June 24, 2007

" The land of spices, something understood."

        PRAYER.

PRAYER the Churches banquet, Angels age,
      Gods breath in man returning to his birth,
      The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth ;

Engine against th’ Almightie, sinner's towre,
      Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
      The six daies world-transposing in an houre,
A kinde of tune, which all things heare and fear ;

Softnesse, and peace, and joy, and love, and blisse,
      Exalted Manna, gladnesse of the best,
      Heaven in ordinarie, man well drest,
The milkie way, the bird of Paradise,

      Church-bels beyond the stars heard, the souls bloud,
      The land of spices, something understood.

          George Herbert-- 1593-1633

(When I Googled up a copy of this, I found some interesting thoughts on the meanings of the poem here.)

"Random Thoughts Sundays"250

Posted by John Weidner at June 24, 2007 05:47 AM
Comments

Do you listen to Lileks's Diner podcasts? If so, and if you've heard the latest one, then saying this poem would fit in around the W's or X's somewhere will make sense!

Posted by: Ethan Hahn at June 24, 2007 06:03 AM
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