63 Bear Poems to Learn the Habits of This Wild Creature
Bears are fascinating creatures that have captured the imaginations of humans for centuries.
They are known for their impressive strength, keen senses, and unique habits. Over time, bears have become a popular subject in literature, including poetry.
Bear poems come in a variety of styles, from serious and reflective to funny and playful.
Some poems about bears are designed to teach readers about the habits and behavior of these majestic creatures, while others simply celebrate their beauty and power.
Whether you’re a nature lover, a poetry enthusiast, or simply curious about bears, there’s a bear poem out there for you.
Famous Bear Poems
These famous poems about bear often explore the relationship between humans and bears, as well as the complex emotions that these animals can evoke.
1. Polar Bear
by Isaac McLellan
Amid the vast, eternal ice,
The crystal plain, the drifting floe,
Dark chasm, awful precipice,
Buried for ages deep in snow,
The polar white bear, grim and gaunt,
Chooseth his solitary haunt.
In cavern with its icy wall,
With adamantine floor outspread,
Where freeze the raindrops as they fall,
Stalactites glisten overhead
Like pearly spar in grottoes dim
That with a prismy lustre swim,
This monarch of the desert drear
Dwells thro’ the dark, inclement year.
Little of breathing life, I ween,
Across the frozen waste is seen,
Only the screaming auk and gull
In restless flocks the breezes fan,
And eider-duck and wailing loon,
Or the white-plumag’d ptarmigan.
Man seldom wanders o’er the plain
To trespass on thy savage reign;
Only the fur-clad Esquimau,
Bearing his bone-lance or the bow,
Or crossing with his skin canoe
Some open water cold and blue,
May venture to dispute thy sway
And dare thee in the frozen way.
2. The Dancing Bear
by James Russell Lowell
Far over Elf-land poets stretch their sway,
And win their dearest crowns beyond the goal
Of their own conscious purpose; they control
With gossamer threads wide-flown our fancy’s play,
And so our action. On my walk to-day,
A wallowing bear begged clumsily his toll,
When straight a vision rose of Atta Troll,
And scenes ideal witched mine eyes away.
‘Merci, Mossieu!’ the astonished bear-ward cried,
Grateful for thrice his hope to me, the slave
Of partial memory, seeing at his side
A bear immortal. The glad dole I gave
Was none of mine; poor Heine o’er the wide
Atlantic welter stretched it from his grave.
3. White Polar Bear
by Isaac McLellan
In the far North where Arctic vigors reign
Man penetrates with awe the dreary scene,
Lured by weird glooms of the sunless year,
In silences of solitudes serene.
Like a vast ocean, waveless, frigid, white,
Faint-lighted by the crescent moonbeams’ glance,
Or by blue streams of auroral light,
The land stretch’d endless in its dim expanse.
There was no light or warmth to cheer the waste,
While the faint radiance of moon or star
Ting’d like a stormy sunset the deep snows,
Causing a mirage floating high and far.
Lamented Franklin here explorings made,
And with his seamen perish’d in the snow,
Where Hall, Kane, Peary, Greeley, gallantmen,
Sought the North Pole far as mankind could go!
There ‘mid grand icebergs slipping from the cliffs
Or on the drifting floes that chok’d the tide,
Gigantic Polar bears, so grim and gaunt,
In solitary majesty abide.
Their haunt is some vast cave with icy walls,
Where bright stalactics glisten overhead,
And pendent icicles drop splinter’d points,
Like pearly spars in grottoes overspread.
They live secluded thro’ inclement year,
All undisturb’d by step of human foe,
Save when at times, arm’d with the deadly lance,
Invading their retreats comes Esquimaux.
At times when whale-ships anchor by the shore,
And seamen cut the blubber from the whale,
The prowling bear-herds gather to the feast,
And with wild rush the mariners assail.
Little of life across these wastes is seen,
Save where the gull and auk go screaming by,
Or duck or loon or white-wing’d ptarmigan
Startle the silence with discordant cry,
Or musk ox or the walrus by the shore
For finny spoil the frozen space explore.
4. The Absence of Bears
by Anonymous
In the forest clearing birches creak,
The willows sway coquette:
Their flirting stirs at emptiness
Which feels the pleas
That begs the trees
How did they forget?
There’s trees in here that knew their names
Could tell of fearsome vigour.
Instead they’re humming silently;
They shuffle leaves
Where bark bereaves
The half-remembered figure.
Each year there’s furtive youthful growth
Whose ignorance abounds
But deep inside their ancient disk
The record scratched
Where grooves are latched
With witness-bearing sounds.
And we the feet that walk with ease
And need not fear our pace;
Are we the outer bark that shrugs,
And use our youth
To spurn the truth
Of crimes that taint our race?
5. The Honey Bear
by Eileen Myles
Billie Holiday was on the radio
I was standing in the kitchen
smoking my cigarette of this
pack I plan to finish tonight
last night of smoking youth.
I made a cup of this funny
kind of tea I’ve had hanging
around. A little too sweet
an odd mix. My only impulse
was to make it sweeter.
Ivy Anderson was singing
pretty late tonight
in my very bright kitchen.
I’m standing by the tub
feeling a little older
nearly thirty in my very
bright kitchen tonight.
I’m not a bad looking woman
I suppose O it’s very quiet
in my kitchen tonight I’m squeezing
this plastic honey bear a noodle
of honey dripping into the odd sweet
tea. It’s pretty late
Honey bear’s cover was loose
and somehow honey dripping down
the bear’s face catching
in the crevices beneath
the bear’s eyes O very sad and sweet
I’m standing in my kitchen O honey
I’m staring at the honey bear’s face.
6. The Bear at the Dump
by William Matthews
Amidst the too much that we buy and throw
away and the far too much we wrap it in,
the bear found a few items of special
interest—a honeydew rind, a used tampon,
the bone from a leg of lamb. He’d rock back
lightly onto his rear paws and slash
open a plastic bag, and then his nose—
jammed almost with a surfeit of rank
and likely information, for he would pause—
and then his whole dowsing snout would
insinuate itself a little way
inside. By now he’d have hunched his weight
forward slightly, and then he’d snatch it back,
trailed by some tidbit in his teeth. He’d look
around. What a good boy am he.
The guardian of the dump was used
to this and not amused. “He’ll drag that shit
every which damn way,” he grumbled
who’d dozed and scraped a pit to keep that shit
where the town paid to contain it.
The others of us looked and looked. “City
folks like you don’t get to see this often,”
one year-round resident accused me.
Some winter I’ll bring him down to learn
to love a rat working a length of subway
track. “Nope,” I replied. Just then the bear
decamped for the woods with a marl of grease
and slather in his mouth and on his snout,
picking up speed, not cute (nor had he been
cute before, slavering with greed, his weight
all sunk to his seated rump and his nose stuck
up to sift the rich and fetid air, shaped
like a huge, furry pear), but richly
fed on the slow-simmering dump, and gone
into the bug-thick woods and anecdote.
7. Grizzly
by Bret Harte
Coward,—of heroic size,
In whose lazy muscles lies
Strength we fear and yet despise;
Savage,—whose relentless tusks
Are content with acorn husks;
Robber,—whose exploits ne’er soared
O’er the bee’s or squirrel’s hoard;
Whiskered chin, and feeble nose,
Claws of steel on baby toes,—
Here, in solitude and shade,
Shambling, shuffling plantigrade,
Be thy courses undismayed!
Here, where Nature makes thy bed,
Let thy rude, half-human tread
Point to hidden Indian springs,
Lost in ferns and fragrant grasses,
Hovered o’er by timid wings,
Where the wood-duck lightly passes,
Where the wild bee holds her sweets,
Epicurean retreats,
Fit for thee, and better than
Fearful spoils of dangerous man.
In thy fat-jowled deviltry
Friar Tuck shall live in thee;
Thou mayest levy tithe and dole;
Thou shalt spread the woodland cheer,
From the pilgrim taking toll;
Match thy cunning with his fear;
Eat, and drink, and have thy fill;
Yet remain an outlaw still!
8. The Bear
by Robert Frost
The bear puts both arms around the tree above her
And draws it down as if it were a lover
And its choke cherries lips to kiss good-bye,
Then lets it snap back upright in the sky.
Her next step rocks a boulder on the wall
(She’s making her cross-country in the fall).
Her great weight creaks the barbed-wire in its staples
As she flings over and off down through the maples,
Leaving on one wire moth a lock of hair.
Such is the uncaged progress of the bear.
The world has room to make a bear feel free;
The universe seems cramped to you and me.
Man acts more like the poor bear in a cage
That all day fights a nervous inward rage~
His mood rejecting all his mind suggests.
He paces back and forth and never rests
The me-nail click and shuffle of his feet,
The telescope at one end of his beat~
And at the other end the microscope,
Two instruments of nearly equal hope,
And in conjunction giving quite a spread.
Or if he rests from scientific tread,
‘Tis only to sit back and sway his head
Through ninety odd degrees of arc, it seems,
Between two metaphysical extremes.
He sits back on his fundamental butt
With lifted snout and eyes (if any) shut,
(lie almost looks religious but he’s not),
And back and forth he sways from cheek to cheek,
At one extreme agreeing with one Greek~
At the other agreeing with another Greek
Which may be thought, but only so to speak.
A baggy figure, equally pathetic
When sedentary and when peripatetic.
Funny Bear Poems
While many interesting poems about bear are serious in tone, there are also plenty of funny and lighthearted options out there. These poems use humor to celebrate the unique quirks and habits of bears and can be a great way to lighten the mood.
1. The Right to Bear Arms
by Daniel Turner
Our country is a shooting gallery
Ten cents will buy ten shots at infamy
Just shoot a cop, you’ll be on Fox
Skin color now is really hot
So far five out of ten’s the best we’ve seen
Mass shootings now are really all the rage
Like hunting birds locked up inside a cage
High schools are cool, theaters rule
Or you can kill a nightclub full
Your face will make the newspaper’s front page
So hurry and go buy yourself a gun
They sell them on the street corner for fun
Don’t take no static, get an automatic
Pretend to be a religious fanatic
You’ll have to kill a bunch to be number one
2. The Bear
by Brandy Wassam
there once was a bear
who lived in belair
he owned a red hen
who made eggs for his kin
then one time like most bears do
the bear got hungery
and ate the red hen
and her last eggs of ten
with a gulp and a swallow
down went the hen
but wait..
now there was no hen to lay eggs for his kin.
3. Big Brown Bear
by Paula Goldsmith
big strong furry brown
fishing for salmon with paws~
prancing through flowers
4. Bear Grylls
by Timothy Hicks
Bear Grylls
warns us not to brave the ice.
That is until
he quickly disregards his own advice.
5. Don’t Poke the Bear
by Mark Koplin
Inspirational beauty, comes to life every spring.
The baby birds in their nest, to their mothers still cling.
The hibernating bear, still asleep in his den.
Will soon wake up cranky, so we’ll let him sleep in.
Many creatures of beauty, some big and some small.
They thrive in the forest, well into the fall.
The bunnies and squirrel, the lark and the wren.
They know to be quiet, by the sleeping bears den.
But here comes a rat, with a stick in his paw.
Knowing his intent, a raven shrieks in caw.
The rat pokes and prods, the air smells foul.
They wait to hear the sleeping bear’s growl.
The rat continues, along on his schlep.
The bear now awakens, poked where he once slept.
6. Grizzly Bear
by John Williams
Are you aware that a Grizzly Bear
Is tall and very powerful,
Don’t disturb him while he naps
Or you might get a growl full.
If you see him in a forest,
Then seek shelter from a tree,
Make sure your scent is downwind
Or you just might be his tea.
7. Cute Black Bear
by Jan Allison
Cute black bear has a perfect behind
and her manicured paws are so kind
When she sits on a chair
all the male bears just stare
her sheer beauty, it just blows their mind!
8. Tattered Old Mr. Teddy Bear
by Connie Gildersleeve
In my bed, my childhood teddy layers next to me.
Absent mindedly I trace his now tattered seams,
And his matted brown fur from years of tears and hugs.
Even though I’m old and gray, privately we talk.
No, I’m not feeble-minded as some might think.
I talk to Teddy of my thoughts I had that day.
As long as I can speak, my Teddy is my guy.
He’s my greatest listener where so many are not.
If he begins to talk, they’ll surely take me away.
Inspirational Bear Poems
Bears are often associated with strength, resilience, and perseverance. As such, there are many inspirational poems about bear that draw upon these qualities to inspire readers to overcome their own challenges and setbacks.
1. I Come to Connect
by M.L. Kiser
In The Great Smoky Mountains,
morning haze aglow with
dewy wonder,
sepia light-winds its way
in and out amid the trees;
I sit on the cabin porch,
a cup of joe, steaming
and look out to see a black
bear cub approaching.
He stops at the nearby creek
to drink, soon joined by Mama
and another sibling;
I sit, silently amazed
at the family harmony
that I see.
I have no fear of bears,
like me, they only want
to be left to live.
As Mama catches breakfast,
I think back about
mornings of cinnamon toast
and fried eggs cooking
in Mom’s skillet.
No, we’re not all that different;
a family meal’s, just a meal,
made better by the gatherings.
2. Honey Strung
by Laurie Grommett
Awoken with a cool, mint breeze,
all brown bears sense a sign of spring
as butterflies swarm round like fleas
or fly as gleams of tinseled string.
In lavender and mulberry,
they flutter out as high notes sung
across a bar of melody;
soprano tones swoon, honey strung.
A fruity floral musk perfumes
the dew drop air as bears stand high;
life’s fresher than the rock cave rooms
that hibernation can supply.
When snouts inhale this grassy dale,
then sweetness hugs their every limb
for winter blows a heavy gale
until it scales good morning hymn.
3. Foraging
by James A. George
One of life’s mysteries
is the propensity of animals
to forage, seeking nutrients
for their survival.
A life or death behavior,
that evolved by creatures
refining all their senses,
while focusing keenly
to find food and water.
Foraging is the mother
of learning and invention,
which led to tools,
technology, and to
the evolution of human beings.
Wandering is not effortless,
as it consumes energy
to fuel life with the purpose
of optimizing sustainment,
and humanity is still learning.
4. What about Polar Bears
by Line Monique Gauthier
My heart never fails
Skips a beat every time
Too many vocally ecstatic over
Our warm balmy winters
Proud to proclaim
Their good fortune
At the cost of the planet
Ignorant or arrogant
Not embarrassed a bit
Don’t usually bite my lip
Before pointing out
Arctic wildlife pay the price
Magnificent polar bears
On serious decline
Wide-eyed victims of global warming
5. A Gentle Reminder
by Anonymous
Like wolf and pup, a mountain bear
with cub announce spring has arrived
and food is plentiful / for all;
their fur is theirs alone to wear,
young bones to grow …more babies thrive.
They share their land; we do not sprawl
or hoard the harvest nature cares
to grant our peaceful souls ~ deprive
them of their rights and we will fall
to living unwild lives; snow hares,
the only pounce that might survive
to see another winter shawl
the caves of beasts we didn’t spare…
We must know that, to stay alive
we ought to save, not end, it all.
6. Just a Dream
by James A. George
All I had was a pocket knife,
tent camping next to a lake
where I caught trout for dinner,
cooked it on a log fire,
and then retired at dusk.
With all the food secured,
there was nothing to worry about
except maybe a black bear,
though they are rare, said
the ranger who checked in.
Fresh air and hiking make a fellow
tuckered, and into a deep sleep
I escaped, dreaming about
another trout for breakfast
and baking biscuits in a Dutch oven.
I heard something rustling,
though dreams are so great,
I couldn’t be bothered
to see what it was; not to worry,
I had my pocket knife.
Short Bear Poems
Short poems are a great way to capture the essence of a subject in just a few lines. There are plenty of short poetries about bear out there that pack a lot of meaning into just a few words.
1. Bear Theme
by James A. George
I was in the woods,
feeling not alone.
Bears are everywhere,
and camouflaged I am.
I hope.
2. Teddy Bear Picnic Made in Heaven
by Caren Krutsinger
teddy bear picnic was in full swing this warm afternoon
six fluffy buddy bears were lively, funny, fully in tune.
laughter ringing around the meadow was crazy happy
they laughed at old stories they all knew; they were so sappy!
war heroes don’t usually come back in such wonderful spirits one said.
these aren’t regular bears, they are angels, no idea they are dead.
3. Sleeping Bear
by James A. George
When the temperature drops
below freezing, and
there is nothing to eat,
the black bear knows
it is time to sleep.
4. Who Will See Our Story?
by Caren Krutsinger
Let’s do a little art Mama Bear said.
How do we do it? Little bear queried.
We can use our claws to tell our story.
So, they used their claws, scratching out outlines in the cave.
Enjoyable to do it close to the entrance where sun peeked in.
It is us! Little Bear exclaimed, super excited.
But who will see our story?
Humans, Mama Bear told him. But later…
She was precognitive, she knew they would need flashlights first.
And they had not been invented yet.
5. Spirit Bears
by James A. George
I paint bears because I fear them.
Having encountered them close in the wild,
I know that their gentleness can turn ferocious.
Bears are moody and don’t appreciate their solitaire
being disturbed, nor do they want to share their food,
or habitat.
Don’t be fooled by the appearance of being docile.
Bears can be upon you by surprise, and when scared,
they’ll disappear just as quickly.
6. Who is Watching Me
by Caren Krutsinger
jungle is dauntingly scary
I hear a slight noise
shoulder brushing fern?
tiger leopard lynx puma?
my heart beats triple time
do I play dead? No. That’s for a bear
Long Bear Poems
Long poetries about bear can be a great way to explore the complexities and nuances of these fascinating creatures in greater detail. These poems often use vivid language and imagery to bring the reader into the world of the bear.
1. The Bear Hunt
by Abraham Lincoln
A wild-bear chace, didst never see?
Then hast thou lived in vain.
Thy richest bump of glorious glee,
Lies desert in thy brain.
When first my father settled here,
’Twas then the frontier line:
The panther’s scream, filled night with fear
And bears preyed on the swine.
But woe for Bruin’s short lived fun,
When rose the squealing cry;
Now man and horse, with dog and gun,
For vengeance, at him fly.
A sound of danger strikes his ear;
He gives the breeze a snuff;
Away he bounds, with little fear,
And seeks the tangled rough.
On press his foes, and reach the ground,
Where’s left his half munched meal;
The dogs, in circles, scent around,
And find his fresh made trail.
With instant cry, away they dash,
And men as fast pursue;
O’er logs they leap, through water splash,
And shout the brisk halloo.
Now to elude the eager pack,
Bear shuns the open ground;
Through matted vines, he shapes his track
And runs it, round and round.
The tall fleet cur, with deep-mouthed voice,
Now speeds him, as the wind;
While half-grown pup, and short-legged fice,
Are yelping far behind.
And fresh recruits are dropping in
To join the merry corps:
With yelp and yell,—a mingled din—
The woods are in a roar.
And round, and round the chace now goes,
The world’s alive with fun;
Nick Carter’s horse, his rider throws,
And more, Hill drops his gun.
Now sorely pressed, bear glances back,
And lolls his tired tongue;
When as, to force him from his track,
An ambush on him sprung.
Across the glade he sweeps for flight,
And fully is in view.
The dogs, new-fired, by the sight,
Their cry, and speed, renew.
The foremost ones, now reach his rear,
He turns, they dash away;
And circling now, the wrathful bear,
They have him full at bay.
At top of speed, the horse-men come,
All screaming in a row,
“Whoop! Take him Tiger. Seize him Drum.”
Bang,—bang—the rifles go.
And furious now, the dogs he tears,
And crushes in his ire,
Wheels right and left, and upward rears,
With eyes of burning fire.
But leaden death is at his heart,
Vain all the strength he plies.
And, spouting blood from every part,
He reels, and sinks, and dies.
And now a dinsome clamor rose,
’Bout who should have his skin;
Who first draws blood, each hunter knows,
This prize must always win.
But who did this, and how to trace
What’s true from what’s a lie,
Like lawyers, in a murder case
They stoutly argufy.
Aforesaid fice, of blustering mood,
Behind, and quite forgot,
Just now emerging from the wood,
Arrives upon the spot.
With grinning teeth, and up-turned hair—
Brim full of spunk and wrath,
He growls, and seizes on dead bear,
And shakes for life and death.
And swells as if his skin would tear,
And growls and shakes again;
And swears, as plain as dog can swear,
That he has won the skin.
Conceited whelp! we laugh at thee—
Nor mind, that now a few
Of pompous, two-legged dogs there be,
Conceited quite as you.
2. The Black Bear
by Isaac McLellan
The great black bear hath wide-extended range
O’er every region in these banded States;
In North, in South, in East and Western realms,
It feeds, it prowls, in Winter hibernates.
He that would hunt their numbers infinite
Must cross Missouri, scale the Rocky Mounts,
And riot there in sports beyond compare,
Amid those craggy glooms and pouring founts;
For nowhere in the world is nobler game
To crown his efforts with a hunter’s fame.
In all areas ‘tween that mountain chain
And the far waters of Pacific shore,
All game indigenous to this Continent
Abounds and ranges the wide region o’er.
The grizzly, cinnamon and dusky bear,
Wolves, cougars, foxes and fleet-footed deer
Are there to tempt the ardent hunter’s search,
To dare, to vanish from his bold career.
He must evade the mountain fastnesses,
Explore dense forests and far-spreading plains,
The treeless plateaus and the caverns grim,
For each a world of faunal life contains;
Unrival’d in their plenitude of game,
Save in thick jungles of the India’s land,
Or sunless forests of the Afric world,
Swept by great rivers, crown’d with mountains grand.
The black bear is of sluggish, solitary mood,
Prowls in the densest cloisters of each space,
Dozing and sleeping at his slothful ease,
Harmless to man and the wild creature race.
Its food it seeks where shrubberies grow profuse,
Wild berries, grapes and fruits of luscious taste;
Where trampled bush and leaf-stripp’d twigs betray
The haunts of those gr1m creatures of the waste.
Wild animals of size they ne’er attack,
Save when by hungry torments they are press’d,
Content on honies, and wild berries fare,
Content to slumber in untroubled rest.
In Southern States where they innumerous roam,
In great plantations where they so abound,
A bear-hunt is a gala festival,
Pursued by mounted riders and the hounds,
‘Tis like a wolf-drive over Russian steppes,
Or boar-hunt in the forests of Ardennes,
Where the bold horsemen, arm’d with gun and spear,
Surround their victims in the woods and fens.
Great packs of hounds the hunters oft employ,
Hounds lithe and active and of dauntless race,
Endow’d with scent acute and tireless speed,
Tracking and yelping in unerring chase.
For, keen of scent, and Watchful in the ear,
The bear alarm’d is wary of pursuit,
And long ere hunter and the hounds draw near,
It vanishes from sight on hurrying foot.
3. Longing for Great Falls
by James A. George
Long before Captain John Smith
probed the shores of the Potomac,
Native Americans discovered
the bountiful woodlands, streams
and river of the Great Falls.
Imagining being here in ancient times,
I wandered past a rockpile
known to have been created
five hundred BC and that would be
modern by this location’s history.
Enjoyed, still, are the pawpaw trees,
bearing fruit, wild pears, and apples,
swamp cabbage, a host of plants
and flowers throughout their cycle,
where pileated woodpeckers dance.
The terrain is with hills, some steep,
and streams trickling from natural springs,
and where quartzite boulders
appear strewn in the woods by glaciers.
Bald eagles sweep down to catch fish.
There, lumbering ahead with a purpose
is a black bear, dining on termites,
greens, and berries, not paying attention
to a human observer
that is not its natural prey.
4. Teddy Bear
by A. A. Milne
A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,
Which is not to be wondered at;
He gets what exercise he can
By falling off the ottoman,
But generally seems to lack
The energy to clamber back.
Now tubbiness is just the thing
Which gets a fellow wondering;
And Teddy worried lots about
The fact that he was rather stout.
He thought: “If only I were thin!
But how does anyone begin?”
He thought: “It really isn’t fair
To grudge me exercise and air.”
For many weeks he pressed in vain
His nose against the window-pane,
And envied those who walked about
Reducing their unwanted stout.
None of the people he could see
“Is quite” (he said) “as fat as me!”
Then with a still more moving sigh,
“I mean” (he said) “as fat as I!”
Now Teddy, as was only right,
Slept in the ottoman at night,
And with him crowded in as well
More animals than I can tell;
Not only these, but books and things,
Such as a kind relation brings –
Old tales of “Once upon a time”,
And history retold in rhyme.
One night it happened that he took
A peep at an old picture-book,
Wherein he came across by chance
The picture of a King of France
(A stoutish man) and, down below,
These words: “King Louis So and So,
Nicknamed ‘The Handsome!’ ” There he sat,
And (think of it) the man was fat!
Our bear rejoiced like anything
To read about this famous King,
Nicknamed the “Handsome.” Not a doubt
The man was definitely stout.
Why then, a bear (for all his tub)
Might yet be named “The Handsome Cub!”
“Might yet be named.” Or did he mean
That years ago he “might have been”?
For now he felt a slight misgiving:
“Is Louis So and So still living?
Fashions in beauty have a way
Of altering from day to day.
Is ‘Handsome Louis’ with us yet?
Unfortunately I forget.”
Next morning (nose to window-pane)
The doubt occurred to him again.
One question hammered in his head:
“Is he alive or is he dead?”
Thus, nose to pane, he pondered; but
The lattice window, loosely shut,
Swung open. With one startled “Oh!”
Our Teddy disappeared below.
There happened to be passing by
A plump man with a twinkling eye,
Who, seeing Teddy in the street,
Raised him politely on his feet,
And murmured kindly in his ear
Soft words of comfort and of cheer:
“Well, well!” “Allow me!” “Not at all.”
“Tut-tut!” A very nasty fall.”
Our Teddy answered not a word;
It’s doubtful if he even heard.
Our bear could only look and look:
The stout man in the picture-book!
That “handsome” King – could this be he,
This man of adiposity?
“Impossible,” he thought. “But still,
No harm in asking. Yes, I will!”
“Are you,” he said, “by any chance
His Majesty the King of France?”
The other answered, “I am that,”
Bowed stiffly, and removed his hat;
Then said, “Excuse me,” with an air
“But is it Mr. Edward Bear?”
And Teddy, bending very low,
Replied politely, “Even so!”
They stood beneath the window there,
The King and Mr. Edward Bear,
And, handsome, if a trifle fat,
Talked carelessly of this and that …
Then said His Majesty, “Well, well,
I must get on,” and rang the bell.
“Your bear, I think,” he smiled. “Good-day!”
And turned, and went upon his way.
A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,
Which is not to be wondered at.
But do you think it worries him
To know that he is far from slim?
No, just the other way about –
He’s proud of being short and stout.
5. Hunting the Grizzly Bear
by Isaac McLellan
Ursus Horibilis―the grizzly bear
Hath range from Mexico to Canadian realm,
From Rocky Mountains to Pacific seas,
And ever will the mightiest foe o’erwhelm.
Whether in forest or on granite height
The conflict rages, the relentless fight,
In size, in strength, ferocity supreme,
It is the monarch of all animal life;
E’en man himself oft yieldeth to its sway,
Shrinks from encounter in the fearful strife.
Men claim the lion as the desert’s king,
Yet the great grizzly is the lion’s peer,
For grizzly, wounded, would its foe pursue,
But leo hurt would pause in its career.
He is the bear of mountain fastnesses,
As the black bear has home in wood and plain,
Yet oft the grizzly roams where food is found,
Whether on shrubby plain, or wood-domain.
‘Tis denizen of all States in farthest West,
It slays the bison by Montana’s founts,
Its muffled roar disturbs Nevada’s wilds,
Its sway prevails o’er the Wind-River mounts,
Its home is made ‘mid craggy cliffs and peaks,
Where Mountain-goat and Big-horn sheep abide,
And there in dark ravine and canyon grim
They prowl they ravage, with their mighty stride.
The eagle and the vulture wheel above,
But no life else their domains may invade,
Save when at times the daring hunter comes
With deadly rifle and the bowie-blade.
No fear of mortal art, or human power,
Hath this grand monster in his wild retreat,
For arm’d with fangs and claws like sabre keen,
He dreads no valorous assaults to meet.
Its taloned paw, its massive jaw will rend
The lordly bison at one trenchant blow;
And the swart Indian, with his shaft and spear,
Shrinks from the presence of such dangerous foe,
And yet no prouder trophy he may wear
Than necklace of the claws of grizzly bear.
In winter’s frozen time it hibernates,
Yet then, at times, he roams the waste for food,
Then wild with hunger, desperate in rage
‘Tis death to meet him in his savage mood;
For then with hoarse and drum-like roar he strides,
With voice like giants of a fairy tale
He makes the charge, and woe betide the man,
Save for escape some tall tree may avail;
For the grand brute, with courage so sublime,
May ne’er with clumsy limbs the branches climb!
6. Herd of Bears
by David Welch
I was driving outside of the Black Hills
and came upon a wildlife park there,
claiming it had all sorts of animals,
the park mascot was a mighty black bear.
It was one of those drive-through attractions,
I’d heard of them, but never done one before,
I paid my fee, rolled up my windows,
and then drove into the park to explore.
There were deer and elk and some arctic wolves,
some bison and a cougar feeding,
and some caribou wandering about,
it was pleasant to be there and seeing
these critters up close, right next to the car,
you just don’t get that sort of thing at zoos,
and each paddock had grates to separate
the herbivores from the ones that eat you.
Next I drove to an enclosure that was
maybe one hundred yards long on each side,
I entered slowly, saw a sign for bear,
which seemed to be the highlight of the ride.
I expected maybe a bear of two,
bruins are solitary creatures, see.
I did not expect to find thirty bears,
nor to see them all ambling up to me!
Once before I had seen a live black bear,
a hundred yards away hiking a trail,
but three dozen of them mere feet away…
I’ll admit that I felt my courage fail.
Each one of them had the strength within their arms
to come to this car and rip the door off,
to any who claim they would feel no fear,
I gotta say that I would laugh and scoff.
The animal core that lurks in my brain
knew these predators could rip me apart,
for a bit I felt what my ancestors did,
the cold, primal fear that lurked in their hearts.
And though these bears were fell-fed and tame,
accustomed to countless cars diving by,
every time one did brush against the car
some part of me screamed,”We’re all gonna die!”
I can’t say I regret doing it once,
though the more I think of it looking back,
one herd of bears in enough for this life,
so I hit the gas and drove down the track…
Bear Poems That Rhyme
Rhyme can add a playful and musical quality to poems about bear with rhyming words them, making them fun to read out loud or to share with children.
1. Awakened by Blue Butterflies
by Caren Krutsinger
Hibernation ended when the blue butterfly brigade flew in.
They took the cave by storm, tickling each bear under her chin.
The bears could not see the butterflies or feel them on their tough hide.
But they felt their presence and followed them to the field outside.
It’s the blue butterflies! They all marveled, excited to be in the flowers.
The bear griping, and growling was suspended for hours and hours.
They felt uplifted, refreshed, excited and glad to be alive once again.
So glad that the lovely blue butterflies knew to land on their chin!
2. Inevitable Bear
by Dan Keir
Oh lonely Inevitable Bear,
Padding claws, death in white
Sorrow in recurring nightmare
Instinct’s test; fight or flight?
Camouflage against the fence,
A challenge; my subconscious fear
Ominous slowly moving silence,
“Let me in, there’s a bear out here!”
3. I would Save the Polar Bears of Course!
by Caren Krutsinger
I would run to the Arctic today if I thought this could and would work
to save the polar bears, apologizing for every non-environmentalist jerk
I would bring them ice floats and give them blankets, hugs and a high five
and show them how to share, and be friendly and also how to stay alive
4. Time for a Road Trip
by Carl Wayne Jent
It started out as would any warm spring day
myself and a couple buddies out to play
decided to drive up to the national park
we were planning a fun time, return by dark
I drove, don’t trust my friends behind the wheel
four of us together, brotherhood we would feel
park was forty miles up north in the hills
packed a lot of supplies for our meals
It was against the law to drink, but we had beer
have a lot of cd’s that gave us lots to hear
we pulled into spot about seven in the morn
read all the signs that were there to warn
No Drinking (yeah), No Littering, Watch for Bears
we all laughed as though we had no cares
been here before, we knew the area well
loaded up our packs, headed down narrow trail
About three miles in, decided to set up resting spot
on side of bluff, with view as good as it got
put on classic rock music, broke out beer
first thing we heard, thought was a deer
Billy was a talker, busy telling his jokes
most were about his red neck family folks
Mike sat complaining about sound track
Big Bob was winded, dreaded walk back
Wasn’t long till we heard more noise up hill
was fairly loud so we all got quiet, sat still
we heard another rumble down path to right
looked both directions, nothing was in sight
As we calmed a bit, decided it was time for snack
Mike went over to get food out of back pack
he reached out for bag, saw bear coming at him
yelled, started running back, his chances were slim
Bear stopped him with one swipe across head
without half his face, easy to assume was dead
we panicked, headed out running in two directions
Big Bob by himself, first to get caught for dissection
Bear took his time, had plenty to eat for a while
we could hear Bob screaming, crying for over a mile
Billy and I were headed up to noisy waterfalls
at least we didn’t have to hear Bob’s last pleading calls
We stopped at top of falls to compose and plan
event was horrible, about as much as we could stand
figured if we headed up hill, could circle back to car
knew it would take time, thought it was pretty far
As we stood up to leave, we heard a strange sound
Billy slipped, fell backwards, twenty feet down to ground
I looked over, he was laying in diluted blood
he had landed on sharp rocks and some wet mud
Wanted to help him but survival took control
knew if I was to live, was time for me to go
the brush fought back as I ran, cuts and scratches
never remembered a time as scary that matches
Got to car, started it, bear broke rear windshield
threw it in reverse, backed over and killed
I laughed, felt I had gotten some revenge for friends
as I drove away, thought this isn’t the way it was to end
5. In My Forest
by Carl Wayne Jent
If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
and when you find nature’s beauty be sure to share
I’ve walked amongst blooming blossoms in perfume patches
saw the miracle when the blue heron’s eggs hatches
saw the dew dance on the daffodils and dandelions at dawn
felt the love of the doe for the boney legged fawn
and listened to the caddis cry after the sun has departed
tasted the pureness in the roaring thunderstorm when started
but never saw such beauty as in the eyes of a lost stranger
dried the tears after showing there was no danger
dined in the den I have called home for years
calmly watched as my guest lose her fears
we walked in bluebonnet flowers down by the crystal creek
to observe the wonder of nature is the only thing we seek
her auburn hair glows like the sunlight on a autumn leave
when gone my heart will hang like inchwood ivy, I believe
this paradise is not her home nor ever will be
but this is a place she will visit and be with me
she has brought me joy and showed she cares
wish she would stay and reside with us bears
Bear Poems for Kids
Bears are a popular subject in children’s literature, and there are many bear poems for children out there. These poems can be a great way to teach children about the habits and behavior of bears, as well as to encourage a love of poetry.
1. Egbert and Me
by Anonymous
At night when I lie fast asleep
My teddy, Egbert, wakes,
And sits upon my counterpane
Until the morning breaks:
He likes to see I get my rest,
For everybody’s sakes,
So if the pirates smash the door
To steal away my toys
He fights them off with dirk and sword
But very little noise.
And if the one-eyed bogey-man
Comes breaking down the wall
He scares him off by looking fierce
But makes no sound at all.
And if the wailing ghost flies down
The chimney like a bird
He blows him back with mighty breaths
That simply can’t be heard.
When, after slumbering peacefully,
I open up my eyes,
I see the sun come shining in
And find to my surprise
That Egbert’s lost another ear
Upon some enterprise.
But when I ask him what he’s done
He just looks smug and wise….
2. Wild Beasts
by Evaleen Stein
I will be a lion
And you shall be a bear,
And each of us will have a den
Beneath a nursery chair;
And you must growl and growl and growl,
And I will roar and roar,
And then–why, then–you’ll growl again,
And I will roar some more!
3. Five Little Bears
by Anonymous
One little bear. Wondering what to do
Along came another. Then there were two!
Two little bears. Climbing up a tree
Along came another. Then there were three!
Three little bears. Ate an apple core
Along came another. Then there were four!
Four little honey bears. Found honey in a hive
Along came another. Then there were five!
4. Grin and Bear It
by Anonymous
When I was just a wee little bear,
My owner dragged me everywhere,
Filled me up with cold mud pie,
Bit my nose and lost my tie,
Left me outside in the rain,
Spilled her juice and left this stain.
But I didn’t whine or scold,
Cuz she was only two years old!
And what’s a faithful bear to do
When his little girl is only two?
5. Hug a Bear
by Anonymous
Do you have a moment please
To give this bear just one small squeeze?
Cuz teddy bears need hugs to live…
So don’t you have just one to give?
6. Lines and Squares
by A. A. Milne
Whenever I walk in a London street,
I’m ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, “Bears,
Just look how I’m walking in all the squares!”
And the little bears growl to each other, “He’s mine,
As soon as he’s silly and steps on a line.”
And some of the bigger bears try to pretend
That they came round the corner to look for a friend;
And they try to pretend that nobody cares
Whether you walk on the lines or squares.
But only the sillies believe their talk;
It’s ever so portant how you walk.
And it’s ever so jolly to call out, “Bears,
Just watch me walking in all the squares!”
7. Bear Hugs
by Anonymous
If you like I can give you.
A big bear hug.
It will make you feel snug.
As a bug in a rug.
As soon as a bear hug.
Comes your way,
Find yourself a good friend,
And give It Away!
8. Teddy Bear
by Anonymous
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, reach up high
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, wink one eye,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, slap your knees,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, sit down please.
Teddy Bear Poems
While not technically about real bears, poems about teddy bears are a beloved subgenre in their own right. These poems celebrate the comfort and companionship that teddy bears can provide, making them a popular choice for children and adults alike.
1. My Teddy Bear
by Aliyah
A bear however how hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy bear grows short and fat-
Which is not to be wondered at.
He gets what exercise he can
By falling off the ottoman-
But generally seem to lack,
The energy to clamber back.
Now tubbiness is just the thing.
Which gets a fellow wondering-
And Teddy worries a lot about
The fact that he was rather stout.
He thought” If only I were thin!
But how would anyone begin?
It really isn’t fair
To judge one exercise and air.”
2. I Wish
by Anonymous
Fire licking the frame of my bed
The sheets are all stained red
My mother’s corpse lying there
Tears streaming down my eyes as I clutch my teddy bear
I huddle in my bed as the fire spreads
Holding my blankets remaining threads
Closing my eyes, I wish it’s all in my head
Looking at my mother, I wished it was me instead
I wish it was me instead
It’s all in my head
3. Chosen Family
by Krissi Micha Dees
You are my family.
Given the choice I would choose you,
and you alone.
I would go to the ends of the earths
just to find you.
Because if not for you:
what is my reason for existence?
For breathing?
For putting up with everything and everyone?
You are the reason,
and you are it alone.
You are my whole world,
my everything.
My love at first sight.
My buddy as Mrs. Kelley would say.
You are my partner in this,
ever since that first kiss.
That was my way of saying
you can have my shattered heart.
As long as you can put it back together.
I love you my Noah,
my teddy bear,
my love,
my everything.
4. Illogical
by Isaac
demonic, my self-sabotage is chronic
after a couple of gin and tonics, music is electronic
your body like a comic, I wanna read, I wanna see
something about you was made for me, made to be
my little teddy bear to sleep with,
I’m wearing no underwear that’s my secret
come and plant your seed then reap it
illogical thinking who needs a reason?
I just need you in this bed until noon
5. He Never Judged Her
by Chiquita
She was sad,
She needed someone who cared.
She went into her room
Just like every night
And held onto him
She cried her heart out
Though she never spoke
He could understand everything
He knew her better than anyone else
People would think she’s crazy
But she knew better
She knew he knew
He’d been watching her from a child
Yet he never judged her
Teddy was always there for her.
6. Teddy Bears
by Livia
I have noticed
That the strongest people
Have teddy bears
To comfort them at night
Or to be a never-ending friend
They are the one thing
That has seen
The strongest person cry
Although they may look tough
Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on
So the little worn-out animal
Sitting peacefully on the bed
Is the keeper of secrets
And the giver of comfort
But also just a simple yet wonderful
Teddy bear
7. Animals and Me
by A. Lesiach
All the animals have come to play,
before you gently rest your head.
They have been waiting all day,
to see you before you to go to bed.
The bunny excitedly jumps around,
wiggling his nose, not making a sound.
The teddy bear, a faithful friend,
hopes the friendship will never end.
The lion awakens from his slumber,
his growl as loud as thunder.
The panda eats his bamboo,
thinking he is lucky to have found you.
The frog with his body of green,
jumps on the bed with dangling feet.
Do not forget the elephant with floppy ears
for drying up your tiny tears.
8. Late Night Cuddle Session
by Robert Guerrero
I want to lay in bed with you
No thoughts of ***
Racing through my body
But the only thought
I’ll allow tonight
Is the thought of holding you
Under every moonlit lullaby
And let stars watch with full smiles
As they witness my love for you grow
I don’t care what the world has I say
I’d rather you call me your teddy bear
Than they’ll know I’m not in it for the ***
The royal treatment is for you
And this late night cuddle session
Is only the beginning
Because tonight I’m going to show you
That even with my weakness
I’ll protect you through the night
I’ll be your dream catcher
Your luck rabbits foot
And chase away the worries of tomorrow
I’ll cuddle concrete
I’ll cuddle rose pedals
But nothing in this world
Could ever amount to the roaring passion
I can ever feel
When its your heart and soul I cuddle with
Your my yesterday
My every day tomorrow
And the last thing I want to embrace
When I fall asleep thinking of you
This late night cuddle session
Isn’t over because I’ll hold you
Till the moon and sun decide to collide
I love you like teddy bears love cuddling
And theirs nothing this teddy bear loves more than loving you
Black Bear Poems
Black bears are one of the most common bear species in North America, and there are plenty of poems out there that celebrate their unique habits and characteristics. These poems can be a great way to learn more about this fascinating animal.
1. Black Bear
by Marilyn Lott
He wasn’t someone you’d want to see
While walking along a path
For he may not like humans too much
Might even take out on you his wrath
A black bear right by your car
Is something that’ll make my heart pound
When you are in bear country
You’re better be cautions, I’ve found
So while on vacation, my friend
If you travel where wild animals roam
Especially the large black bears
Hope you are far away from their home!
2. Scary
by Bill Baker
There once was an old man we called Harry
That felt all animals were quite scary
When the black bear stood tall
He did not move at all
Cause the bear was chasing his friend Larry
3. Berry the Black Bear
by Mike Mason
Deep in the wild was a black bear named Berry
each day of his life he would romp and be merry
but his mother was not, she was often quite mad
she would growl at Berry when happy or sad
even on birthdays his mother would yell
was she mad or just sad? It was so hard to tell
the bears lived up North, in the woods, in the ground
in a hole called a den made for black bears and brown
the den was quite large, eleven feet deep,
but Berry had problems when trying to sleep
his mother would growl while dreaming at night
keeping Berry awake, as he feared she might bite
one day Berry asked, “Mom, why are you mad?”
she then growled, “because of the bad sleep that I’ve had
you see, each wintertime we bears hibernate and
that means we all sleep for a long time and wait”
after five months have passed, when the snow is all gone
it warms up we wake up, then stretch and we yawn
but each winter I’m woken whenever it snows,
it falls in our den and then freezes my nose
so I get up and push the snow out of our den,
then I go back to sleep until snows falls again
so you see my son Berry, I don’t sleep so well,
when I’m happy I cry, if I’m sad I may yell”
Berry thought for a while, then thought once again
how snow will come soon and fall right in their den
there must be a way to keep it outside
he then had an idea; it could work if he tried
I will build a den door to cover the hole
that way she can sleep without getting so cold
Berry shared his idea when his mom growled again,
“a door will not stop all the snow falling in
spend time picking berries, not building a door
since no bear that I know has built one before.”
but Berry kept on and collected some sticks
then glued them with honey and took a few licks
he coated the door with a sticky, brown sap
he was done just in time for the long winter nap
his mom fell asleep as the first snowflakes fell,
so he put up the door and it covered them well
then five months later the snow was all gone
Berry woke up to his mother’s big yawn
she opened her eyes and cracked a big smile
that’s one thing the cub hadn’t seen in a while
she looked up and saw Berry’s door up above
and this time wasn’t angry, but brimming with love
she gave Berry a kiss and a big black bear hug
and for once she enjoyed the deep hole she had dug
she said, “I was so mean and grumpy before
but you did the right thing when you built us that door
thanks to you, Berry, I slept all winter through
your good work has made all my dreams to come true”
Berry smiled at his mom and hugged her and kissed her
then suddenly noticed he had a new sister
she was born while they slept on a cold winter night
and their den remained warm with the door closed up tight
for the first time their home was filled up with laughter
and the black bears had good dreams each night thereafter.
4. Questions
by Emanuel Carter
They thought my
dinnertime inquiries
about their days at public school
were interrogations, investigations
pursuant to suspicions of misbehavior,
missing homework, dissatisfaction or
deeply hidden traumas needing parental
intervention
I must have seemed imposing and
invasive, annoyingly aggressive as
I peppered them with questions, ignored
their heavy sighs of resistance, their impatient
rustle of reluctance and refused to accept
their silence as they hid behind their mother
like Black Bear cubs in a forest making sense of
dangerous smells
Unhappy in my marriage
all I wanted was to know them,
understand their thoughts and dreams,
share in every new adventure, in every exploration,
in every damn discovery and in the daily new
delights that only thoughtful kids delivered,
full of bright and shining promises taking flight
toward the future, making me really glad
to love them, making me glad
to be their Dad!
5. Detection
by Heidi Sands
My dog stuck her nose in the air, inside the house
Then she started huffing and puffing
She can always detect things from a distance
Then she paced, ran and starting barking on the porch
I went to see what it was and it was a young black bear
It was walking through the trees near my yard
It went to the street and a car came along and stopped
The bear went up a tree for a while as they watched
By the time I got outside, it was on the ground
It took a quick photo, before it saw me and ran away
It was a special detected sighting from my dog today
6. Quiet Riot
by Regina McIntosh
There once lived a huge, black bear named quiet
In the forest, he ate a bland diet
Never one to roar
He was such a bore
‘Til gobbling a troll, rousing a riot
7. The Bear Minimum
by Ilene Bauer
Early morning, in the country,
Walking solo on the road,
I was texting with my husband
In his slow strained-muscle mode
When I heard the bushes rustling
So I glanced off to the right
And the head of a black bear popped up,
An unexpected sight.
It was only for a moment,
But our gazes did connect;
Then the bear turned ‘round and vanished,
Which is not what I’d expect.
Bear! I texted, but my husband
Thought I’d simply made a joke,
So I called him and he heard the truth
The minute that I spoke.
I had 2 more miles of walking,
Which I did, but I kept track,
Peering in the woods intently,
Just in case that bear came back.
8. Black Bear
by Heidi Sands
A black blur of movement, caught my eye
I looked out the window to see a young black bear walk by
I was on the phone and I spoke so loud through an open sliding door
It ran away because they do not like loud noise
It is one of the best defenses from any harm
There was no time for a photo as it disappeared into the woods
They visit my yard each summer and this time it was late
It is a sight to see each summer, but worth the wait
Final Thoughts
Bear poems offer a unique window into the world of these fascinating creatures, allowing readers to explore their behavior, habitat, and significance in human culture.
Are you looking for a serious exploration of the relationship between humans and bears, a playful celebration of bear quirks and habits, or an inspirational take on the bear’s strength and resilience?
We have many bear poems for you!
From short, playful rhymes to longer, more complex works, poems for bear showcase the beauty and power of these majestic creatures.
They remind us of the importance of preserving their habitats and respecting their place in the natural world.
