What Poems Can You Remember?

[Tilly2]

Do you have any line of poetry in your head? Lines which you can recall very easily?

Can you write a couple of lines here and see if other people can recognise them?

Now, I have to be able to trust you all not to 'google'. I'd like to know which poems people can genuinely remember.

I don't want the whole poem, just a few lines.
Nursery rhymes and limericks, not allowed.

I'll start with

'If ever I saw blessing in the air
I see it now on this still early day.'

[shoota]

'If twixt you and neighbouring gun
Bird may fly or beast may run.....'

[grasscarp]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you .....

[Butterbun]

If.
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same

[marval]

Not sure I know that one Tilly. This is mine.

I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,

[cupid04]

Matilda told such dreadful lies
It made one gasp.....

[Learn't it off by heart years ago at Brownies. About a girl who cried wolf once too often]

[Tilly2]

I don't know yours, shoota. Don't tell me though. Someone else may know it.

[doctordb]

out of the night that covers me,
black as the pit from pole to pole
i thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul

[Psybbo]

Is there anybody there said the listener

[jno]

Oh for a muse of fire that would ascend
the brightest heaven of invention
a kingdom for a stage, princes to act
and monarchs to behold the swelling scene.
Then should the warlike Harry like himself
assume the port of Mars and at his heels
something something famine sword and fire
crouch for employment
something something wooden O

My English teacher had a theory that if you recited poetry just before you dropped off to sleep you'd remember it forever. After half a century, I'm beginning to think he may have been right.

[EcclesCake]

Let me take this other glove off.
As the vox humana swells.

In Westminster Abbey by John Betjeman.

[murraymints]

What life is this if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare....

[Wharton]

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day
The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea
The ploughman homewards plods his weary way
And leaves the world to darkness and to me

[rosyposy]

When fishes flew and forests walked
and figs grew among thorn

[grasscarp]

Marval's poem
I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born

Where blue and green boxes
humped away till dawn

[shoota]

Minties is by Browning but I can't remember the title or any more...

[jno]

ooh, is that on the Poetry on the Tube posters, grasscarp?

[marval]

Those are different words grasscarp

[grasscarp]

no. i just made that up.

[Tilly2]

Thanks everyone, so far.

I don't know shoota's or doctordb's

[EcclesCake]

....and I didn't read all of then OP and gave the answer :-(