LORD God, I have been guilty in my life, Yet worshiped Beauty, and aspire to make A work that shall have love and faith, heartbreak, Passion and joy and triumph after strife, And all the glow wherewith the sky is rife. And I implore thee, Master, for the sake Of this, the longing of my soul, to give Thy potent aid: since thou art pain and bliss And faith and love and everything that is. Look down upon my work and let it live And be for ever lovely; and for this Great boon of thine, I swear to do Thy will Each several hour, all other wills above; Yea, I will burn six candles at Thy shrine That stands betwixt the crossways, as a sign Of the devotion that is in my heart. Hark to my supplication, thou who art Merciful: let my work be sanctified And meet for her, the blameless Virgin bride: Make me all pure for painting, so I can Speak, through my pigments, of the Son of man. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...WHEN SHE COMES HOME by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY THE POWER OF MUSIC by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH REBEL FAITH by WILLIAM ROSE BENET DEPARTURE by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN MADRIGAL by STANISLAUS JEAN DE BOUFFLERS |