Ecclesiastes Chapter 1
by Christian Old Testament
In the Israelite’s historical books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, the documents claim that Solomon, King of Israel was
Eyes and Tears
by Andrew Marvell
The poem, ‘Eyes and Tears‘ by Andrew Marvell is also metaphysical by virtue of its unusual imagery and its metaphors
Holy Sonnet II
by John Donne
‘Holy Sonnet II’ by John Donne is the second in a series of religious sonnets that Donne is well-known for. This poem is directed to God and explores a speaker’s concerns about their fate.
As due by many titles I resign
Myself to thee, O God. First I was made
By Thee; and for Thee, and when I was decay’d
Thy blood bought that, the which before was Thine.
Holy Sonnet IX
by John Donne
‘Holy Sonnet IX’ by John Donne, also known by its first line ‘If poisonous minerals, and if that tree’ is one of several “Holy Sonnets” the poet composed during his lifetime. This particular poem focuses on a dispute between the speaker and God.
If poisonous minerals, and if that tree,
Whose fruit threw death on (else immortal) us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd, alas ! why should I be ?
Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience)
by William Blake
‘Holy Thursday’ by William Blake depicts the poor children of London attending church on Holy Thursday. Specifically, Blake describes their songs, appearance, and how their existence challenges the message the church is trying to convey.
Is this a holy thing to see,
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reducd to misery,
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Hope holds to Christ
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
‘Hope holds to Christ’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a poem about faith and hope. The speaker spends the lines personifying hope and relating “her” to Christ.
Hope holds to Christ the mind’s own mirror out
To take His lovely likeness more and more.
It will not well, so she would bring about
An ever brighter burnish than before
Hurrahing in Harvest
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
The theme of Hurrahing in Harvest is an experience of union with Christ as he is alive and present in
I did not reach Thee
by Emily Dickinson
‘I did not reach Thee’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem about a speaker’s journey through life. She expresses both optimism and hesitation in the face of her death and attempts to reach God.
I did not reach Thee
But my feet slip nearer every day
Three Rivers and a Hill to cross
If those I loved were lost
by Emily Dickinson
‘If those I loved were lost’ by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem. It uses allusions to describe how the poet, or at least her speaker, would react to the loss of loved ones.
If those I loved were lost
The Crier’s voice would tell me —
If those I loved were found
The bells of Ghent would ring —
In the Bleak Midwinter
by Christina Rossetti
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ describes the birth of the Christ child on a “bleak midwinter” day and those who came to see him.
In the Servants’ Quarters
by Thomas Hardy
‘In the Servants’ Quarters’ by Thomas Hardy speaks into a biblical story and gives the reader insight as to what Peter may have been feeling, and the pressure he was under at the time when he denied knowing Jesus.
Jerusalem: And did those feet in ancient time
by William Blake
‘Jerusalem’ is a famous, prophetic, melancholic, and classic poem, penned by maestro William Blake in 1804. It may seem like a patriotic poem, yet it’s misleading, adding to the irony is the fact that it’s an unofficial national anthem of England.
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
Jesus! thy Crucifix
by Emily Dickinson
‘Jesus! thy Crucifix’ by Emily Dickinson is a short poem in the form of a prayer to Jesus. Th speaker wants to make sure he remembers that humanity suffers on earth.
Jesus! thy Crucifix
Enable thee to guess
The smaller size!
Journey of the Magi
by T.S. Eliot
Journey of the Magi’ by T.S. Eliot describes the terrible conditions through which the Magi traversed to meet the Christ child.
A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
Lament for Thomas MacDonagh
by Francis Ledwidge
The Irish poet Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917) wrote Lament for Thomas MacDonagh for his friend, fellow Irish poet Thomas MacDonagh (1878-1916),
Looking for Judas
by Adrian C. Louis
Adrian C. Louis’ ‘Looking for Judas’ is about how the Christian religion played a pivotal role in order to conquer the Native American people. This piece revolves around the central image of “blood.”
My Prayer
by Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau, the poet to ‘My Prayer’, has fascinated readers for generations because he was clearly ahead of his
Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost
The poem, ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’, by Robert Frost, is about the impermanence of life. It describes the fleeting nature of beauty by discussing time’s effect on nature.
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
On a Drop of Dew
by Andrew Marvell
In ‘On a Drop of Dew’ by Andrew Marvell, the central idea is that the human soul comes into this
On Another’s Sorrow
by William Blake
‘On Another’s Sorrow’ by William Blake describes the love God has for the world and how it has inspired the speaker to act similarly.
Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
And not seek for kind relief?
On Easter Day
by Oscar Wilde
‘On Easter Day’ by Oscar Wilde asks readers to consider how Christian teachings align with the modern-day Pope. It’s about the importance of not putting man-made desires and institutions ahead of God.
On the Day of Judgment
by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift’s acerbic poem ‘On the Day of Judgment’ is about a speaker’s vision of the judgment day with Jove or Jupiter giving his final ruling on humankind’s offenses.
On the Massacre of Christians in Bulgaria
by Oscar Wilde
‘On the Massacre of the Christians in Bulgaria’ is a sonnet that questions the divinity of God after a massacre of Christians in Batak, Bulgaria.
Prayer
by Carol Ann Duffy
‘Prayer’ by Carol Ann Duffy describes the different forms a prayer can take in the modern world, and how those forms provide comfort.
Some days, although we cannot pray, a prayer
utters itself. So, a woman will lift
her head from the sieve of her hands and stare
at the minims sung by a tree, a sudden gift.
Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd
by Christian Old Testament
‘The Lord is My Shepherd’ is one of the most recognizable and iconic passages from the Bible, dealing with themes such as faith and discovery.
Psalm 84
by Christian Old Testament
The setting of ‘Psalm 84’ is of utmost importance. The authorship of this poem has been disputed by theologians, but
Refugee Mother and Child
by Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe was very well-known for his work on post-colonialism; his upbringing in southeastern Nigeria made his childhood a firsthand
San Sepolcro
by Jorie Graham
Jorie Graham’s ‘San Sepolcro’ is an ekphrastic poem about the Etruscan wall art and especially Piero della Francesca’s famous fresco Madonna del Parto. It appears in Graham’s second volume of poetry Erosion (1983).
Sister Maude
by Christina Rossetti
With this poem, Sister Maude, the speaker allows the reader to enter into her own feelings of loss and betrayal. The
Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –
by Emily Dickinson
‘Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –’ is one of Emily Dickinson’s best-known poems. It features the poet’s growing disbelief regarding the customary Christian rituals and her intention to seek salvation without resorting to the conventional means.
Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –
I keep it, staying at Home –
With a Bobolink for a Chorister –
And an Orchard, for a Dome –
