Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"A Conclusorie Humne to the Same Week; & for my Friend" is a poem by Joseph Beaumont. Beaumont was an English poet and divine who lived from 1616 to 1699. He was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and later became the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.

The poem was first published in 1647, and it is a collection of devotional poetry that explores the themes of Christian faith, morality, and redemption. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, and it has a regular rhythmic and rhyming structure. The poem consists of four stanzas, each containing eight lines, and it follows an ABAB rhyme scheme.

The first stanza of the poem begins with the line "In midst of joys, which with the week did fly." The stanza reflects on the fleeting nature of human happiness and the need for faith in God to find lasting fulfillment. The second stanza continues this theme, with the lines "We priz'd the Gifts, and not the Donor too, / And us'd the means, but did the End pursue."

The third stanza shifts focus to the theme of forgiveness and redemption. The lines "Yet thou, who hast been prov'd a Friend in Need, / Canst purge the Sins, which from the Gifts proceed," suggest that true redemption can only be found through faith in God. The final stanza concludes the poem with the lines "And when again thou shalt revive the Week, / May it as sure a pledge of Mercy speak."

Overall, "A Conclusorie Humne to the Same Week; & for my Friend" is a reflective and devotional poem that encourages readers to seek fulfillment through faith in God and to reflect on the fleeting nature of human happiness.