Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


HOLY INNOCENTS by ARTHUR THOMAS QUILLER-COUCH

Poet Analysis

First Line: US HEROD SLEW, / WILLING TO SLAY THE INFANT CHRIST, OUR LORD
Last Line: AS BABIES TREMBLING IN THE TEARS OF HER.
Subject(s): GRIEF; JESUS CHRIST; SORROW; SADNESS;

US Herod slew,
Willing to slay the infant Christ, our Lord.
But from the sword
Our tender life in globes of lighted dew
Trickled and twinkling ran
Before Him to the waste Egyptian,
Gilding His way like glow-worms on the sward.

Now in His house
He draweth us to deck the Christmas fir
From chest of myrrh;
Whom as Aunt Mary bindeth on the boughs,
Her eyes drop happy rain
For sorrow past—and lo! we live again
As babies trembling in the tears of her.



Home: PoetryExplorer.net