Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SHAKESPEARE READS THE KING JAMES VERSION, by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SHAKESPEARE READS THE KING JAMES VERSION, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Now, by our lady, here is master speech!
Last Line: "and pluck a heedless world anew from hell!"
Subject(s): Bible; Books; Dramatists; God; James I, King Of England (1566-1625); Plays & Playwrights ; Poetry & Poets; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Reading; Dramatists


"NOW, by our Lady, here is master speech!
I swear such language is beyond my reach,
Though I (quoth Ben) have skill to marshal words
And make them peal like trumpets, lute like birds.
But here is marvel passing Ben or me,
Our Lord come down to earth, in verity.

"Old Tyndale wrought full well, and I have read
These long, long years his Book by board and bed
And blessed him for it; but this Book of James
Writes up in gold the hundred gloried names
Of them who took from Hebrew or from Greek
The Word of God or of His Jesus meek.

"I'll to the tavern, o'er a stoup of wine
Con once again this Treasure, line by line;
The old, dear Gospel I have loved full well
So fashioned, it shall cast a faery spell
And pluck a heedless world anew from Hell!"





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