Religious
Poetry
Good Friday
Good
Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and
his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week, which is the week
leading up to Easter Sunday.
Good
Friday is a day of solemn remembrance and reflection for Christians around the
world. Many Christians attend church services and participate in prayer and
fasting on this day. The liturgy of Good Friday often includes the reading of
the Passion narrative, the veneration of the cross, and the receiving of Holy
Communion.
In
many Christian traditions, Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence from
meat. It is also a day of mourning, and in some places, there are processions
or reenactments of the crucifixion.
Overall,
Good Friday is a significant day for Christians as it marks the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of humanity.
"Good Friday"
by
Christina Rossetti
Am I
a stone, and not a sheep,
That
I can stand, O Christ, beneath thy cross,
To
number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss,
And
yet not weep?
Not
so those women loved
Who
with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not
so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not
so the thief was moved;
Not
so the sun and moon
Which
hid their faces in a starless sky,
A
horror of great darkness at broad noon -
I,
only I.
Yet
give not o'er,
But
seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater
than Moses, turn and look once more
And
smite a rock.
Paraphrase of "Good Friday" by Christina Rossetti
The
speaker wonders why they are able to stand beneath the cross of Christ without
weeping, even as they witness his blood slowly dripping away. The speaker
contrasts themselves with the women who mourned Christ, Peter who wept
bitterly, and the thief who was moved by Christ's suffering. The sun and moon
hid their faces during the crucifixion, but the speaker feels that they are the
only one who is unmoved. The speaker urges Christ to continue seeking his
sheep, like a true shepherd, and to turn and look back at them again, like Moses
did when he struck a rock. In essence, the poem reflects on the speaker's lack
of emotional response to the crucifixion and their desire to be moved by it.
"The Cross"
by
John Donne
Since
Christ embraced the cross itself, dare I
His
image, th' image of his cross deny?
Would
I have profit by the sacrifice,
And
dare the chosen altar to despise?
It
bore all other sins, but is it fit
That
it should bear the sin of scorning it?
Paraphrase of John Donne's poem "The Cross":
The
speaker reflects on how Christ embraced the cross and wonders how they could
deny the image of his sacrifice. The speaker questions whether they can truly
benefit from Christ's sacrifice while despising the cross itself, which bore
all other sins. The speaker ponders whether it is appropriate for the cross to
also bear the sin of scorning it. Essentially, the poem questions how one can
accept the gift of salvation through Christ's sacrifice while rejecting the
very symbol of that sacrifice.
"The Hill"
by
Charles Williams
It
was upon a hill,
A
hill I know,
Where
the Lord God crucified His Son,
And
the hill, it is part of His Creation,
As
is the sky and the earth below.
Paraphrase of "The Hill" by Charles Williams
The
poem describes a hill where God crucified his son, Jesus Christ. The speaker
emphasizes that this hill is a part of God's creation, just like the sky and
the earth below. The speaker highlights the significance of the hill, as it is
the location of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. The poem suggests that this
sacrifice is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith and that the hill
represents the culmination of God's plan for humanity. Essentially, the poem
emphasizes the importance of the crucifixion and the role it plays in Christian
theology.
"The Reproaches"
by
John Sanders
My
people, what have I done to you?
How
have I offended you? Answer me!
I
led you out of Egypt,
from
slavery to freedom,
but
you led your Saviour to the cross.
My
people, what have I done to you?
How
have I offended you? Answer me!
I
opened the sea before you,
but
you opened my side with a spear.
My
people, what have I done to you?
How
have I offended you? Answer me!
I
led you on your way in a pillar of cloud,
but
you led me to Pilate's court.
My
people, what have I done to you?
How
have I offended you? Answer me!
I
fed you with manna in the desert,
but
you struck me down and scourged me.
Paraphrase of "The Reproaches" by John Sanders
The
speaker addresses their people and asks how they have offended God. They
reflect on how God led them out of Egypt and from slavery to freedom, yet they
led Jesus to the cross. The speaker highlights the various ways in which God
has shown them love and mercy, including leading them through the sea and
providing them with manna in the desert. However, the people have turned
against Jesus and led him to Pilate's court, where he was scourged and
ultimately crucified. The poem presents a series of reproaches from God,
highlighting the contrast between God's love for his people and their rejection
of Jesus. Essentially, the poem emphasizes the gravity of the people's actions
and their responsibility for the crucifixion.
"The Agony"
by
George Herbert
Philosophers
have measured mountains,
Fathomed
the depths of seas, of states, and kings;
Walked
with a staff to heaven and traced fountains:
But
there are two vast, spacious things,
The
which to measure it doth more behove;
Yet
few there are that sound them; Sin and Love.
Who
would know Sin, let him repair
Unto
Mount Olivet; there shall he see
A
man, so wrung with pains, that all his hair,
His
skin, his garments, bloody be.
Sin
is that press and vice, which forceth pain
To
hunt his cruel food through every vein.
Who
knows not Love, let him assay,
And
taste that honey, which on earth doth flow,
And
is called Love, which, whiles I assay,
My
soul is with ariearied moan.
Enough,
no more, 'tis folly to discourse;
Heaven
knows, I speak truth, all other talk is force.
Paraphrase of "The Agony" by George Herbert
The
speaker reflects on the vastness of sin and love, two things that are difficult
to fully comprehend or measure. They suggest that to truly understand sin, one
must witness the agony of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount
of Olives. Jesus was in so much pain that his skin, garments, and hair were all
covered in blood. Sin is like a cruel force that inflicts pain throughout the
body.
To
understand love, the speaker suggests one must experience it for oneself. Love
is like honey, a sweet substance that flows on earth. However, love can also
cause intense pain, as the speaker's soul is weary from their experience with
it. Ultimately, the poem emphasizes the contrast between sin and love, and how
both can cause immense suffering.
"The Nail"
by
C.S. Lewis
Nail,
have pity, spare the flesh!
Wound,
do not cut so deep!
Bleed,
but not all life away!
Stay,
O wound, and let me weep!
See
the wood, the cruel spikes,
That
tear thy feet and hands,
And
think no more of joy or hope,
But
only how thou stand'st.
Paraphrase of "The Nail" by C.S. Lewis
The
speaker addresses a nail that has pierced the flesh of Jesus on the cross. They
plead with the nail to spare Jesus any further pain and not cut too deeply into
his flesh. The speaker acknowledges the cruelty of the spikes that tore into
Jesus' hands and feet and urges the wound to stop bleeding so that they can
grieve properly. Essentially, the poem portrays the agony of the crucifixion
and highlights the speaker's empathy and sorrow for the pain inflicted on
Jesus.
