Poetry is not about poetry--it is about poems. The joy is searching for the ones that strike us deep and not pretending to like everything we read. We are free to like good poems only!
"...The devil claimed man by bargain as this:
For an apple he said, man was bought and sold;
God answered and said the bargain was his:
'With mine to be thine how durst thou be so bold?
Man mine, sin thine; wherefore thou art now told
Thou bought naught; then take naught; thy bargain is done;
Wherefore God and man shall be set at one.'
Now blessed be he,
For we that are bound, lo, now are made free..."
-Anonymous (Middle English Carol) From "A Sacrifice of Praise"
Why do I love this verse? The use of "bargain" as it displays man's lack of power in the transaction. Man has entered into a spiritual battle which he sees very little of and this poem is a glimpse into the battle (in this case a bargain). The phrase "man mine, sin thine" is an excellent contrast between our God and the slanderer. A contrast which has been brought about by the blood of Jesus. It is by the blood that we can say we are God's and have been divorced from sin and the law (Romans 8:2). I love how the Devil's bold claim is overturned by God's bold love for mankind.
This is my exhortation to get out there and find some poetry that speaks to your soul. Happy reading.
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