The Book
John Greenleaf Whittier 1807 (Haverhill) – 1892 (Hampton Falls)
Gallery of sacred pictures manifold,
A minster rich in holy effigies,
And bearing on entablature and frieze
The hieroglyphic oracles of old.
Along its transept aureoled martyrs sit;
And the low chancel side-lights half acquaint
The eye with shrines of prophet, bard, and saint,
Their age-dimmed tablets traced in doubtful writ!
But only when on form and word obscure
Falls from above the white supernal light
We read the mystic characters aright,
And life informs the silent portraiture,
Until we pause at last, awe-held, before
The One ineffable Face, love, wonder, and adore.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 28 sec read
- 101 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBACDDCEFAEGG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 572 |
Words | 95 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"The Book" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/23055/the-book>.
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