Poems about Faith - Poem Analysis (2024)

‘A Hymn to God the Father’ by John Donne is the speaker’s prayer to God that he be forgiven for all his wretched sins.

This poem evokes the emotion of faith through its profound expressions of trust and reliance on God. The speaker's introspective tone and confessional style convey a deep-seated faith in God's power to forgive and redeem. The poem explores the complexities of sin and the speaker's unwavering belief in God's mercy. Lines such as "swear by Thyself that at my death Thy Son / Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore" demonstrate an unshakable faith in the promise of eternal life. Through its lyrical and heartfelt verses, the poem inspires a sense of unwavering trust and devotion, highlighting the transformative power of faith in the face of spiritual struggles.

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,

Which was my sin, though it were done before?

Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,

And do run still, though still I do deplore?

‘Caedmon’s Hymn’ was sung by a lay worker, Caedmon, from the estate of the monastery of Whitby when the voice of God came to him.

Now we must praise heaven-kingdom's Guardian,

The Measurer’s might and his mind-plans,

The work of the Glory-Father, when he of wonders of every one

Eternal Lord, the beginning established

‘Dream of the Rood’ is a religious poem that presents a dream in which the cross talks about its journey from a tree to the crucifixion.

What I wish to say of the best of dreams,

what came to me in the middle of the night

after the speech-bearers lie biding their rest!

It seemed to me that I saw the greatest tree

See Also

5 Reasons We Struggle to Trust God15 Trust In God Poems, Finding Hope in Faith20 Famous Poems About Faith in God10 Short Poems About Trusting God In Hard Times - EngDic

‘God’s Light-Houses’ by Helen Hunt Jackson is a visually stunning poem that muses over the various types of light that guide maritime travelers and the planets alike.

The speaker of the poem displays a stalwart faith in god and his creation. This faith is first expressed as a passionate assertion of the importance of lighthouses, which mariners rely on for guidance. But the poet then uses it to segue into a larger illustration of their faith in a god whom they believe is the source of all benevolent light.

When night falls on the earth, the sea

From east to west lies twinkling bright

With shining beams from beacons high

Which flash afar a friendly light.

Donne’s ‘Death, be not proud,’ rooted in the Christian idea of the afterlife, challenges the personified death, exposing its illusory power.

The poem shows the speaker's profound faith in his religion. His deep belief in eternal life through faith encourages him to challenge death, as he asserts, 'thou canst not kill me.' This steadfast faith in the afterlife diminishes death's power, presenting it as a mere transitory stage rather than an end. The speaker's conviction, based on his unwavering faith, eradicates his own fear of death but also aims to uplift those around him who are frightened. Thus, the speaker's resolute faith in his religion greatly influences him and empowers him to have victory over death.

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

‘Apostate’ by Léonie Adams describes the freedom a speaker sees in the joyful stars and how she aches to live as they do.

The poem explores themes of faith and doubt, and the speaker's loss of faith may resonate with readers who have experienced similar struggles with their own beliefs.

From weariness I looked out on the stars

And there beheld them, fixed in throbbing joy,

Nor racked by such mad dance of moods as mars

For us each moment’s grace with swift alloy.

In rich poetic language, ‘Ash Wednesday’ presents the spiritual struggle of an alienated individual lacking faith in decayed modern culture.

Belief and disbelief are portrayed as crucial parts of an individual's spiritual struggle to find meaning in the decayed modern world. The poem captures Eliot's or the speaker's journey as it presents his journey of moving towards the divine and religion as an individual lacking faith. Thus, 'Ash Wednesday' evokes the reader's faith while offering the possibility of religious awakening and spiritual salvation even to people lacking faith.

Because I do not hope to turn again

Because I do not hope

Because I do not hope to turn

Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope

‘Burnt Norton’ explores the philosophical concepts of time, spirituality, and transcendence, focusing on the human quest for higher meaning.

'Burnt Norton' is packed with religious allusions, suggesting that religion plays a significant role in spiritual fulfillment. While reflecting on salvation, sin, redemption, and transcendence, it alludes to Buddhism and Christianity, referring to St. John the Baptist and St. Augustine, the chapel, etc. The vivid religious imagery and joy of spirituality evoke readers' faith as they devour the poem's aesthetic delight.

Time present and time past

Are both perhaps present in time future,

And time future contained in time past.

If all time is eternally present

‘The Confessional’ by Robert Browning is a dramatic monologue following a woman who is betrayed for her blind faith.

'The Confessional' has many moments that show the main character's faith. She believes, without a doubt, that the priest can help her and her lover and cleanse their souls. Its this faith and blind trust that allows the priest to take advantage of her, causing her downfall.

It is a lie—their Priests, their Pope,

Their Saints, their... all they fear or hope

Are lies, and lies—there! through my door

And ceiling, there! and walls and floor,

‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ by Cecil Frances Alexander describes how God is responsible for creating all things, positive and negative, big and small, in the world.

Faith is a dominant emotion in the poem, illustrated by the trust and belief in a divine power that lovingly creates and maintains the universe. The speaker’s faith is evident in every line, where the natural and the created world are seen as direct manifestations of God's will. This portrayal of unwavering faith makes the poem an excellent representation of how deeply faith can influence one's view of the world and life.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

‘The Wanderer’is a long Old English poem in which the speaker details the life and struggles of a wanderer.

Often the solitary one experiences mercy for himself,

the mercy of the Measurer, although he, troubled in spirit,

over the ocean must long

stir with his hands the rime-cold sea,

‘Just Like Job’ by Maya Angelou narrates a spiritual odyssey, navigating life’s alleys, trusting divine guidance, echoing resilience, and faith.

The poem triggers a profound sense of faith through the speaker's unwavering trust in divine guidance. Repetitive affirmations, reliance on God's promises, and the metaphorical journey symbolize a steadfast belief. The emotional tone, coupled with biblical allusions, fosters a deep connection to the theme of faith, resonating with the reader's spiritual sensibilities and inspiring confidence in divine providence.

My Lord, My Lord,

Long have I cried out to Thee

In the heat of the sun,

The cool of the moon

‘The Present Crisis’ by James Russell Lowell is an anthem against slavery and, by extension, other racially-induced crimes. Penned in 1845 as a protest against the permission of slavery in Texas, this long poem now serves as a voice for all people of color who continue to face discrimination today.

Faith is shown prominently at the beginning and end of the poem. Lowell is ultimately hopeful that the slave trade will be abolished. He even makes predictions akin to prophecies about this and, in the spirit of faith, proclaims God is on his side. Considering the powerful presence of his spiritual faith, this memotion iseven more relevant in the poem.

Slavery, the earth-born Cyclops, fellest of the giant brood,

Sons of brutish Force and Darkness, who have drenched the earth with blood,

Famished in his self-made desert, blinded by our purer day,

Gropes in yet unblasted regions for his miserable prey;—

‘The Stars Go Over the Lonely Ocean’ by Robinson Jeffers is a complex poem that suggests that the speaker’s contemporary world is falling apart and is only going to get worse before it gets better.

In the very last stanza, the black-maned boar shares the root of their wisdom with the speaker. Telling them not to blindly follow humanity toward annihilation, they instead ask them to put faith in something else, as they do. "I believe in my tusks / Long live freedom and damn the ideologies," two lines that reveal the necessity of faith in something greater than artifices like politics.

Unhappy about some far off things

That are not my affair, wandering

Along the coast and up the lean ridges,

I saw in the evening

‘Worry About Money’ by Kathleen Raine follows a woman in a brief moment of her life as she attempts to figure our her next steps.

The woman in this passage has incredible amounts of faith. She is at a low place when we meet her, unsure of her past decisions, frustrated with her current life, and finding it difficult to gain insight on what to do next. The woman places all her faith in god, having him decide her fate, which he does by guiding her to a helpful passage in the bible.

Wearing worry about money like a hair shirt

I lie down in my bed and wrestle with my angel.