poems-about-truth

75 Poems about Truth and Its Essence

Poetry has long been used to explore the complexities of truth and its role in our lives.

These poems about truth delve into the essence of truth and what it means to live honestly and authentically.

From famous works that have become cultural touchstones to short, pithy pieces that make us laugh or think, these poems offer unique perspectives on the concept of truth.

Whether exploring the ways in which truth can bring us closer to those we love or exposing the destructive power of lies and deceit, these poems for truth remind us of the importance of honesty and integrity in our lives.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Famous Poems about Truth

A collection of famous truth poems that have shaped our literary understanding of truth, from Tennyson to Dickinson is presented here.

1. Beauty and Truth

       by Ruby Archer

I walk in stately mansions
The great are kind to me
They find perhaps within my verse
A tang of novelty
If beauty gilds my rhyming,
How quickly they applaud;
But when the iron clamps my line,
Their thoughts are all abroad.
Ah! Beauty—I adore it,
And hold it ardently;
Yet beauty is a bloom that dies—
The truth is more to me.
How oft the truth refuses
To bend in singing smooth;
For thoughts uprooted from the soul
Come rugged and uncouth.

2. Courage Forever

       by John Bodwell Wood

What we do, let’s do with boldness;
What we know, let’s speak for aye!
And respect naught for its oldness
If it be not right to-day.
What is right, with will is power;
Truth is truth, and must prevail;
And true courage for an hour
Often is of great avail.
Naught is gained by coward groaning
Under each mishap and ill;
Give us men not always moaning—
Men of nerve and iron will.
Firmly stand to Freedom’s calling,
Battling to defend the right—
Fainting not though scenes appalling
Startle others timid sight.

3. I Died for Beauty, But Was Scarce

       by Emily Dickinson

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
“For beauty,” I replied.
“And I for truth, — the two are one;
We brethren are,” he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.

4. Roots and Earth

       by Ruby Archer

Poor, pitiful race of unthinkers!
We shrink from the roots of things,
Fearing defilement of lingers,
Meeting the earth where it clings.
We go through life always plucking
Visible blossoms of words,—
Careless of what lies beneath them
As the honey-bees or the birds.
We want the flowers for garlands.
If truth of the dust be espied,
And the roots of thought follow our plucking,—
Disdainful, we fling all aside.
A plant cannot bloom without rootlets,
And roots cannot live without earth;
No more can our words be enduring,
If thoughts have not truth for their birth.

5. Peace

       by Bliss Carman

The sleeping tarn is dark
Below the wooded hill.
Save for its homing sounds,
The twilit world grows still.
And I am left to muse
In grave-eyed mystery,
And watch the stars come out
As sandalled dusk goes by.
And now the light is gone,
The drowsy murmurs cease,
And through the still unknown
I wonder whence comes peace.
Then softly falls the word
Of one beyond a name,
“Peace only comes to him
Who guards his life from shame, —
“Who gives his heart to love,
And holding truth for guide,
Girds him with fearless strength,
That freedom may abide.”

6. Great Truths are Portions of the Soul

       by James Russell Lowell

Great Truths are portions of the soul of man;
Great souls are portions of Eternity;
Each drop of blood that e’er through true heart ran
With lofty message, ran for thee and me;
For God’s law, since the starry song began,
Hath been, and still for evermore must be,
That every deed which shall out last Time’s span
Must goad the soul to be erect and free;
Slave is no word of deathless line age sprung,—
Too many noble souls have thought and died,
Too many mighty poets lived and sung,
And our good Saxon, from lips purified
With martyr-fire, throughout the world hath rung
Too long to have God’s holy cause denied.

7. Sincerity

       by Ruby Archer

Oh, weariness of people
With smiling, empty face!
The savage in my heart rebels,
And feels all out of place.
Away with formal parlance
In farce of courtesy!
Let word of heart come unrestrained
In frank simplicity.
Oh, fie on fair words veiling
Hypocrisy and strife!
The very soul is worn by mere
Machinery of life.
Give me the forest rather,
At one with creatures wild;
To walk in kindly Nature’s halls,
And be her simple child.
For what I hear in silence
Is better far than words;
No fret of what availeth not
Among the leaves and birds.
To see with clearer vision,
To feel with quickened sense,
To know that God-ward all is well,—
Behold my recompense!

8. My Name is Truth

       by Carl Sandburg

My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of
universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I
reach my hands and play with pebbles of
destiny.
I have been to hell and back many times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs
reading “Keep Off.”
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive
in the universe.
Who Am I?

Funny Poems about Truth

These interesting poems about truth use humor to explore the slippery nature of truth and its role in our lives.

1. Why People Lie

       by Pj Gongora

Some people lie for no reason at all
While many lie with a great reasoning
Most lie to safeguard and be saved from fall
Others let themselves be blamed for speaking.

Few lie for a good acceptable cause
And many just construct a cause to lie
Its not always the flip side of truth’s pause
Sometimes a lie stands on its own clean tie.

For lying is a complex social act
More than a habit but a human trait
To be a well functional artefact
Protecting expectations truth can’t wait.

Lies cover up another truth to suit
Or made to create a new set of truth.

2. Fake Words

       by Zamreen Zarook

God have given us mouth,
Not to speak to north and south,
Tongue is given under an oath,
So it’s our duty to protect them both.

Girls chat fake with boys,
Having a notion that the boys are toys,
They often make varied noise,
Thinking to keep a trap on handsome guys.

Boys are also human being,
So it’s not possible being clean,
Things varies in the way they are seen,
So positive thinking will make you keen.

Boys’ minds are pure,
As it is pure bio,
So don’t try to pour vino,
Which will take decades to get cure.

3. The Toilet Dream Speaks the Truth

       by Sarah Jones

I had a dream
Where all my clothes
Were in my toilet bowl
Clogging it.

Apparently this means that
I am drenched in emotions
Which need to be released
And expressed,

So I wrote
This poem.

4. Contradictionary

       by Honestly J.T.

I feel that I’ve not done,
Everything that I should do.
I’ve not found the sun,
Nor what rain,
May have to prove.
Every word is dry,
With a fighting attitude,
Trying to deny,
What I’d truly say to you.
I’ve tried to be the kind,
To write,
And please your very eyes.
Yet there comes a time,
When my muse,
Runs and hides.
Nay! This game of pain,
Is not what I ordain.
Peace will be sustained,
On the day,
I write again.

5. Some Thoughts

       by Joe Dimino

God believes in term limits –
no surprise, Congress does not;

The soul responds immediately
to truth – while policy requires
endless debating…

Good needs no rehearsing –
unlike evil, always heavily
scripted and eternally
contracted….

6. Truth

       by L. Owens

I want the truth.
The whole truth, not your spin
doctor, sound bite version of
the truth, but the real deal,
honest to God
Baptist preacher on Easter
Sunday morning truth.
The kind of truth you only tell
your mama, because she’s psychic,
and it’s a waste of time trying to
tell her anything else anyway.
Okay, let’s have it.
I’m a big girl and I can take it,
I won’t cry.
I want the truth.
The whole truth.
Did you eat the last
damn slice of pizza?

7. I Have Holes in My Soles

       by Rudolph Rinaldi

I have holes in my soles
my shirts and shoes
are wearing out –
and they tell me
I am too

I patch and glue
to make them whole –
but fail
to make them new

I have holes in my soles
and frayed treads on my edges –
but manage
for the most part to get through

until one day
they say
it will all fall apart
hopefully all at once
I pray

8. The Naked Truth – Prequel

       by Tim Smith

Laid right there on some fluffy grass
waiting for all the boys to pass
the wind would blow
Callie would show
those gazing down her prickly azz

Short Poems about Truth

These concise works distill the essence of truth and its importance in our lives. So let’s read some short poetries about truth.

1. Truth

       by Sri Chinmoy

Truth never descends.
Truth never compromises.
Truth is satisfied only when
It sees everything and everyone
At its own Himalayan height.

2. The Face of Truth

       by Upanishads

The Face of Truth is covered
with a brilliant golden orb.
Remove it, O Sun,
so that I who am devoted to the Truth
may behold the Truth.

3. Truth

       by Benjamin Hine

Truth, I see thy hallowed features,
Circled round with glory bright,
Too bright to dwell with sinful creatures,
Heaven, not earth, is thy delight.
There, from the eternal ages,
Thou in honour hast abode,
Loved and revered by highest angels,
A darling attribute of God.
Not so on earth; frail man abjures thee,
His eyes too weak to bear thy light,
To shun the blaze of thy effulgence,
He hides himself in error’s night,—
Darkness befits him.

4. One Truth

       by Sri Chinmoy

One truth to learn:
Ignorance is naught.

One truth to follow:
The path of Grace.

One truth to live:
Forget Him not.

One truth to be:
His Heart and Face.

5. Falsehood

       by Anonymous

Is there still a rainbow after the rain?
An unanswered message, life is full of lies

Darkness falls – like a thief steals the daylight
I get confused – hear demons whisper

It happened so suddenly, struggling to breathe
Tired of all the things that hurts

If life was an adventure I would love to dance
Everything around me is in a white blur – the truth?

Long Poems about Truth

These epic long poetries about truth offer extended meditations on truth and its complexities. So let’s take a look at them

1. Truth Smiles in Child!

       by Ramdas Bhandarkar

What an eternal pair they are,
God and Nature, positive and negative,
God revolving freely around nature,
Smiles at Nature,
And Nature smiles at God,
Smile makes one beautiful and they fell in love of beauty in one another!

Just like parents smile AT the kid,
Nature says to God,
‘See, This child is your Creation,
you are its father,
take care of it’

God smiles and says, ‘Its your child,
take care of this,
And this is your child’

Child smiles innocently at both,
Nature Smile at child and says,
I am your mother, He is your father,
When child smiles at father,
father’s heart too jumps and smiles,
Father sees its beloved Nature,
And Nature sees her Beloved God in the smile of the child!

In the child both smile together, seeing at one another!

Matter smiles at energy and energy smiles at matter,
and in the child both smile together,

But in their love and smile,
Truth smiles,
eyes of both God, Nature shine at the smile of the Child,
Never both able to see the silent smile of Truth,
It says within child, it’s soliliquoy goes unheard,

‘I am that,
Smiled in you,
I am the creator of both,
But God and Nature Never able to see me,
Only seeing me as their child,
I smile At them,
that I kept my identity,
Hidden safe in You’

2. Echo

       by Hannah Flagg Gould

“Father! father! come with me
Down among the rocks!
Softly! for I long to see
Who it is that mocks.
When I laugh, or sing, or call,
Some one there repeats it all.”
“Ah! my child, thou dost not know
All that ‘s dear and true,
In this world of noise and show,
Has its semblance too.
E’en a sound with joy in it
Will draw forth its counterfeit.
“Mid the dissonance of earth
We so oft must hear,
Sweet the voice of infant mirth
Falls upon the ear.
Mingled innocence and joy!
Blessed harmony, my boy.
“And, in heartless mockery,
Echo now has caught
Tones of gladness sent from thee;
While herself is nought
But the shadow of a sound,
Thrown from rocks and hills around.
“Be thou cautioned from to-day;
For thou yet must meet,
Here and there on life’s rude way,
Many a fair deceit.
No illusion seek to trace
To her seeming dwelling place.
“Here, while snares and pit-falls lie
Round on every part,
One is calling from on high,
“Son, give me thy heart!”
He will ne’er deceive nor mock,
Fly to Him, the LIVING ROCK!”

3. All is Truth

       by Walt Whitman

O me, man of slack faith so long,
Standing aloof, denying portions so long,
Only aware to-day of compact all-diffused truth,
Discovering to-day there is no lie or form of lie, and can be none,
but grows as inevitably upon itself as the truth does upon itself,
Or as any law of the earth or any natural production of the earth does.

(This is curious and may not be realized immediately, but it must be
realized,
I feel in myself that I represent falsehoods equally with the rest,
And that the universe does.)

Where has fail’d a perfect return indifferent of lies or the truth?
Is it upon the ground, or in water or fire? or in the spirit of man?
or in the meat and blood?

Meditating among liars and retreating sternly into myself, I see
that there are really no liars or lies after all,
And that nothing fails its perfect return, and that what are called
lies are perfect returns,
And that each thing exactly represents itself and what has preceded it,
And that the truth includes all, and is compact just as much as
space is compact,
And that there is no flaw or vacuum in the amount of the truth–but
that all is truth without exception;
And henceforth I will go celebrate anything I see or am,
And sing and laugh and deny nothing.

4. If

       by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
 
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

5. A Nation of Cowards

       by Hebert Logerie

Powerful words,
Truthful words,
Honest words,
Brave words;
This is exactly what the Doctor orders,
For a nation, who’s trying to fight the horrors
Of blatant racism,
Unfairness, injustice,
Nepotism and sexism.
A man of Peace,
Without controversies,
Is not a genuine activist.
The truth is being tolled; there is no reason to apologize,
‘Cause you’re exercising your God-given rights.
The sickness, the maladies,
Which America has been suffering
For over five centuries,
Need to be healed as you’re reading
My honest feelings.
This is painful, this is long overdue.
My brave People are tired of fighting
The ills and the stigmas of our societies.
This is hurtful, this is way overdue.
The Truth hurts, thank God Almighty;
“Another One” is unafraid to tell the Truth,
“This One” is dissecting the false myth,
And the backward ideologies, thank God Almighty!
The prisons are populated by innumerable innocents,
The Police and their cronies randomly humiliate
Our parents, siblings and cousins.
We have every reason to be mad and irate.
A more just and fair system needs to be in place now.
The Brother is using strong medicine right now:
Powerful words,
Truthful words,
Honest words,
Brave words,
To save America,
The beautiful diva,
Who stands for: “Justice, Freedom,
Liberty and Happiness for All.”
We should denounce Uncle Tom
And his monkeys. Brothers, who walk tall
Like you and our President,
Are rare and almost nonexistent.
The Truth will always set free:
The men of Justice, the men of integrity,
The men of Peace, the men of honesty;
The Brothers and Sisters who will tirelessly
Fight racism, the twin-brother of slavery.

6. Truth

       by Hafiz

O fool, do something, so you won’t just stand there looking dumb.
If you are not traveling and on the road, how can you call yourself a guide?

In the School of Truth, one sits at the feet of the Master of Love.
So listen, son, so that one day you may be an old father, too!

All this eating and sleeping has made you ignorant and fat;
By denying yourself food and sleep, you may still have a chance.

Know this: If God should shine His lovelight on your heart,
I promise you’ll shine brighter than a dozen suns.

And I say: wash the tarnished copper of your life from your hands;
To be Love’s alchemist, you should be working with gold.

Don’t sit there thinking; go out and immerse yourself in God’s sea.
Having only one hair wet with water will not put knowledge in that head.

For those who see only God, their vision
Is pure, and not a doubt remains.

Even if our world is turned upside down and blown over by the wind,
If you are doubtless, you won’t lose a thing.

O Hafiz, if it is union with the Beloved that you seek,
Be the dust at the Wise One’s door, and speak!

7. A Legend of Truth

       by Rudyard Kipling

Once on a time, the ancient legends tell,
Truth, rising from the bottom of her well,
Looked on the world, but, hearing how it lied,
Returned to her seclusion horrified.
There she abode, so conscious of her worth,
Not even Pilate’s Question called her forth,
Nor Galileo, kneeling to deny
The Laws that hold our Planet ‘neath the sky.
Meantime, her kindlier sister, whom men call
Fiction, did all her work and more than all,
With so much zeal, devotion, tact, and care,
That no one noticed Truth was otherwhere.

Then came a War when, bombed and gassed and mined,
Truth rose once more, perforce, to meet mankind,
And through the dust and glare and wreck of things,
Beheld a phantom on unbalanced wings,
Reeling and groping, dazed, dishevelled, dumb,
But semaphoring direr deeds to come.

Truth hailed and bade her stand; the quavering shade
Clung to her knees and babbled, “Sister, aid!
I am–I was–thy Deputy, and men
Besought me for my useful tongue or pen
To gloss their gentle deeds, and I complied,
And they, and thy demands, were satisfied.
But this–” she pointed o’er the blistered plain,
Where men as Gods and devils wrought amain–
“This is beyond me! Take thy work again.”

Tablets and pen transferred, she fled afar,
And Truth assumed the record of the War…
She saw, she heard, she read, she tried to tell
Facts beyond precedent and parallel–
Unfit to hint or breathe, much less to write,
But happening every minute, day and night.
She called for proof. It came. The dossiers grew.
She marked them, first, “Return. This can’t be true.”
Then, underneath the cold official word:
“This is not really half of what occurred.”

She faced herself at last, the story runs,
And telegraphed her sister: “Come at once.
Facts out of hand. Unable overtake
Without your aid. Come back for Truth’s own sake!
Co-equal rank and powers if you agree.
They need us both, but you far more than me!”

Poems about Truth That Rhyme

Rhyming poems on truth use rhyme to reinforce the importance of truth in our lives. Let’s enjoy their rhythm together!

1. The Soldier

       by J. G. Adams

A soldier! a soldier! I’m longing to be:
The name and the life of a soldier for me!
I would not be living at ease and at play;
True honor and glory I’d win in my day.
A soldier! a soldier! in armor arrayed;
My weapons in hand, of no contest afraid;
I’d ever be ready to strike the first blow,
And to fight my way through the ranks of the foe.
But then, let me tell you, no blood would I shed,
No victory seek o’er the dying and dead;
A far braver soldier than this would I be;
A warrior of Truth, in the ranks of the free.
A soldier! a soldier! Oh, then, let me be!
My friends, I invite you, enlist now with me.
Truth’s bands shall be mustered, love’s foes shall give way!
Let’s up, and be clad in our battle array!

2. The Goal

       by Amos Russel Wells

There is one thing nobly worth while,
Though the parrots chatter and scream,
Though the critics howl and the cynics smile,
And life seems a mocking dream.
There is one thing that grandly counts,
In the face of the tempting glare,
In the tempests of doubt on the lonely mounts,
In the thickets of thorny care.
And that’s to hold the truth!
To abide with justice and right,
To be a man in genuine sooth,
With heaven’s invincible might.
There are bowers of beauty and love,
There are trumpets of lordly fame,
There are pleasures below and blessings above
That flash with a lifting flame.
Let them flaunt their allurements high,
Let them beckon and call and cajole;
There is only one worth in the earth and the sky,
And that is an honest soul.

3. Let Us be True

       by J. R. Eastwood

Let us be true, the young and strong,
And, waging battle with the wrong,
Stand, clear of darkness, in the light,
And brave the world, and do the right.
From day to day, from year to year,
Let conscience speak, and reason hear,
And action seal—though pain and grief
Oppress the heart beyond relief.
Though we should die for it—the truth
Is brighter on the brows of youth
Than crowns of gold that glitter fair
With crime and falsehood written there.
And void of gloom the days shall be
When age and weakness muse and see
The days of strength that shine afar
Where truth was like a guiding star!

4. Best Practice

       by Catherine Pulsifer

The truth is always the best practice
As the truth always comes to the surface.
In all your dealings, whether business or personal,
The truth is the most rational.

A little white lie can grow and grow
Until the truth no longer shows.
When you tell the truth you never have to worry
About being caught and having to ask for mercy.

5. Truth Will Triumph

       by Colfax Burgoyne Harman

When gossips’ talk and traitor’s scheming,
And jealous fiends on evil bent,
With basest vices unredeeming,
Brand the names of the innocent;
When hope’s bright sun seems nearly setting,
The future dim and cloudy lies,
And you more tired of life are getting,
And tears of sorrow dim the eyes;
Cheer up, take courage, do not falter,
Truth will triumph by and by,
Time all evil things will alter,
Vice and wickedness must die.
**********
Some men are not unlike the owl
That base, wild-eyed, nocturnal fowl,
That slays his victims in the night,
And brings his deeds not unto light.

6. Turn

       by Maria J Dodge

Turn while yet the sun is shining,
Turn to honor and to truth;
Turn before the day’s declining;
Seek the soul’s more perfect growth.
Turn unto the paths of duty,
Left for you by those of old;
Ye shall find a world of beauty,
Better far than paltry gold.

7. Truth Is the Sun

       by Samuel Valentine Cole

The truth is large; no man hath seen the whole;
Larger than words; it brooks not the control
Of argument and of distinctions nice;
No age or creed can hold it, no device
Of speech or language; ay, no syllogism;
Truth is the sun, and reason is the prism
You lift before it; whence the light is thrown
In various colors; each man takes his own.
If this man takes the red, as you the blue,
Is yours the whole, and is his truth not true?
Spirit is truth, howe’er the colors fall;
The fact comes back to spirit, after all.

Poems about Truth for Children

Engaging poems about truth for kids introduce young readers to the concept of truth and its importance are a must read for your little ones!

1. Be True, Boys

       by Henry Downton

Whatever you are, be brave, boys!
The liar’s a coward and slave, boys!
Though clever at ruses
And sharp at excuses,
He’s a sneaking and pitiful knave, boys!
Whatever you are, be frank, boys!
’Tis better than money and rank, boys!
Still cleave to the right,
Be lovers of light;
Be open, aboveboard, and frank, boys!
Whatever you are, be kind, boys!
Be gentle in manners and mind, boys!
The man gentle in mien,
Words, and temper, I ween,
Is the gentleman truly refined, boys!
But, whatever you are, be true, boys!
Be visible through and through, boys;
Leave to others the shamming,
The “greening” and “cramming”
In fun and in earnest, be true, boys!

2. Speak the Truth

       by Anonymous

Speak the truth!
Speak it boldly, never fear;
Speak it so that all may hear;
In the end it shall appear
Truth is best in age and youth.
Speak the truth.
Speak the truth!
Truth is beautiful and brave,
Strong to bless and strong to save
Falsehood is a coward knave;
From it turn thy steps in youth—
Follow truth!

3. The Boy Who Never Told A Lie

       by Anonymous

Once there was a little boy,
With curly hair and pleasant eye—
A boy who always told the truth,
And never, never told a lie.

And when he trotted off to school,
The children all about would cry,
“There goes the curly-headed boy—
The boy that never tells a lie.”

And everybody loved him so,
Because he always told the truth,
That every day, as he grew up,
‘Twas said, “There goes the honest youth.”
And when the people that stood near
Would turn to ask the reason why,
The answer would be always this:
“Because he never tells a lie.”

4. Tell the Truth

       by Emily Dickinson

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant –
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind –

5. George Washington & The Cherry Tree

       by Paul Perro

Little George Washington was a good boy
So his mummy gave him a brand new toy.
It was a little axe, a real sharp one,
And George thought that it would be lots of fun.

cherry tree

He took the little hatchet out into the garden,
Where lots of plants and weeds grew.
He chopped at some weeds, chopped them to the ground,
After that he began to look around.
He looked around for something else to chop,
He was having a ball, and could not stop.
Right at the bottom of the garden he
Came across his daddy’s best cherry tree.

He chopped at it with his little hatchet
The tree was big, he could only scratch it.
So he tried much harder, chopping the wood,
Until at last it fell down with a thud.

Then George was happy and put down his axe
And he sat down and started to relax.
Suddenly, a cry, it was George’s dad;
He’d seen the felled tree and was really mad.
“Who has chopped down my lovely cherry tree?”
His face was red he was really angry.

George was scared to tell the truth but he knew
Telling the truth was the right thing to do.
So George said “Sorry daddy, it was I,
I killed the tree, I cannot tell a lie.”

At first dad was cross, then he realised
As he looked into his little boy’s eyes,
George’s behaviour had been outrageous
But he’d been honest, which was courageous.

“My boy” said dad, “I’m very cross, but still,
Your honesty is quite admirable.
I cannot punish you because I’m so proud that you’re my son.
I love you, you know.”
If you’re brave and honest, you can go far,
You can grow up to be a superstar.
Yes George grew up to be one of the greats
A President of the United States!

Poems about Truth and Love

Works that explore the interplay between truth and love, and how honesty can strengthen our relationships. So let’s check them out!

1. Beautiful Mysteries

       by Charlie Smith

Divinity lives beyond description
Alone, a weary heart cries from its pain
Desire eager for its conscription
Might truth and love turn this way again?

Sweet mysteries, this life, in dreams of thee
Yield fantasy’s passion I dare to share
Walk from this muse, I pray to live in me
Conceding this, my love, unto your care

On lifeless shadows, cast your glowing light
Bring a blessed presence to this peace I seek
Rest too this solemn shade, this endless night
With angelic verse, but you could only speak

For seeking dreams to dream from up above
I cast my will and fate to seek your love

2. A Moment of Truth

       by Silke Wettergren

My dear love, I wanted to share
My thoughts, my feelings and
What makes me despair.
I want to share with you
What makes me happy what makes me feel blue…
So you can sense that my love is honest and true.

Every day, not a single minute
Passes by without you in it.
Your skin, your voice, your body and your touch.
All of these moments, I miss them so much.

You are so present, so deep in my heart,
And our souls, I just know, will never part,
But circumstance and distance can be so overwhelming
They close doors and create doubt and we start blaming.

There are actions of mine, and I know that for sure,
That feel so wrong, though my intentions are pure.
They are painful and impossible to bear,
And you feel it’s all so unfair.

You can’t run from yourself;
There is no place to hide.
It just hurts you so deep.
It hurts your heart and your pride.

Then I worry that if I continue to stay.
Will it be wrong and will I be in your way?
I fear that I am not at all what you need
And that this truth will make my heart break and bleed.

Then I sit here and wipe away my tears,
Wishing you could kiss away my fears.
If only you knew how much
I miss and need your embrace and your touch.

I know I can’t hide from my thoughts and my fear,
And I know at these times I don’t seem near,
But you break down these walls
With the strength of your love,
And then I feel blessed
From God above!

My love for you runs so deep through my veins
That I dream of you, in spite of the pain.

3. Lies About Love

       by David Herbert Lawrence

We are a liars, because
the truth of yesterday becomes a lie tomorrow,
whereas letters are fixed,
and we live by the letter of truth.
The love I feel for my friend, this year,
is different from the love I felt last year.
If it were not so, it would be a lie.
Yet we reiterate love! love! love!
as if it were a coin with a fixed value
instead of a flower that dies, and opens a different bud.

4. Tell Me the Truth About Love

       by W H Auden

Some say love’s a little boy,
And some say it’s a bird,
Some say it makes the world go around,
Some say that’s absurd,
And when I asked the man next-door,
Who looked as if he knew,
His wife got very cross indeed,
And said it wouldn’t do

Does it look like a pair of pyjamas,
Or the ham in a temperance hotel?
Does its odour remind one of llamas,
Or has it a comforting smell?
Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is,
Or soft as eiderdown fluff?
Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges?
O tell me the truth about love.

Our history books refer to it
In cryptic little notes,
It’s quite a common topic on
The Transatlantic boats;
I’ve found the subject mentioned in
Accounts of suicides,
And even seen it scribbled on
The backs of railway guides.

Does it howl like a hungry Alsatian,
Or boom like a military band?
Could one give a first-rate imitation
On a saw or a Steinway Grand?
Is its singing at parties a riot?
Does it only like Classical stuff?
Will it stop when one wants to be quiet?
O tell me the truth about love.

I looked inside the summer-house;
It wasn’t over there;
I tried the Thames at Maidenhead,
And Brighton’s bracing air.
I don’t know what the blackbird sang,
Or what the tulip said;
But it wasn’t in the chicken-run,
Or underneath the bed.

Can it pull extraordinary faces?
Is it usually sick on a swing?
Does it spend all its time at the races,
or fiddling with pieces of string?
Has it views of its own about money?
Does it think Patriotism enough?
Are its stories vulgar but funny?
O tell me the truth about love.

When it comes, will it come without warning
Just as I’m picking my nose?
Will it knock on my door in the morning,
Or tread in the bus on my toes?
Will it come like a change in the weather?
Will its greeting be courteous or rough?
Will it alter my life altogether?
O tell me the truth about love.

5. Saying I Love You

       by Sandra L. Weiss

Someone tells you they love you for just being yourself.
They will spend their life proving to you that it is true.
A few years into the relationship, they want you to be someone else.
Did they not know who they were proving their love to?

Saying the words I love you may be a game, just for fun.
They are only words used by some to get their way.
After a while, they lose interest, and they are done.
It was a game that you were never taught to play.

Be mindful, make sure the I love you is meant for you.
Remember, if they start trying to change you…run!
If there is suspicion of someone else, it is probably true.
I hope you’ll know when you’ve had enough fun.

6. A Life Not Lived

       by Caren Krutsinger

I am not remembered in any form or way
Undeserving of their love and respect.
I understand, and yet I grieve.
For myself.

For what I lost
Ignoring the ones who could have
Showered me with love
But did not
Because they knew me not.

I reserve my place in the cosmos
Of ignorance
Recognizing truth and love
once again upon the throne of death
as I enter a kingdom I do not deserve

The angels grabbed me and gave me
what I had sought on earth in the form
of lust, not even my biggest mistake.
My soul cries now
At a life not lived.

7. Desire Love Romance

       by Arthur Vaso

All lovely words
when understood

All so misconstrued
silence envelopes our delusions

Desire, we lust the attention
at the forfeit of philosophy

Love, we crave at Kings expense
at times
Sacrificing those whom love us true
spilling blood at humanities alter

Romance, we desire for loves embrace
knowing serpents sell snake oil remedies

Beware the soft spoken
cringe when you hear words only a token

Seeking the truth, not platitude
discover love, in those that…..

8. Everything’s Okay

       by Emile Pinet

Love feels like an illusion;
a mixture of lies and truth.
And it’s non-responsive to
the expectations of youth.

Facing doubt and frustration,
bravado falters and slips.
And yet, in your fantasies,
passion drips from luscious lips.

Hope courts imagination,
summoning a dreamy smile.
And you find your private place,
where you go once in a while.

You yearn for a soulmate with
whom to share your existence.
And you continue to search
with undying persistence.

You fall in and out of love
with the ghosts of yesterday.
And despite your loneliness,
say everything’s okay.

Poems about Truth and Honesty

Here are some really interesting and heart-touching poems that celebrate the virtues of honesty and integrity in our lives. So shall we read?

1. Sincerity

       by Kate Louise Wheeler

To self and to God be loyal and true,
Fear not what others may say or may do,
But what at best you appear;
Gird on your armor and stand for the right,
Honest in purpose and earnest in might,
Then shall your soul be sincere.
Banish each doubt and deception and dream,
Be the real saint that to others you seem,
Dare to face tempters alone;
Lift up your banner and fear not the foe,
Valiant in service wherever you go,
Sincerity claimeth her own.

2. The Only Way

       by Samatha Anne Marie Lynch

Without the truth, relationships die
There is nothing any worse than a little white lie.
Speaking the truth may
Be uncomfortable in a way

So whatever you do
Be honest and true
Cause at the end of the day
It is the only way!

3. Speak the Truth

       by Catharine Ryder

Speak the truth at all times!
No matter what is said,
To provoke prevarication
By those through envy led.

Speak the truth at all times,
True confidence inspire
In hearts of love that cherish worth,
And honesty admire.

Speak the truth at all times!
A noble, worthy plan
To build your reputation on —
It is, my fellow man.

4. Truth, Trust and Honesty

       by Anonymous

Truth and trust and honesty align with one another
To form the coalition, that bonds man to man as brother
Truth is what we tell our friends, so they know where they stand
Truth is sadly missing now, there’s so much that’s under-hand
Trust is gained from talking straight, and liars are worse than thieves
Trust a thief, you know he’s a thief, but a liar no-one ever believes
Honesty costs nothing, but it makes a friendship strong
Honesty’s a virtue, for without it friendships gone
Honesty’s the lynch-pin, that can make the world run straight and true
But without truth and trust and honesty, what is there for me and you?

5. Days of Truth

       by J.J. Thorne

Let our days be of truth,
Truth our pleasure depends,
It makes for us
A world of friends.

A pious love in humane hearts,
Death only can depart.
It lives in unity and preserves
A good conscience and honest heart.

If our conscience be our guide,
We will do our part,
All that lies in our power,
Until nature opens our heart.

If we live and deal in harmony
It will make friends to take our part,
If in our hearts we place the truth,
We will die with an honest heart.

Poems about Truth and Lies

These are some poems about lies and truth that expose the destructive power of lies and deceit, and the importance of living truthfully.

1. Lie and Truth

       by James Henry Thomas

”Good morning, Lie” said Truth one day;
”Where are you going up this way?”
Said Lie, “I’m going to dress like you,
For something that I have in view.”

Said Truth, “My garment’s white and pure,
I know they’ll not look well on you.”
Said Lie, “I’ll paint my face like yours.
The other parts I’ll not expose.”

Said Truth, “You cannot look like me,
You’ll be condemned, where’er you be.”
“I’ll do my best,” said Lie to Truth,
“To look like you and fool some youth.”

Said Truth, “The parents train the youth
So when they’re grown, they know I’m Truth.
Said Lie, “I’ll grow as strong as they.
And entice them to go my way.”

“Well, Lie,” said Truth, “what would you do
If I’d wash all the paint off you?”
Said Lie, “I’d paint my face again;
They’d think that you and I are kin.”

Said Truth, “This would be wrong of you.
To deceive them who would be true.”
Said Lie, ‘They always make their choice;
When they choose me I do rejoice.”

“The tongue that tells a lie,” said Truth,
”Is building up the devil’s booth.”
“The man who owns the tongue,” said Lie,
“Gets wealth and honor by and by.”

Said Truth, “His wealth can’t save his soul.
Nor make his sinful body whole.”
“Ah well,” said Lie, “You cannot see
The side of it that interests me.”

So Lie and Truth together went;
On different missions they were sent.
One went to break the Lord’s command,
The other took a moral stand.

2. Lying

       by Henry H. Crane

There are numerous ways of lying –
all of them bad, some worse.

We can lie by saying nothing.
When silence gives consent to something false,
we must speak up or share the falsehood.

We can lie with looks, gestures, attitudes.
There is the innocent appearance of the experienced deceiver,
the ostentatious salute of the traitor, the wise pose of the ignoramus.

We can even lie by telling the truth – that is,
by telling a piece of the truth instead of
the whole truth, thus giving a wrong impression.

3. Truth and Falsehood

       by James A. Demoss

Justice gives no rewards
To prosecute her claims;
While treason offers gold,
And by it often gains.
Truth stands unfortified,
Bared to the storms of life;
While falsehood always hides
Shielded from open strife.
While right and justice gives
Fair play to all mankind
Falsehood and treason push
In night their mad designs.

4. Your Word

       by Susan Jarvis Bryant

As cons with crafty mouths wield callous power
Your Word unfurls beyond the twisted tongue.
It buds and bursts and beams just like a flower
To gleam with glorious gifts that go unsung.
As scammers serve up schmooze infused with treason
Sweetened with a smattering of charm,
Your Word slakes thirsty minds with draughts of reason:
Sagacious waves of thought that stave off harm.
Your Word frees swindled souls who’ve swallowed horror:
A swill of lies that choke unspoken dreams.
It chides the cheats and shames the sly abhorrer
Of liberty, exposing heinous schemes.

Your Word is love and light: the song of choice.
All those who prize the truth will hear Your voice.

5. Truth

       by Anonymous

Boy, at all times tell the truth,
Let no lie defile thy mouth;
If thou’rt wrong, be still the same —
Speak the truth and bear the blame.

Truth is honest, truth is sure;
Truth is strong, and must endure;
Falsehood lasts a single day,
Then it vanishes away.

Boy, at all times tell the truth,
Let no lie defile thy mouth;
Truth is steadfast, sure, and fast —
Certain to prevail at last.

6. The Truth in You

       by Sylvia Chidi

I seek the truth in you
The weak lie is not you
So speak up, yes you

The truth hurts but it works
The truth simplifies and dignifies
The truth sooths preserving your youth

I ask the truth of you
Cry now, take a tissue
So speak up, yes you

The truth signifies and modifies
The truth is within and the best way to begin
The truth is a good start especially for sweethearts

I need the truth of you
Simply choose your venue
So speak up, yes you

The truth to any degree
Is a starting point to be free
Just like one and two make three
So speak up, yes you
If you agree

7. A Truthful Triolet

       by Susan Jarvis Bryant

I want the truth. I want to trust
The words that trip from lips that lied.
I want all doubt to fade to dust.
I want the truth. I want to trust.
Truth hurts. Truth heals. Truth’s heart is just.
My faith in you, it hasn’t died.
I want the truth. I want to trust
The words that trip from lips that lied.

8. Face It

       by Susan Jarvis Bryant

It slithers neath the shiver of the skin
To burrow through the marrow of the bones.
It bruises brains with grim and guttural groans.
It cleaves through calm to snake and seethe within.

It withers spirits with its scorching stare—
A glare that crushes hearts and hushes hope.
It binds the thing with feathers with a rope
And drags it to the darkness of its lair.

It quivers in the starkness of the truth
From those who brave its slash of tooth and claw
(Its gash and maul, its gnash of gnawing jaw)
To track down, super-sleuth-like, crucial proof…

The proof that at the core of fear are lies—
A fact that every fabulist denies.

Poems about Truth and Justice

Now we are sharing some poems that highlight the role of truth in achieving justice and fairness in our world.

1. A Life Full of Storms

       by Sai Lin Lip

A ping pong match
With two eyes fixing on or running after
A small ball
Which bounces up and down
Moves back and forth
Twists and turns
And the mind sets a plot
Following the theory of physics
Then hand swings, bat hits
Smashing at different angles
Legs compromise
No hestitation
No carelessness
All cooperate to win
For prestige and fame
Life too is as tough as a match
Topsy-turvy and full of storms
But following a theory of truth and justice
Moral and conscience
For self esteem and dignity
Maybe to win a match indoor
Isn’t as important as
To win a stormy life outdoor

2. A Heathen Liturgy

       by Ng Rippel

why does universe whisper that there is no final destination?
no matter how powerful, words a real universe cannot build
a blue-green world held in tight thrall by a star and surrounding system
we are made from the materials which our environment provides
an existence spent orbiting source of our ability to be
we are imperfect beings within a non-judgmental universe
we carry the greatest power in this universe: evolution
human evolution is built by humans not predestination
this human tale of fear, genocide, heartbreak, evil and much progress
as if different ways of being and thinking have no right to be
accept it or not, we are all bound together in this existence
human consciousness is a gift from evolution, not a burden
the more we understand, more is capable of being understood
if it does nothing to enhance existence, what then is its purpose?
what meaning there is in existence, humanity must bring to it
we may triumph over death by living life to its fullest extent
does the value of being lie within improving human being?
humans have evolved to become the top predator on this planet
in world of constant battles, too often unable to pick our fights
Why do groups claiming stakes in our well-being reap their profits from us?
no need to climb up the mountain to discover what is just and right
existence is precious, all else is a lesser consideration
what strange beauty, contradiction and wonder, our universe contains
through imagination we may discover that which does not exist
humans can’t separate themselves from being part of this universe
we exist in a technicolor dream world clouded by confusion
everything in universe is capable of a different states
searching for truth and justice in darkness soon becomes its own virtue
our universe needs no intermediaries to share its intent
the point of being always is ours to determine and define
will human willingness to become misled be our final downfall?
what progress has wrought, our universe will one day render obsolete
our universe does not favor, judge or guess, it reacts to conditions
the meaning of being is ours to investigate and determine
through the lightning of our load, we shall be able to travel faster
may prayer be contemplation of our universe and place in it
the true debt owed is our generation’s debt to the human future

3. Truth

       by Anonymous

Don’t borrow a creed from other people,
Nor hang most faith on the stoutest steeple.
Look up for your law, but oh! look higher
Than the hands on any human spire.
If ten think alike, and you think alone,
That never proves ’tis ten to one
They are right, you wrong; for truth, you see,
Is not a thing of majority.
It never can make you false, them true,
That there’s more of them than there is of you:
If your touch is on Truth’s garment’s hem,
There is more of you than a world of them.

4. Sensitivity and Life

       by Sai Lin Lip

Too sensitive will make life hard
Too ignorant will make life meaningless
Our five gifted senses
Do sense life and its essences
Because we’re sensitive and we care
Sensitivity will bring us
Truth and justice
Prevention and salvation
Avoidance of errors, dangers and traps
A better life
A better ideology
A better affection and love
Lastly
A better world to live
For the next generation
Whom we love and care

5. She Has Learned to Be Selfless

       by Caren Krutsinger

Her selflessness exquisitely expresses itself in a mystical way
With absence of arrogance, her decisions benefit the greater good.
She has survived abuse unknown and unrecognizable by thousands
Her loss of innocence is their gain,
She brings rainbows and unicorns to the summit.
She keeps her worries and fears away from the minds of the others.
Wanting them to relish in their innocence,
Not wanting to burden them in any way.
Her survival instincts are on ready alert.
She is wary of the disguised and the hidden.
Bringing truth and justice into the forefront.
Uplifting and adoring others.

6. Lady Justice

       by Shirley Hudson

The lady is true and pure of heart.
She wears a dress of white,
Showing purity in her soul.
She is impartial and fair,
As she renders the truth and
Holds the scales of justice.
All look upon her relying on,
True judgment as she stands and,
Guides us to the truth in the courts.
No words are necessary,
As law becomes fact with the,
Citizens who render their verdict,
Lady Justice wields the sword,
That shall be swift and final,
As is the verdict.
She has been our symbol,
Of truth and justice throughout the world.
She stands with honor and glory,
In every country, in every court, and,
We truly rely on the premise of judgment.
In America she stands with the,
American flag that has given us,
Freedom, independence and glory.
One day I will stand,
Before her and the flag.
I as millions have asked her,
To give us justice.
We ask Lady justice to raise her sword and,
Look within her heart to seek the truth.

7. Reality

       by Sai Lin Lip

When the world doesn’t satisfy you
You will dream of an idealistic and notional one
Some people dream of the outer space
Some people dream of a world after death, the heaven
And some people think of god’s salvation
No doubt, the earth is a nice place to live
But sometimes truth and justice is rare
But love and affection isn’t lacking
But welfare isn’t lacking
Oh, just be grateful
A life and a soul is always given to you free

8. The Valley of Moral Decay

       by Reason A. Poteet

Deluge of valleys into lakes and seas
caused chaos as Noah and sons observe
man, plants and animals losing their ease.
God whose truth and justice struck a raw nerve,
when the mighty flood took its nasty curve.
The pagans who had laughed at Noah’s ark
met their death in dodging God’s clear benchmark.
Sovereign God offered mercy’s gangway
as builders preached clearly how to embark
grace in the Valley of Moral Decay.

Poems about Truth in Our Life

These poems on truth of life encourage us to live honestly and authentically and to embrace the power of truth in shaping our lives.

1. A Life of Harmony

       by J. J. Thorne

Truth makes a life of harmony,
It rewards us when we die,
It serves as an epitaph on our tomb,
A life above a lie.

Truth guards and preserves our bodies on earth.
Peace to the soul it does apply,
A home of joy, peace and rest,
Unmolested by a lie.

If truth we plant in our breast,
It will never make a sigh,
Our hearts will condemn with guilt,
If we tell a lie.

Truth unites a love in our hearts,
Though strangers may be you and I,
If we meet with truth the rose of honor
It blooms with purity and blasts a lie.

Truthful lips and honest hearts
The devil has to deny,
But happy is he when he
Can make us tell a lie.

Truth is a holy spirit,
A blessing from above the sky.
‘Tis satan and his evil spirit
That teaches us a lie.

2. Life Stanzas

       by Robert Browning

Truth is within ourselves: it takes no rise
From outward things, whate’er you may believe.
There is an inmost centre in us all.
Where Truth abides in fulness. . . .

And, to know
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendor may escape,
Than in eflecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without.

I count life just a stuff
To try the soul’s strength on, educe the man.
Who keeps one end in view makes all things serve.
Truth is the strong thing.
Let man’s life be true.

3. Light Come, Light Go

       by Anonymous

That truth which little costs is loosely held,
We think of it as something once beheld;
Like silver it may shine upon our crest,
Make us look fine when we are gaily dress’d,
But time will wear it off.

The truths for which we fight we hold for life,
They stir our faith and heal sin’s bitter strife;
Like living bread they feed the hungry soul,
Thus give us strength and nerve with self-control:

4. An Easy World

       by Edgar A. Guest

It’s an easy world to live in if you choose to make it so;
You never need to suffer, save the griefs that all must know;
If you’ll stay upon the level and will ‘do the best you can
You will never lack the friendship of a kindly fellow man.

Life’s an easy road to travel if you’ll only walk it straight;
There are many here to help you in your little bouts with fate;
When the clouds begin to gather and your hopes begin to fade,
If you’ve only toiled in honor you won’t have to call for aid.

But if you’ve bartered friendship and the faith on which it rests
For a temporary winning; if you’ve cheated in the tests.
If with promises you’ve broken, you have chilled the hearts of men;
It is vain to look for friendship for it will not come again.

Oh, the world is full of kindness, thronged with men who want to be
Of some service to their neighbors and they’ll run to you or me
When we’re needing their assistance if we’ve lived upon the square,
But they’ll spurn us in our trouble if we’ve always been unfair.

It’s an easy world to live in; all you really need to do
Is the decent thing and proper and then friends will flock to you;
But let dishonor trail you and some stormy day you’ll find
To your heart’s supremest sorrow that you’ve made the world unkind.

5. Great Truths

       by Horatius Bonar

Great truths are dearly bought. The common truth,
Such as men give and take from day to day,
Comes in the common walk of easy life,
Blown by the careless wind across our way.

Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance,
Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream;
But grasped in the great struggle of the soul
Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream.

But in the day of conflict, fear and grief.
When the strong hand of God, put forth in might.
Plows up the subsoil of the stagnant heart
And brings the imprisoned truth-seed to the light,

Wrung from the troubled spirit in hard hours
Of weakness, solitude, perchance of pain,
Truth springs like harvest from the well-plowed field.
And the soul feels it has not wept in vain.

6. Tongue Tells Truth or Lie

       by Brundaban Panda

Tongue tells truth or tells the lie,
Truth telling tongue’s value high.

Truth is Lord also Truth is Love,
Truth speaker hero on the globe.

Telling lie the life soul goes hell,
Truth’s faith made Gandhi noble

Truth path followed Lord Rama,
The Ramayana of Rama’s fame.

Telling lie moral sin, legal crime,
Truth age cent percent truth time..

Final Thoughts

Poems on truth offer a diverse array of perspectives on this fundamental aspect of human existence.

From the humorous to the profound, these works explore the complexities of truth and its impact on our lives.

They remind us of the importance of honesty, integrity, and authenticity, and inspire us to seek truth in all its forms.

Whether celebrating the virtues of truthfulness or exposing the destructive power of lies, these poems offer insights that can help us navigate the challenges of our world.

Through their beauty and wisdom, they encourage us to cultivate a deeper appreciation for truth and its essential role in our lives.

Also, poems about telling the truth are an excellent reminder for us to stay honest in our lives!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *