For Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.
Flash forth, thou Sun,The rain is over and gone, its work is done. Winter is past,Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.
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Bud, Fig and Vine,Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine*. Break forth this mornIn roses, thou but yesterday a Thorn**. Uplift thy head,O pure white Lily through the Winter dead. Beside your damsLeap and rejoice, you merry-making Lambs. All Herds and FlocksRejoice, all Beasts of thickets and of rocks. Sing, Creatures, sing,Angels and Men and Birds and everything. All notes of DovesFill all our world: this is the time of loves.
-Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1894)
**Compares the flowerless rose, all thorns "just yesterday", to the contrast between Good Friday, when the Lord died, to the blossom of His resurrection on Easter.
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2 comments:
This has a beautiful simplicity.Thanks.
Rossetti has a lot to commend her. Usually pretty straight forward, too. As much as I like Hopkins, he uses some stylistic things at time that take more work. And GMH's symbolism sometimes requires the connection to where he's drawn it from the Bible. A little easier with Rossetti.
One of hers I published a few years ago, also good for this time of year, compares the horror to what we should feel over our own sins to what Peter felt when he wept after denying Christ.
(I may have to add a "Rossetti" label.)
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