Christian Poetry Considered

Tag: English

  • ‘Sonnet 146′ by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

    ‘Sonnet 146′ by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

    Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth,Feeding these rebel powers that thee array,Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,Painting thy outward walls so costly gay? 4Why so large cost, having so short a lease,Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body’s end?…

  • ‘Hymnus’ Anonymous (16th century)

    God be in my hede And in my understanding

  • ‘The Altar’ by George Herbert (1593-1633)

    A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears, Made of a heart, and cemented with tears: Whose parts are as thy hand did frame; No workman’s tool hath touch’d the same. 4 A HEART alone Is such a stone, As nothing but Thy pow’r doth cut. 8 Wherefore each part Of my hard heart Meets in…

  • ‘No coward soul is mine’ by Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

    No coward soul is mineNo trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere:I see Heaven’s glories shine,And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear. 4O God within my breast, Almighty ever-present Deity!Life – that in me hast rest,As I – Undying Life – have power in Thee! 8 Vain are the thousand creeds That move men’s hearts:…

  • ‘Felix Randal’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

    Felix Randal the farrier, O is he dead then? my duty all ended, Who have watched his mould of man, big-boned and hardy-handsome Pining, pining, till time when reason rambled in it, and some Fatal four disorders, fleshed there, all contended? 4 Sickness broke him. Impatient, he cursed at first, but mended Being anointed and…

  • ‘St Peter’ by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

    St. Peter once: “Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?”— Much more I say: Lord, dost Thou stand and knock At my closed heart more rugged than a rock, Bolted and barred, for Thy soft touch unmeet, 4 Nor garnished nor in any wise made sweet? Owls roost within and dancing satyrs mock. Lord, I have…

  • ‘Pax’ by D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

    All that matters is to be at one with the living God to be a creature in the house of the God of Life. Like a cat asleep on a chair at peace, in peace …

  • ‘Holy Sonnet 13′ by John Donne (1571-1631)

    What if this present were the worlds last night?Mark in my heart, O Soul, where thou dost dwell,The picture of Christ crucified, and tellWhether that countenance can thee affright, 4Tears in his eyes quench the amazing light,Blood fills his frowns, which from his pierc’d head fell.And can that tongue adjudge thee unto hell,Which pray’d forgiveness…