Poems List

Explore poems from our collection

Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

Athenasia

Athenasia
To that gaunt House of Art which lacks for naught
Of all the great things men have saved from Time,
The withered body of a girl was brought

258
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

At Verona

At Verona
HOW steep the stairs within Kings' houses are
For exile-wearied feet as mine to tread,
And O how salt and bitter is the bread
Which fal…

248
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

A Vision

A Vision
TWO crownèd Kings, and One that stood alone
With no green weight of laurels round his head,
But with sad eyes as one uncomforted,
And we…

220
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

Amor Intellectualis

Amor Intellectualis
OFT have we trod the vales of Castaly
And heard sweet notes of sylvan music blown
From antique reeds to common folk unknown:

257
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

What's The Use?

What's The Use?
Sure, deck your limbs in pants,
Yours are the limbs, my sweeting.
You look divine as you advance . . .
Have you seen yourself ret…

232
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

Winter Complaint

Winter Complaint
Now when I have a cold
I am careful with my cold,
I consult a physician
And I do as I am told.
I muffle up my torso

288
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

To My Valentine

To My Valentine
More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,
That's how much I love you.

377
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

Very Like a Whale

Very Like a Whale
One thing that literature would be greatly the better for
Would be a more restricted employment by the authors of simile and
metaphor. …

272
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

Tin Wedding Whistle

Tin Wedding Whistle
Though you know it anyhow
Listen to me, darling, now,

310
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Turtle

The Turtle
The turtle lives 'twixt plated decks
Which practically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle
such a fix to be so fertile.

272
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Sunset Years of Samuel Shy

The Sunset Years of Samuel Shy
Master I may be,
But not of my fate.
Now come the kisses, too many too late.
Tell me, O Parcae,
For fain w…

254
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Termite

The Termite
Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor t…

287
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Solitary Huntsman

The Solitary Huntsman
The solitary huntsman
No coat of pink doth wear,
But midnight black from cap to spur
Upon his midnight mare.
He dro…

230
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Shrimp

The Shrimp
A shrimp who sought his lady shrimp
Could catch no glimpse
Not even a glimp.
At times, translucence
Is rather a nuisance.

269
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Rhinoceros

The Rhinoceros
The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he's not a feast.
Farwell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I'll stare at something less …

242
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Praying Mantis

The Praying Mantis
From whence arrived the praying mantis?
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?
glimpse the grin, green metal mug
at masks the pse…

273
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Parent

The Parent
Children aren't happy with nothing to ignore,
And that's what parents were created for.

279
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Perfect Husband

The Perfect Husband
He tells you when you've got on
too much lipstick
And helps you with your girdle
when your hips stick.

218
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Octopus

The Octopus
Tell me, O Octopus, I begs
Is those things arms, or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, Octopus;
If I were thou, I'd call me Us.

302
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Lion

The Lion
Oh, weep for Mr. and Mrs. Bryan!
He was eaten by a lion;
Following which, the lion's lioness
Up and swallowed Bryan's Bryaness.

263
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Hippopotamus

The Hippopotamus
Behold the hippopotamus!
We laugh at how he looks to us,
And yet in moments dank and grim,
I wonder how we look to him.

243
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Jellyfish

The Jellyfish
Who wants my jellyfish?
I'm not sellyfish!

277
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Firefly

The Firefly
The firefly's flame
Is something for which science has no name
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified …

201
Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash

The Germ

The Germ
A mighty creature is the germ,
Though smaller than the pachyderm.
His customary dwelling place
Is deep within the human race.
Hi…

280