Best Montague Poems
She was a Capulet and he a Montague
Yet the moment their eyes locked, such great passion grew
Scaled her balcony, professions of love to croon
Juliet warned, “Swear not by the inconstant moon”
Forced to elope because of a family feud
Hidden love’s revelation they had to elude
When Romeo’s friend Mercutio, Tybalt slew
Romeo killed Tybalt and from their town withdrew
Her father sought to wed Juliet to a Count
The friar gave her a potion, a small amount
Upon finding Juliet seemingly lifeless
Parents placed her in a tomb in funeral dress
The plan went awry and both lovers met their fate
Tragedy born when love did not overcome hate
June 9, 2011
Written for Brian's "Up to Thee Max 14 Lines" contest
A Montague. A Capulet.
‘Twas at a masquerade they met.
Two strangers caught each other's eyes
as strains of love began to rise.
Upon a courtyard balcony,
amidst the angst of family,
‘twas there the pair professed love's need -
though Kismet's kiss would intercede.
Alas, the banes of passion bleed -
resolving gest through tragedy.
The foils of fate singed hot as coals
yet death would reunite their souls.
Two hearts in heaven overflow -
One Juliet. One Romeo.
Oh Juliet! A memory of a love long lost in vain…
thy bridal song, a dirge of darkened madrigal becomes.
Yet thought of you, for me, brings more to mind of hate than pain
and all because you stole away the one who was my Love.
Whilst all the rest swoon ‘Juliet’, their precious turtle dove,
I left my love to serve my Lord, but thou – a concubine!
for Romeo forsook his first and foremost, Rosaline.
Let none be fooled! So cold and cruel thy wicked heart disguised,
behind a face of snow white youth and eyes of clearest blue
resides a witch, a sorceress; I swear it, though surmised.
Thy tender lips with somber kiss bore poison drops of dew
to steal my one and only love, my son of Montague!
Unfair the pair in Heaven will forever live in death,
whilst I, without my Romeo, yet he has Juliet!
*written from the point of view of Rosaline, Romeo's initial love interest before laying eyes on Juliet...
When last the Angels come to take me home
I'll pause in sheltered memories I leave
and peacefully my mind will surely roam
within the quiet calm that they conceive.
Your lair and guarded threshold beckoned me,
though hidden well behind tradition's door
and wrapped within your Mama's wistful pleas,
still, couldn't hide the heart I so adored.
Much like the fabled Montague of old,
I dared the very doorstep where you slept
- in kindred sharing laughed with truths you told
and gently swept the happy tears you wept.
The twilight glows upon what love begets;
forever you remain my Capulet ...
Shakespeare's quill gave Romeo and Juliet a tragic ending
but that's a sad love story I think needs a bit of mending.
Yes, he's the Bard, but quite frankly it broke my heart
to learn they both died needlessly. I hated that part.
In my rewritten dialogue between them, I'd find a way
to change their ill-fated future and have Juliet say,
"Romeo, it's only for you that my heart will ere yearn.
I will simply fake my death and when our families learn
that we've left Verona, we will be married... man and wife
and be together as we have planned, happy with life."
The messenger she sent to give Romeo the good news,
I'd replace with a more diligent one that I would choose.
I'd have made the couple more intelligent and shrewd,
perhaps put an end to the Montague and Capulet feud.
The tale of star-crossed lovers would end on a happy note,
without Juliet seeming to have died. No need for an antidote.
When Juliet says, "Romeo. Romeo. Wherefore art thou?"
He would come to her on the balcony, and he would vow...
"Juliet, I swear, never did my heart love until now.
For I never saw true beauty til this night,
and if perchance our families had forbidden us to wed,
from Verona we would've left. From Italy we would've fled.
With apologies to Shakespeare, my edit I would offer,
not a penny nor one Euro would I take for my coffer.
Indulge me for just a moment for I'm a romantic at heart,
and dared alter the ending by not keeping the couple apart.
In whispered silence two hearts run in league
Reluctant each to raise the wakeful mist
By mantle of night and moonlight’s sweet mystique
While forbidden fate hides a lovers’ tryst
The moon espies what hides in gentile guise
Though fate forbid a love one can’t resist
To live, to love and chance a heart’s demise
While dreams hearken to this lovers’ tryst
Bright moon, stand fast! Pray, ‘yond dawn, be stayed!
For Juliet, knowing well they’ll e’er desist
Wills not this blessèd night be here waylaid
For fear this dream remain a lovers’ tryst
Her surrendered heart belongs to Montague
The ‘morn will show if his own love be true
Christopher Thor Britt
Motif: Romantic
Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, KBE, RA, RHA (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931), was an Irish artist who worked mainly in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful, painter of portraits for the well-to-do in Edwardian society, though many of his most striking paintings are self-portraits.
His painting inspired this small verse
Wherefore gazest thee from yon balcony,
O fairest Juliet? Searchest thou for one
that loveth thee 'neath heaven's brazen sun,
that son of Montague—'tis felony!?
Thou lovest him? Ah! but loveth he thee?
'Ere long thy love for him wilt be undone
by poison and—alas!—thou wilt be gone
and we shalt grieve—both Houses!—yea, all we
and Montague! I beg of thee—instead
be mine? For I'm thy kinsman, Capulet!
Be mine! And like that Romeo fore-said,
I'll worship thee as divine; and forget
that thy wayward heart near left me for dead
whilst thou eloped with him, mine Juliet.
Take My Hand, And Be My Love
By Rick Rucker
Come with me, and be My Love,
Only seeing blue skies Above!
At odd moments, throughout the day,
At tape of recent events, in my mind, I play,
All of my defenses,
Are bypassed by my overloaded senses,
I’m sure my friends think me quite daft,
They’ve seen me oddly smile, heard that I weirdly laughed,
Although it isn’t yet Spring,
Friends mention that I often sing,
At the slightest provocation,
Due to my dearest avocation,
Which is Loving You!
The only thing I forever want to do!
I know that You are more reserved than Me,
Don’t blame me, you have set my Inhibitions Free!
I feel like some love-struck kid,
My Love for You, I never hid.
You have given my Heart wings,
Played a Lover’s tune on my Heart strings!
Take my Hand, and walk with me,
I will try to let You see,
Just how wonderful our Lives will be
Me, in Love with You, and You with Me,
In a Garden of Delight,
Loving You, both day, and night!
Being with You, I will never tire,
To be by your side, I would swim through Fire!
Though our names be not Montague, nor Capulet,
Our Love will be remembered, that I’ll bet,
For such an epic Love, it would be a sin,
If others could not listen in,
My poems are meant to record,
How blessed I am, with You as my reward,
How long will I write for you, a Love Rhyme?
Only until the end of Time!
Woe is me-woe is me
Romeo Montague
loved Julie Capulet
what e'er the cost,
but in the end it seems
lovers so torn between
interfamilial
fueds, can be lost.
She sat on the dark stage, where long ago
She played the part of Juliet to his Romeo.
She clutched a bouquet of red roses, now dried
Lost in her memories, and once more she cried.
I am no stranger to the cause of her sorrow.
I know I'll find her here again tomorrow.
My misty lady gives me leave to tell her story
of days when acting brought fame and glory.
ACT I ~ SCENE I The curtain opens ~
Enter Juliet Capulet; a young and lovely miss.
Then Romeo Montague, who craved her kiss.
A romantic interlude between lover's hearts.
This is when the romance of misty lady starts.
As actress and actor, they played many roles.
Being happily married was their highest goal.
Their lives were like plays, but of what kind?
The lady could never be sure of or define.
Sometimes a drama with unwritten script,
those times when the stage was dimly lit.
But those were never her favorite parts,
She loved ones with the actor of her heart
If they could've starred only in the comedies,
her world wouldn't hold such tragedies.
Her tears would not still be falling like rain,
And her love would not have been all in vain
The lady cries, but she can no longer sing,
No role of queen for she's lost her king.
No more bows to take or curtains raised
No standing ovations or fans who praise.
She was never an actress with him, I know
For the misty lady has often told me so.
She cries now because of his acting skill,
and for the love scenes he chose to kill.
He found a new leading lady, on another stage,
but the misty lady was not filled with rage.
Only with sadness does she reveal her emotions.
He fooled her when speaking of his heart's devotion.
So now you know why she mourns and grieves,
Why her tears still fall like golden autumn leaves.
The bouquet of roses, she takes with her each day ~
Romeo gave them to Juliet at the end of their play.
~ The final curtain falls ~
William Spencer Montague Sprat
(why on earth they called him that)
lived a life of luxury
suited to autocracy.
T'was true that Lady Sprat his mum
with a true Lord had had her fun
and bore a son of noble blood
as any Lord and Lady should.
But alas our Lady Sprat
had acted like a little prat
for she was not betrothed to he
that boosted up her family tree.
This Lord was married to another
(chosen by his own sweet mother)
and though his Lady had fair grace
she couldn't keep his randy pace.
So poor young William S M Sprat
was not pure blood and more than that,
the Lord he thought was his dear dad
didn't know that he'd been had.
But Lady Sprat, she knew her game
and even gave her son that name
although it made him sound a prat
it gave him heritage of Sprat.
So if your name puts you to shame
although your parents are to blame
don't be a prat, just bear the pain
remember Sprat and don't complain!
Ivor G Davies
Mystery shrouds the star lit night
As lovers exposed to evening delights
In masks we dance, we all go around
Who is who, do we really know?
Who is Romeo and who is to die?
Ladies in waiting, do their waltz
As the Lady of the evening bathes at dusk
Champagne glasses in pink do reflect
All the Shakespeare penned, indirect
For its he that said we love to decept
Young lovers will hold onto devotions
Choose between Montague and Capulet
For lances of blood forever thrust
Into the loser of Williams tales
Mademoiselle is saddened by wilted rose
She smashes to pieces all her dreams
The waltz of knights and lovers will end
She had to choose between Montague and Capulet
She chose first the arrow, for hearts don’t mend
Shakespeare wins yet once more
For with my saber, I drank champagne
And read this tale yet once again!
Montague and Capulet on horses rode
As Sergei pondered and composed
Juliette just shed her tears
Dancing Knights have no fear
The ballet of love makes one shake
As the Knight lances his final spear
The irony of classic tales
Old stories we hold so dear
Notes
Where to begin! Well although this seems somewhat about Romeo and Juliette, its actually based on a song, that well its also a muse on Romeo and Juliette.
The song/artist is
Alizée - Mademoiselle Juliette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyUXWgmEvE8
Although Montagues and Capulets are characters in Shakespeare’s story, "Montagues and Capulets", is also known as "Dance of the Knights", a work of classical music written by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev for his 1935 ballet Romeo and Juliet. Later, he wrote versions for both orchestra and piano.
Thus the Title of the poem, and the mention of Sergei in the poem.
His composition can be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMrSPOWrYGA
The line “For with my saber, I drank champagne “
In the old days, Champagne was actually opened with a saber on some occasions. Though it's rare to use a sword these days, the expression "to Saber champagne" still is in usage in French.
So an English Tale became a Russian Symphony piece and a French Muse, and now a Canadian poem!
Juliet, please come to the window
And tell me that there is no other
Romeo stop acting so crazy
You'll wake up my father and mother.
Crazy? I'm crazy about you
And I'm hoping you feel the same
Come down, we'll walk in the garden
And forget about our last names
Romeo it's not that easy
To turn your back on tradition
I love you with all of my heart
Don't put me in this position.
My Juliet what's in a name
when you and I are together.
We're both young lets give it a try
I've looked, there is no one better.
Juliet you're a Capulet
And I a simple Montague.
Our stars are not in alignment
But that's always going to be true.
Juliet, love is the answer
We really should not hesitate
Let's join our families together
And just leave the rest up to fate.
Two golden souls, star-crossed and torn apart,
Must be there lies a curse upon this heart,
For love, and love returned that can't remain
Has left it but a beating, broken frame.
To touch your skin so soft as satin sheets,
Your eyes through which your soul, my own soul meets,
A kiss upon those lips that haunt my dreams
I long to place, but will no more it seems.
Who would believe 'The Bard' could prophesy
Sweet love so doomed as that of you and I,
Two double centuries before we learn
That true Verona sits above the Tern.
Yet still this fractured heart cries out for you
My Capulet, with love, your Montague.