15 Favorite D.H. Lawrence Pansies - Short Poems
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Pansies - Short Poems - Thoughts
D.H. Lawrence is best known for his scandalous novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" which was famously banned in England when first published. Lawrence was also an illustrious poet, and one of his most notorious poetry Collections was "Pansies" - the anglicised version of the French "Pensees" meaning thoughts - which was likewise banned in England when it was first published.
My journey with Lawrence's "Pansies" began while researching my short poem anthology of 12-line poems titled "Pansies & Figs," in which his work is prominently featured alongside that of Edna St. Vincent Millay, contributing to the anthology's title. Accessing a copy of "Pansies" proved to be quite a challenge, leading me to create my own edition, "Pansies. Poems of D.H. Lawrence," which was published in 2026 and is available on Amazon.
Reading the full book of DH Lawrence's "Pansies", offer a glimpse into his psyche - and it is not always a flattering picture, especially when read almost a century later. Many of Lawrence's Pansies poems are quite contrary; in fact, I can honestly say some I strongly dislike. Many others are either profoundly thought-provoking or achingly beautiful.
My Favorite Short Poems from DH Lawrence's Pansies Collection
Here, I have curated a selection of 15 of my favorite short poems from "Pansies" for you to enjoy as a sampler of his remarkable work. They are all short yet, despite their brevity, each conveys Lawrence's insights and depth of feeling.
Let Us Be Men
For God's sake, let us be men not monkeys minding machines or sitting with our tails curled while the machine amuses us, the radio or film or gramophone. Monkeys with a bland grin on our faces.
This poem resonates enormously today as screens, streaming, algorithms and AI take over our daily life. In a world where technology shapes our interactions and perceptions, the themes of this poem are highly relevant.
Things Men Have Made
Things men have made with wakened hands, and put soft life into are awake through years with transferred touch, and go on glowing for long years. And for this reason, some old things are lovely warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.
The magic of handmade items, full of love, care and skill is praised. Lawrence consistently shows appreciation and respect to the individual's artistry and original self-expression.
Self-Pity
I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.
In Self-Pity, Lawrence's disdain for people who feel sorry for themselves is evident. In the natural world, creatures endure their fate without lament; Lawrence contrasts this with human self-pity, which he sees as an ignoble emotion that hinders growth.
Beautiful Old Age
It ought to be lovely to be old to be full of the peace that comes of experience and wrinkled ripe fulfilment. The wrinkled smile of completeness that follows a life lived undaunted and unsoured with accepted lies they would ripen like apples, and be scented like pippins in their old age. Soothing, old people should be, like apples when one is tired of love. Fragrant like yellowing leaves, and dim with the soft stillness and satisfaction of autumn. And a girl should say: It must be wonderful to live and grow old. Look at my mother, how rich and still she is! - And a young man should think: By Jove my father has faced all weathers, but it's been a life!
This poem, offering an idealized portrayal of old age from a young persons viewpoint, is understood differently depending on the reader's maturity.
There is Rain in Me
There is rain in me running down, running down, trickling away from memory. There is ocean in me swaying, swaying, O so deep so fathomlessly black and spurting suddenly up, snow-white, like snow-leopards rearing high and clawing with rage at the cliffs of the soul then disappearing back with a hiss of eternal salt rage; angry is old ocean within a man.
The second stanza is remarkable in vividly depicting the profound intensity of Lawrence's passions and rages.
Our Day is Over
Our day is over, night comes up shadows steal out of the earth. Shadows, shadows wash over our knees and splash between our thighs, our day is done; we wade, we wade, we stagger, darkness rushes between our stones, we shall drown. Our day is over night comes up.
The phrase “Our Day is Over” suggests a shift in culture or civilization - a common theme in "Pansies". Instead of a peaceful twilight, Lawrence’s night is a rising tide sneaking up from the earth to overwhelm us.
Old Song
The day is ending, the night descending the heart is frozen, the spirit dead; but the moon is wending her way, attending to other things that are left unsaid.
Nature and the non-human world continue their eternal cycles while man, if burdened by emotional coldness, succumbs to his frozen heart.
Spray
It is a wonder foam is so beautiful. A wave bursts in anger on a rock, broken up in wild white sibilant spray and falls back, drawing in its breath with rage, with frustration how beautiful!
In this poem Lawrence marvels at the exquisite beauty, power and rage of ocean foam. As it retreats, the wave seems to inhale deeply, embodying a mix of fury and frustration - perhaps a moment of Lawrence's self-reflection.
Touch
Since we have become so cerebral we can't bear to touch or be touched. Since we are so cerebral we are humanly out of touch. And so we must remain. For if, cerebrally, we force ourselves into touch, into contact physical and fleshly, we violate ourselves, we become vicious.
Lawrence had much more respect for genuine instinctive behaviours than contrived intellectualism or conformance to expectations and societal norms.
Conundrums
Tell me a word that you've often heard, yet it makes you squint when you see it in print! Tell me a thing that you've often seen yet if put in a book it makes you turn green! Tell me a thing that you often do, when described in a story shocks you through and through! Tell me what's wrong with words or with you that you don't mind the thing yet the name is taboo.
Lawrence calls out the squeamishness and hypocrisy of people who object to things put in writing which are everyday behaviours and may relate to his works, such as Lady Chatterley’s Lover .
Sea-Weed
Sea-weed sways and sways and swirls as if swaying were its form of stillness; and if it flushes against fierce rock it slips over it as shadows do, without hurting itself.
This poem's beauty is sublime, capturing the enchanting motion of seaweed in just four concise lines.
New Brooms
New brooms sweep clean but they often raise such a dust in the sweeping that they choke the sweeper.
Verging on an Epithet, this Pansy is powerful!
Immorality
It is only immoral to be dead-alive sun-extinct and busy putting out the sun in other people.
Lawrence prizes highly the undampened energy and exuberance of people and condemns those who settle into a dry, dead, unfulfilled life.
The Effort of Love
I am worn out with the effort of trying to love people and not succeeding. Now I've made up my mind I love nobody, I'm going to love nobody, I'm not going to tell any lies about it and it's final. If there's a man here and there, or a woman whom I can really like, that's quite enough for me. And if by a miracle a woman happened to come along who warmed the cockles of my heart I'd rejoice over the woman and the warmed cockles of my heart so long as it didn't all fizzle out in talk.
Lawrence was a reflective individual whose poetry often expressed a discontent with trivial conversation and noise. It seems this contributed to his dissatisfaction in matters of the heart at the time he wrote this poem.
Choice
I would rather sit still in a state of peace on a stone than ride in the motor-car of a multimillionaire and feel the peacelessness of the multimillionaire poisoning me.
Lawrence wrote many Pansy poems about capitalism and the pursuit of money of which he abhorred.
"Pansies" - poems under 12 lines
If you enjoyed this selection, and have the appetite for more, our 2026 published book of "Pansies" is available on Amazon.
PANSIES - Poems by DH Lawrence
The original collection of David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence’s Pansies Poems with a new introduction by SomeThink Publications.
First published in 1929, the title Pansies comes from the French pensée, meaning “thought.” Each poem is startling in its own way reflecting the passions and interests of Lawrence during the industrial revolution. Themes touch on society, women, love, the nature of work, individuality and originality.
Format:
5.5 x 8.5”
128 pages
Paperback or Hard Cover
Comments