Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS by LIONEL PIGOT JOHNSON

Poet Analysis

First Line: FAR FROM THE WORLD, FAR FROM DELIGHT
Far from the world, far from delight,

Distinguishing not day from night;

Vowed to one sacrifice of all
Far from the world, far from delight,
The happy things, that men befall;
Distinguishing not day from night;
Pleading one sacrifice, before
Vowed to one sacrifice of all
Whom sun and sea and wind adore;
The happy things, that men befall;
Far from earth's comfort, far away,
Pleading one sacrifice, before
We cry to God, we cry and pray
Whom sun and sea and wind adore;
For men, who have the common day.
Far from earth's comfort, far away,
Dance, merry world! and sing: but we,
We cry to God, we cry and pray
Hearing, remember Calvary:
For men, who have the common day.
Get gold, and thrive you! but the sun
Dance, merry world! and sing: but we,
Once paled; and the centurion
Hearing, remember Calvary:
Said: This dead man was God's own Son.
Get gold, and thrive you! but the sun
Think you, we shrink from common toil,
Once paled; and the centurion
Works of the mart, works of the soil;
Said: This dead man was God's own Son.
That, prisoners of strong despair,
Think you, we shrink from common toil,
We breathe this melancholy air;
Works of the mart, works of the soil;
Forgetting the dear calls of race,
That, prisoners of strong despair,
And bonds of house, and ties of place;
We breathe this melancholy air;
That, cowards, from the field we turn,
Forgetting the dear calls of race,
And heavenward, in our weakness, yearn?
And bonds of house, and ties of place;
Unjust! unkind! while you despise
That, cowards, from the field we turn,
Our lonely years, our mournful cries:
And heavenward, in our weakness, yearn?
You are the happier for our prayer;
Unjust! unkind! while you despise
The guerdon of our souls, you share.
Our lonely years, our mournful cries:
Not in such feebleness of heart,
You are the happier for our prayer;
We play our solitary part;
The guerdon of our souls, you share.
Not fugitives of battle, we
Not in such feebleness of heart,
Hide from the world, and let things be:
We play our solitary part;
But rather, looking over earth,
Not fugitives of battle, we
Between the bounds of death and birth;
Hide from the world, and let things be:
And sad at heart, for sorrow and sin,
But rather, looking over earth,
We wondered, where might help begin.
Between the bounds of death and birth;
And on our wonder came God's choice,
And sad at heart, for sorrow and sin,
A sudden light, a clarion voice,
We wondered, where might help begin.
Clearing the dark, and sounding clear:
And on our wonder came God's choice,
And we obeyed: behold us, here!
A sudden light, a clarion voice,
In prison bound, but with your chains:
Clearing the dark, and sounding clear:
Sufferers, but of alien pains.
And we obeyed: behold us, here!
Merry the world, and thrives apace,
In prison bound, but with your chains:
Each in his customary place:
Sufferers, but of alien pains.
Sailors upon the carrying sea,
Merry the world, and thrives apace,
Shepherds upon the pasture lea,
Each in his customary place:
And merchants of the town; and they,
Sailors upon the carrying sea,
Who march to death, the fighting way;
Shepherds upon the pasture lea,
And there are lovers in the spring,
And merchants of the town; and they,
With those, who dance, and those, who sing:
Who march to death, the fighting way;
The commonwealth of every day.
And there are lovers in the spring,
Eastward and westward, far away.
With those, who dance, and those, who sing:
Once the sun paled; once cried aloud
The commonwealth of every day,
The Roman, from beneath the cloud:
Eastward and westward, far away.
This day the Son of God is dead!
Once the sun paled; once cried aloud
Yet heed men, what the Roman said?
The Roman, from beneath the cloud:
They heed not: we then heed for them,
This day the Son of God is dead!
The mindless of Jerusalem;
Yet heed men, what the Roman said?
Careless, they live and die: but we
They heed not: we then heed for them,
Care, in their stead, for Calvary.
The mindless of Jerusalem;
O joyous men and women! strong,
Careless, they live and die: but we
To urge the wheel of life along,
Care, in their stead, for Calvary.
With strenuous arm, and cheerful strain,
O joyous men and women! strong,
And wisdom of laborious brain:
To urge the wheel of life along,
We give our life, our heart, our breath,
With strenuous arm, and cheerful strain,
That you may live to conquer death;
And wisdom of laborious brain:
That, past your tomb, with souls in health,
We give our life, our heart, our breath,
Joy may be yours, and blessed wealth;
That you may live to conquer death;
Through vigils of the painful night,
That, past your tomb, with souls in health,
Our spirits with your tempters fight:
Joy may be yours, and blessed wealth;
For you, for you, we live alone,
Through vigils of the painful night,
Where no joy comes, where cold winds moan:
Our spirits with your tempters fight:
Nor friends have we, nor have we foes;
For you, for you, we live alone,
Our Queen is of the lonely Snows.
Where no joy comes, where cold winds moan:
Ah! and sometimes, our prayers between,
Nor friends have we, nor have we foes;
Come sudden thoughts of what hath been:
Our Queen is of the lonely Snows.
Dreams! And from dreams, once more we fall
Ah! and sometimes, our prayers between,
To prayer: God save, Christ keep, them all.
Come sudden thoughts of what hath been:
And thou, who knowest not these things,
Dreams! And from dreams, once more we fall
Hearken, what news our message brings!
To prayer: God save, Christ keep, them all.
Our toils, thy joy of life forgot:
And thou, who knowest not these things,
Our lives of prayer forget thee not.
Hearken, what news our message brings!
-1887
Our toils, thy joy of life forgot:
Our lives of prayer forget thee not.




Home: PoetryExplorer.net