Browse All Sermon Illustrations

Holy Sonnet VII: At The Round Earth's Imagined Corners Blow

At the round earth's imagined corners blow Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise From death, you numberless infinities Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go, All whom the flood did, and fire shall, overthrow, All whom war, dearth, age,...

An Allegory

A portal as of shadowy adamant Stands yawning on the highway of the life Which we all tread, a cavern huge and gaunt; Around it rages an unceasing strife Of shadows, like the restless clouds that haunt The gap of...

Earth's Answer

Earth raised up her head From the darkness dread and drear, Her light fled, Stony, dread, And her locks covered with grey despair. "Prisoned on watery shore, Starry jealousy does keep my den Cold and hoar; Weeping o'er, I hear...

Sonnet 117: Accuse me thus: that I have scanted all

Accuse me thus: that I have scanted all, Wherein I should your great deserts repay, Forgot upon your dearest love to call, Whereto all bonds do tie me day by day; That I have frequent been with unknown minds, And...

To a Lady, on Being Asked My Reason for Quitting England in the Spring

When Man, expell'd from Eden's bowers, A moment linger'd near the gate, Each scene recall'd the vanish'd hours, And bade him curse his future fate.

104 words

Elegiac Stanzas on the Death of Sir Peter Parker, Bart

There is a tear for all that die, A mourner o'er the humblest grave; But nations swell the funeral cry, And Triumph weeps above the brave. For them is Sorrow's purest sigh O'er Ocean's heaving bosom sent: In vain their...

229 words

Prayer for Patience

Lord, who hast suffer'd all for me, My peace and pardon to procure, The lighter cross I bear for Thee, Help me with patience to endure.

Sonnet 88: When thou shalt be dispos'd to set me light

When thou shalt be dispos'd to set me light, And place my merit in the eye of scorn, Upon thy side, against myself I'll fight, And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn.

Sonnet

FROM THE ITALIAN OF DANTE.

To the Author of a Poem Entitled Successio.

Begone, ye critics, and restrain your spite, Codrus writes on, and will for ever write.

A Valentine

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes, Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda, Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader. Search narrowly the lines!--they hold a treasure Divine--a...

Sonnet 99: The forward violet thus did I chide

The forward violet thus did I chide: Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells, If not from my love's breath? The purple pride Which on thy soft cheek for complexion dwells In my love's veins thou hast too grossly dy'd.

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, Impatient of no Child -- The feeblest -- or the waywardest -- Her Admonition mild -- In Forest --...

Harp of the North, Farewell! (excerpt)

The hills grow dark, On purple peaks a deeper shade descending; In twilight copse the glow-worm lights her spark, The deer, half-seen, are to the covert wending. Resume thy wizard elm!

DamæTas

In law an infant, and in years a boy, In mind a slave to every vicious joy; From every sense of shame and virtue wean'd, In lies an adept, in deceit a fiend; Vers'd in hypocrisy, while yet a child;...

100 words

Fragment of an Epistle to Thomas Moore

"WHAT say _I_?"--not a syllable further in prose; I'm your man "of all measures," dear Tom,--so here goes! Here goes, for a swim on the stream of old Time, On those buoyant supporters, the bladders of rhyme.

215 words

Love Lives Beyond the Tomb

Love lives beyond The tomb, the earth, which fades like dew! I love the fond, The faithful, and the true. Love lives in sleep, The...

Adieu to a Soldier.

ADIEU, O soldier!

To M---

did those eyes, instead of fire, With bright, but mild affection shine: Though they might kindle less desire, Love, more than mortal, would be thine. For thou art form'd so heavenly fair, _Howe'er_ those orbs _may_ wildly beam, We must...

174 words

To A Friend Who Sent Me Some Roses

As late I rambled in the happy fields, What time the skylark shakes the tremulous dew From his lush clover covert;—when anew Adventurous knights take up their dinted shields; I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields, A fresh-blown musk-rose;...

Lines to Mr. Hodgson. Written on Board the Lisbon Packet

Hodgson, we are going, Our embargo's off at last; Favourable breezes blowing Bend the canvas o'er the mast. From aloft the signal's streaming, Hark! the farewell gun is fired; Women screeching, tars blaspheming, Tell us that our time's expired.

472 words

When I heard at the Close of the Day.

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv’d with plaudits in the capitol, still it was not a...