Poems for Passiontide & Easter
Our poems for Passiontide are read by our honorary clergy, Canon Nigel Hartley and Fr Ray Jones.
Easter
EASTER DAY: Along with most of his poetry, George Herbert’s poem, ‘Easter’ was first published just after his death in 1633. These words have been memorably set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, whose compositions were famously influenced by folk tunes, many of which were collected in Sussex. The text of the poem may be read here.
Christ on the Cross
HOLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Elizabeth Jennings (1926-2001) was born in Lincolnshire but spent most of her life in Oxford. We cannot provide a written text of her poem for copyright reasons but you may be interested to read her Guardian obituary here. ‘Christ on the Cross’ was published in the collection Growing Points in 1975.
Jesus of the Scars
HOLY SATURDAY MORNING: Edward Shillito (1872-1948) was a British free church minister who served as a chaplain during the First World War and is now remembered mostly for this poem, ‘Jesus of the Scars’ which is strongly influenced by the heroic sacrifices of many during the conflict. The full text of his poem is quoted here.
The Coming
GOOD FRIDAY: This short and memorable account of our redemption was written by the Welsh Anglican priest and poet RS Thomas (1913-2000) and first published in his collection H’m in 1972. The poem and a brief biography of RS Thomas can be read here.
Love Bade Me Welcome
MAUNDY THURSDAY: ‘Love III’ by the Revd George Herbert (1593-1633). The text and a commentary can be followed here on the Poetry Foundation website.
My Song is Love Unknown
PALM SUNDAY: ‘My song is love unknown’, now familiar as a hymn sung to a solemn and moving tune by the composer John Ireland (who lived locally, in what is now a very derelict windmill a few miles up the road in Washington). The original poem was written by the Revd Samuel Crossman (1623-1683), once a Dean of Bristol Cathedral. The original text of his poem can be downloaded here.