Idiot Boy

...You know him—him you often see;"   "He's not so wise as some folks be,"  "The devil take his wisdom!" said  The Doctor, looking somewhat grim,  "What, woman! should I know of him?"  And, grumbling, he went back to bed.   "O woe is me! O woe is me!  Here will I die; here will I die;  I thought to find my Johnny here,  But he is neither far nor near,  Oh! what a wre...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William

The Knights Tale

...is time such a conqueror
That greater was there none under the sun.
Full many a riche country had he won.
What with his wisdom and his chivalry,
He conquer'd all the regne of Feminie,
That whilom was y-cleped Scythia;
And weddede the Queen Hippolyta
And brought her home with him to his country
With muchel* glory and great solemnity, *great
And eke her younge sister Emily,
And thus with vict'ry and with melody
Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride,
And all his host, in arme...Read more of this...
by Chaucer, Geoffrey

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

...thinking that as
the sayings used in a nation, mark its character, so the Proverbs
of Hell, shew the nature of Infernal wisdom better than any
description of buildings or garments.
When I came home; on the abyss of the five senses, where a
flat sided steep frowns over the present world. I saw a mighty
Devil folded in black clouds, hovering on the sides of the rock,
with cor[PL 7]roding fires he wrote the following sentence now
percieved by the minds of men, & read by them on ...Read more of this...
by Blake, William

The Seasons: Winter

...of Heaven;
And, thro' their dewy Sluices, shed the Sun,
With temper'd Influence down. Then is the Time,
For those, whom Wisdom, and whom Nature charm,
To steal themselves from the degenerate Croud, 
And soar above this little Scene of Things:
To tread low-thoughted Vice beneath their Feet:
To lay their Passions in a gentle Calm,
And woo lone Quiet, in her silent Walks.

NOW, solitary, and in pensive Guise, 
Oft, let me wander o'er the russet Mead,
Or thro' the pining Grove; w...Read more of this...
by Thomson, James

The Tables Turned

...ks! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your Teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
...Read more of this...
by Wordsworth, William

The White Cliffs

...and rake, 
It shines for those who love; none else discern 
 Evil from good; Men's fall did not bestow 
That threatened wisdom; blindly still we yearn 
 After a virtue that we do not know, 
Until our thirst and longing rise above 
The barriers of reason—and we love. 

XIII 
And still I did not see my life was changed, 
Utterly different—by this love estranged 
For ever and ever from my native land; 
That I was now of that unhappy band 
Who lose the old, and cannot gain the ne...Read more of this...
by Miller, Alice Duer

White Flock

...of my sins?
Or is that this voice that now repeats
The last poems that you wrote for me?



x x x

Instead of wisdom -- experience, bare,
That does not slake thirst, is not wet.
Youth's gone -- like a Sunday prayer..
Is it mine to forget?

On how many desert roads have searched I
With him who wasn't dear for me,
How many bows gave in church I
For him, who had well loved me.

I've become more oblivious than inviting,
Quietly years swim.
Lips unkissed, eye...Read more of this...
by Akhmatova, Anna

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