Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ARTIST'S PRAYER, by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ARTIST'S PRAYER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Lord god, I have been guilty in my life
Last Line: Speak, through my pigments, of the son of man.
Subject(s): Faith; God; Love; Passion; Prayer; Soul; Belief; Creed


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.





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