Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A DYING SPEECH, by JOHN BYROM Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: In this unhappily divided state Last Line: Author of life, and vanquisher of death! Subject(s): Death; Graves; Rest; Dead, The; Tombs; Tombstones | ||||||||
IN this unhappily divided state, That christian churches have been in of late, One must, however catholic the heart, Join and conform to some divided part: The Church of England is the part that I Have always liv'd in and now choose to die; Trusting, that if I worship God with her In spirit and in truth, I shall not err; But as acceptable to Him be found, As if, in times for one pure church renown'd, Born, I had also liv'd in heart and soul A faithful member of th' unbroken whole. As I am now, by God's good will, to go From this disorder'd state of things below; Into his hands, as I am now to fall, Who is the great Creator of us all; God of all churches, that implore his aid, Lover of all the souls that he hath made; Whose Kingdom, that of universal love, Must have its blest inhabitants above, From ev'ry class of men, from all the good, Howe'er descended from one human blood; So, in this loving spirit, I desire, As in the midst of all their sacred Choir, With rites prescrib'd, and with a christian view, Of all the world to take my last Adieu; Willing in heart and spirit to unite With ev'ry church, in what is just and right, Holy and good, and worthy, in its kind, Of God's acceptance from an honest mind: Praying, that ev'ry church may have its saints, And rise to that perfection which it wants. Father! Thy kingdom come! Thy sacred will May all the tribes of human race fulfil! Thy name be prais'd by ev'ry living breath, AUTHOR of LIFE, and VANQUISHER of DEATH! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SURVIVOR AMONG GRAVES by RANDALL JARRELL SUBJECTED EARTH by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE GRAVE OF MRS. HEMANS by CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER THOSE GRAVES IN ROME by LARRY LEVIS NOT TO BE DWELLED ON by HEATHER MCHUGH ONE LAST DRAW OF THE PIPE by PAUL MULDOON ETRUSCAN TOMB by JOHN FREDERICK NIMS ENDING WITH A LINE FROM LEAR by MARVIN BELL A HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS DAY (2) by JOHN BYROM |
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