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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


CHRIST AND ORPHEUS (2) by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER

First Line: O GIVE THY KING NO BYNAMES! NOR DECRY
Last Line: BOLD PEN OBTRUDES THE MARGIN ON THE TEXT.
Subject(s): CHRISTIANITY; ORPHISM (MYSTIC GREEK CULT);

O give thy King no bynames! nor decry
The title proper to His native throne
Within our hearts, as tho' thou would'st deny
The authentic angel's voice which made it known;
'Tis treason to invalidate our creed
By understatements, partial, vague, and scant;
A faith in music is not what we want,
This sweet-toned mythus meets no sinner's need;
Come to the rescue, all who would not fuse
Redemption into harp-notes! nor exchange
For this new style our grand prescriptive use;
Nor seek, from flying leaves of legend strange,
To annotate Christ Jesus! till the next
Bold pen obtrudes the margin on the text.



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