Poetry in the Bible... and Beyond

POETRY IN THE BIBLE… AND BEYOND

When people think of poetry and the Bible, a few sections of it may immediately come to mind – Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes 3, and the Song of Solomon. It’s true that most of the poetry in the Bible occurs in the Old Testament, but these aren’t the sole places it can be found. Mary’s Song and Zechariah’s Song in the New Testament, and Habbakuk Chapter 3 are poetic as well. They are personal songs of the speakers of praise that make these pieces stand out even more emotionally as part of the Word.

The Bible has also inspired lay poets throughout the ages as a way to praise the Lord. The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, some of William Blake’s poetry, T.S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi,” Edwin Markham’s poetry such as “The World-Purpose,” Vachel Lindsay’s “Daniel,” and Francis Thompson’s poem “Hounds of Heaven” are just a few examples from a wide variety of poets. Yet most poetry of the past seems not as accessible to the modern everyday person, as it seems to remain perceived as meant to be for the well-read.

So is poetry a lost art to most people? Not necessarily. Examples are Christian themed greeting cards, and poems found printed in church bulletins, but the main place is through the lyrics of spiritual music, both traditional hymns and praise songs. The Christian music scene is booming, and it doesn’t mean people have to be big acts to make an impact… there are smaller bands that are able to market themselves through the Internet. Some songs even make their way onto the mainstream Top 40 charts, though people may not always recognize that.

So whether you feel in communion with Christ writing poetry or music lyrics (or perhaps the music as well if such is your gift), or just reading to or listening to these praises, poetry can be part of how you grow in Christ.

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES TO CHALLENGE YOU:

1) Consider prayerfully one of the reading examples from the Bible that’s been mentioned.

2) Listen to a Christian song and do an analysis of the lyrics, and try to discover what parts of the Bible may have inspired it and read that section of the Word.

3) Challenge yourself to write a spiritual poem or song in whatever form you feel most comfortable with.

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CREATIVE WORDS TO SPREAD THE WORD

Coordinator: Shannon Muir
email: creativewordstospreadtheword@gmail.com

BROCHURE #2
Last revised: January 2008

Brochure text by
Shannon Muir
Original Artwork on Printed Version by
Kevin Paul Shaw Broden

[The above is a modified Internet transcription of the text of a print brochure originally released by Creative The Words to Spread the Word. This transcription released by Creative Words to Spread the Word. All rights reserved.]