Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PAUL IN ATHENS, by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PAUL IN ATHENS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I've heard a stranger, crito -- such a man!
Last Line: A prudent man, our governor, and wise.
Subject(s): Athens, Greece


I've heard a stranger, Crito, -- such a man!
He spoke to-day before a little crowd
Of chance-drawn folk upon the Hill of Mars,
And as I strolled he caught me -- such a man!
A short man, somewhat bowed as if in thought;
An ugly man, but ah! his shining face,
And swift, compelling voice! I hardly think
Demosthenes or even AEschines
Could so command his hearers. And he told,
There on the Hill of Mars, about a god
Could conquer Mars, and yet the god of peace.
Indeed, he vaunted him all gods in one, --
The god of tempests like the thundering Zeus,
And at a word the storm would kiss his feet:
Light of the world, Apollo in the sun;
Bread of the world, Demeter bounteous;
The god of truth, than Pallas wiser far,
And more than Aphrodite god of love.
This paragon of gods, the stranger said,
Could more than Hermes move the hearts of men
With winsome words, and more than Heracles
Could work his wonders, and could heal the sick
With touch that AEsculapius might desire.
Such nonsense! but you should have heard the man.
His voice is still a clarion in my ears:
"The God who made the world and all therein
Dwells not in temples made with human hands,
And is not served by human hands," he said,
"As though he needed anything. . . . He made
All nations of one blood," the stranger said.
"He is not far from any one of us.
In him we have our being, live and move.
We are his children --" much he made of that,
This herald of all deities in one.
He said he sent his Son, this Father-god,
Who came to earth and died upon a cross
And rose again to heaven, all for us.
You should have heard him, Crito -- such a man!
You're going to the baths? The day is warm
And dusty. I will go along with you.
They say a ship from Egypt is in port,
And in its cargo is a linen mesh
So fine you scarce can see it. And they say
The Governor at once bought up the lot
To send it to the Emperor at Rome.
A prudent man, our Governor, and wise.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net