Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PRAYER FOR THE SLAVE, by JOHN PIERPONT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PRAYER FOR THE SLAVE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Almighty god! Thou giver
Last Line: A vast, a ransomed host!
Subject(s): Abolitionists; Slavery; Anti-slavery; Serfs


ALMIGHTY God! thou Giver
Of all our sunny plains,
That stretch from sea to river,
Hear'st thou thy children's chains?
Seest thou the snappered lashes,
That daily sting, afresh?
Seest thou the cow-skin's gashes,
Cut through the quivering flesh?
Seest thou the sores, that rankle,
Licked by no pitying dog,
Where, round the bondman's ancle,
They've rivetted a clog?
Hear'st thou the curse he mutters?
Seest thou his flashing eye?
Hear'st thou the prayer he utters,
That thou would'st let him die?
God of the poor and friendless,
Shall this unequalled wrong,
This agony, be endless?
How long, O Lord, how long
Shall man set, on his brother,
The iron heel of sin,
The Holy Ghost to smother --
To crush the God within!
Call out, O God, thy legions --
The hosts of love and light!
Ev'n in the blasted regions
That Slavery wraps in night,
Some of thine own anointed
Shall catch the welcome call,
And, at the hour appointed,
Do battle for the thrall.
Let press, let pulpit thunder,
In all slaveholders' ears,
Till they disgorge the plunder,
They're garnered up, for years;
Till Mississippi's Valley,
Till Carolina's coast,
Round Freedom's standard rally,
A vast, a ransomed host!





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net