Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LUXOR NATIVITY, by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LUXOR NATIVITY, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A full-blown, modern, speculative sage
Last Line: Of thy great dogmas - evermore in vain.
Subject(s): Amenhotep Iii (1417-1379 B.c.); Christmas; Luxor, Egypt; Nativity, The


A full-blown, modern, speculative sage
Is on us, crammed with Egypt - with his dream
Of Nile he seeks the folds of Bethlehem,
And writes 'from Luxor' on the sacred page;
The 'young child' came from Egypt; yet not so,
As this vain scribe would have it - not the son
Of an old Coptic frieze, but the Holy One
Of Israel, Virgin-born! O shame and woe!
But, O my Church, thou standest ever sure,
Though meteors through thine open portals glow,
Discolouring with strange lights, that come and go,
Thine altars, and thy fonts, and vestments pure -
Flashing their alien tinct on the true grain
Of thy great dogmas - Evermore in vain.





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