I am putting a selection of poems together with the common theme of murder. Does anyone know of any good poems I could use? Thanks

Try this link:

[www.comedyzine.com]

Google "poems about murder" for a lot more.

john

Google Robert Browning and dramatic monologue for some of his, such as My Last Duchess, The Laboratory and Porphyria's Lover.

Here's one by someone we all know:

Author: J.H.SUMMERS (12.76.154.---)
Date: 05-14-02 18:18

The Sound of Thunder

Out there on the edge of town
lies a crumbling railroad track.
I set my feet to running
and I never can go back.
I left my love behind me
lying in a drainage ditch.
I caught her with another man
so I up and killed the bitch.
But now the hounds are chasing me,
my race is nearly run.
There's no where left for me to go
as I slowly pull my gun.
The barrel is cold against my head,
eternity is near.
There's just the sound of thunder
with no one there to hear.



Post Edited (07-14-04 11:32)

Go to [www.bartleby.com] ,

choose the "verse" tab,

and put the word MURDER in the search field.

Some of the hits will be poems that use the word "murder" for something other than the taking of human life, but there should be at least a few you can use.

You'll get some hits searching for MURTHER, too.

Here's one by Willfred Owen:

The Young Soldier

It is not death
Without hereafter
To one in dearth
Of life and its laughter,

Nor the sweet murder
Dealt slow and even
Unto the martyr
Smiling at heaven:

It is the smile
Faint as a (waning) myth,
Faint, and exceeding small
On a boy's murdered mouth.

Les

Another famous one by Thomas Hardy:

The Man He Killed
by Thomas Hardy

Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have set us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.

Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.

Les

To add to what Marian has said above, you might want to be more specific in your requests. Do you want classic poems? Contemporary? Any?

Other words which imply the meaning for which you search may be appropriate, such as; KILL, SLAY, WAR, HOLOCAUST, DEATH , etc.


Les

Is killing in war murder? Brings to mind an old movie, can't remember the name just now, Night of the Generals maybe. Anyway, someone was denouncing the bad guy, saying, "The General is a murderer!" To which the response was, "What do you think Generals do?"

Good point, but then was Hitler, not a murderer?

Les

I think if someone is dealing carelessly with one's troops, it could be murder.

pam

Here's an example-

The General

‘GOOD-MORNING; good-morning!’ the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ’em dead,
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
‘He’s a cheery old card,’ grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.
. . . .
But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

--Siegfried Sassoon

NO, NO, NO! We are NOT going to start discussing whether killing = murder (in scripture, in poetry, or anywhere else). We are not going to start debating whether killing someone on military orders = murder. You wanna do that, go start an ETHICS DISCUSSION FORUM somewhere else.

You wanna discuss POETRY'S response to any form of life-ending, be my guest.

Geez, Marian.
You murdered that thread!



jk


Jack

Well Marian, do you think that Killing somebody softly with your song is murder? Or does that question belong on the seduction by poetry thread?


Les

Nora crionna by James Stephens
My Last Ducchess
Porphy's lover-both by Browning
After experience taught me.. by W D Snodgrass
While my mother ate her heart out by Michae Baldwin
The Dorking Thigh by William Plomer
Victor by W H Auden

Snodgrass:

[alienoreo.homestead.com]

The others were either unfound or well known.

I am unable to respond to LG owing to my recent demise.

Yeesh....whatever happened to Fun Marian?