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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A VOICE FROM THE SWEAT-SHOPS (A HYMN WITH RESPONSES), by LOUIS UNTERMEYER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Praise god from whom all blessings / flow Last Line: When will he make it plain? Alternate Author Name(s): Lewis, Michael Subject(s): Revivals; Social Protest; Speech; Voices; Religious Revivals; Oratory; Orators | |||
PRAISE God from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below. Every morning mercies new Fall as fresh as morning dew." Yet we are choked with sin With bestial lusts and guile; God (so it runs) made this world clean And Man has made it vile. Aye, here Man lives on man, And breaks him day by day— But in the trampled jungle The tiger claws his prey. God's curse is on the thief; The murderer fares ill— Who gave the beasts their taste for blood Who taught them how to kill? "All praise to Him Who built the hills, All praise to Him Who each stream fills; All praise to Him Who lights each star That sparkles in the sky afar." All praise to Him who made The earthquake and the flood; All praise to Him who made the pest That sucks away the blood. All praise to Him whose mind Had the desire to make The shark, the scorpion, the gnat And the envenomed snake. Beauty itself He turns To slay and to be slain— A thousand evil poisons His peaceful woods contain. "Lift up your heart! Lift up your voice! Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice! For His mercies, they are sure His compassion will endure!" Rejoice because each man Has but a man's desire To sin the little human sins As a child that plays with fire. Rejoice because God's plans Are far too deep for talk... He lets the swallow feed on flies— Then gives it to the hawk! Rejoice because He made A world in some wild mood; A world that feeds upon itself— 'And God saw it was good...' Yet who are we to rail— Vainly we strive and storm— God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform! 'Blind unbelief is sure to err,' They say, and yet again, 'God is His own interpreter'— When will He make it plain? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BROADCASTING CORPORATION by ANSELM HOLLO THE ORATION; AFTER CAVAFY by CAROLYN KIZER A SIMPLIFICATION by RICHARD WILBUR MOTHER TONGUE by RANDY BLASING THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#13): 1. ABOUT THE DEAD MAN AND THUNDER by MARVIN BELL THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#13): 2. MORE ABOUT THE DEAD MAN AND THUNDER by MARVIN BELL |
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