Easter Sunday

 

Prayer By George Herbert



published 1633


 
Easter Sunday
 

Prayer the church's banquet, angel's age,
God's breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth
Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tow'r,
Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
The six-days world transposing in an hour,
A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;
Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,
Exalted manna, gladness of the best,
Heaven in ordinary, man well drest,
The milky way, the bird of Paradise,
Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood,
The land of spices; something understood.
 
 
 

[George Herbert lived from 1593 to 1633. His poems in English were published together in 1633.]


Happy Easter to all blog readers


Picture is Easter Service by Mikhail Germashev from the Athenaeum website.





















Comments

  1. That's a lovely choice of poem for today, Moira! So much there in such a short poem, too. Happy Easter to you and your family.

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    1. Thanks Margot! Best Easter wishes to you and yours.

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  2. I read the poem before reading when it was written, and was really surprised that it comes from the 17th Century! In the end good poetry and good prose can be timeless, I suppose.

    And a happy Easter to you too.

    ggary

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    1. Happy Easter! Yes, it's lovely and timeless as you say.

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  3. Thank you, Moira. A wonderful poem by a favourite poet of mine. Peace and joy to you and your family.

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    1. Best wishes to you and yours. George Herbert had an intriguing soul...

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  4. That is a very nice picture, Moira. I hope you had a lovely Easter.

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    1. Thank you, and all good wishes to you and your family.

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  5. Moira, season's greetings and (belated) Happy Easter to you and everyone at home!

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    1. Thanks Prashant, and the same to you and your family.

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  6. Beautiful. Before reading the poem I was wondering what clothes were written about almost 500 years ago. I think you must love poetry.

    I hope you had a Happy Easter. We were glad to be with our sons in Calgary on our way back from Florida.

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    1. Glad you had a happy Easter Bill - so did I.
      Sometimes the clothes move to one side to make way for something else - this was one of those times!

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