Verses

Description

"Verses" by Christina Georgina Rossetti is a collection of devotional poetry written in the late 19th century. It centers on Christian prayer, penitence, divine love, and hope of salvation, drawing heavily on Scripture and the rhythms of the liturgical year. Expect ardent sonnets, hymns, and brief dialogues that seek union with Christ, contemplate His Passion and Resurrection, and chart the soul’s pilgrimage toward heaven. The opening of the collection presents a sustained sequence of prayers and meditations addressed to God—pleading for mercy, faith, and steadfast love; renouncing earthly vanities; and longing for heavenly rest. The speaker confesses frailty (“help my unbelief”), yearns to love as God loves, and hears tender responses from Christ in call-and-response poems. Images of the Good Shepherd, the Dove, the Vine, lilies and roses, rivers and fire, weave Scripture into personal devotion. Midway it turns to “Some Feasts and Fasts,” compact lyrics for the church year—from Advent expectation through Christmas joy, Epiphany, Lent and Holy Week, to Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost—before moving on to Trinity and saints’ days, all affirming Christ as “All in all” and urging patience, charity, and watchful hope, with a final glance toward the world’s vanity. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• English poetry -- 19th century
• PR