To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is God, our father dear,
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is Man, his child and care.
For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
My analysis - In this poem he is saying that everything we call out to is apart of Jesus. When he says mercy has a human heart he's saying that Jesus shows us mercy and forgiveness. When he says pity has a human face he's saying he shows us pity and continues to love us despite what we've done. When he says love is the human form divine he's talking about Jesus just being human and walking among us. When he says peace is a human dress he's saying Jesus displays peace like a piece of clothing. In Jesus there is mercy, pity, love, and peace and that no matter who you are you can pray to have those things fulfill you.
A Cradle Song
Sweet dreams form a shade,
O'er my lovely infants head.
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams,
By happy silent moony beams
Sweet sleep with soft down.
Weave thy brows an infant crown.
Sweet sleep Angel mild,
Hover o'er my happy child.
Sweet smiles in the night,
Hover over my delight.
Sweet smiles Mothers smiles,
All the livelong night beguiles.
Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,
Chase not slumber from thy eyes,
Sweet moans, sweeter smiles,
All the dovelike moans beguiles.
Sleep sleep happy child,
All creation slept and smil'd.
Sleep sleep, happy sleep.
While o'er thee thy mother weep
Sweet babe in thy face,
Holy image I can trace.
Sweet babe once like thee.
Thy maker lay and wept for me
Wept for me for thee for all,
When he was an infant small.
Thou his image ever see.
Heavenly face that smiles on thee,
Smiles on thee on me on all,
Who became an infant small,
Infant smiles are His own smiles,
Heaven & earth to peace beguiles
My analysis - I think in this poem he's talking about Moses floating in the Nile. In the poem he says, "Thy maker lay and wept for me." in the bible Moses mother sent the baby in a basket down the river in hopes someone would raise him, she wept for him. The last line of the poem reads, "Heaven and earth to peace beguiles." When he became an adult he was disgusted with what was happening in Egypt and began his work for the Lord, creating peace.
A Poison Tree
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
My analysis - In this poem I think that he's saying he committed sin in the way it first was introduced to the world. In the Bible Adam and Eve consumed the apple from the tree they were instructed from God to leave alone, technically stealing. He hid what he was doing well with smiles, and deceitful wiles just like Satan did in the Bible.
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is God, our father dear,
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is Man, his child and care.
For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
My analysis - In this poem he is saying that everything we call out to is apart of Jesus. When he says mercy has a human heart he's saying that Jesus shows us mercy and forgiveness. When he says pity has a human face he's saying he shows us pity and continues to love us despite what we've done. When he says love is the human form divine he's talking about Jesus just being human and walking among us. When he says peace is a human dress he's saying Jesus displays peace like a piece of clothing. In Jesus there is mercy, pity, love, and peace and that no matter who you are you can pray to have those things fulfill you.
A Cradle Song
Sweet dreams form a shade,
O'er my lovely infants head.
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams,
By happy silent moony beams
Sweet sleep with soft down.
Weave thy brows an infant crown.
Sweet sleep Angel mild,
Hover o'er my happy child.
Sweet smiles in the night,
Hover over my delight.
Sweet smiles Mothers smiles,
All the livelong night beguiles.
Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,
Chase not slumber from thy eyes,
Sweet moans, sweeter smiles,
All the dovelike moans beguiles.
Sleep sleep happy child,
All creation slept and smil'd.
Sleep sleep, happy sleep.
While o'er thee thy mother weep
Sweet babe in thy face,
Holy image I can trace.
Sweet babe once like thee.
Thy maker lay and wept for me
Wept for me for thee for all,
When he was an infant small.
Thou his image ever see.
Heavenly face that smiles on thee,
Smiles on thee on me on all,
Who became an infant small,
Infant smiles are His own smiles,
Heaven & earth to peace beguiles
My analysis - I think in this poem he's talking about Moses floating in the Nile. In the poem he says, "Thy maker lay and wept for me." in the bible Moses mother sent the baby in a basket down the river in hopes someone would raise him, she wept for him. The last line of the poem reads, "Heaven and earth to peace beguiles." When he became an adult he was disgusted with what was happening in Egypt and began his work for the Lord, creating peace.
A Poison Tree
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
My analysis - In this poem I think that he's saying he committed sin in the way it first was introduced to the world. In the Bible Adam and Eve consumed the apple from the tree they were instructed from God to leave alone, technically stealing. He hid what he was doing well with smiles, and deceitful wiles just like Satan did in the Bible.