In most languages, God and religion are two of the most commonly used themes. Each poem here eloquently expresses the ineffable and transcendent nature of God and the divine, inspiring contemplation and introspection. Their verses delve into the complexities of faith, righteousness, strife, and spirituality.
They also explore the human quest for meaning in a world of guilt and shame. Rumi, William Blake, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Maya Angelou, and John Milton are among the many poets whose poetry explores themes of God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, and religion.
‘God’s Grandeur’ contrasts human impact with divine nature’s resilience, using imagery and musical language to evoke hope.
This beautiful sonnet hums with alliterative vigor, blending circular and alternating rhythms to echo Hopkins's central idea. It reveals the grand splendor of God, and through powerful imagery, portrays how humanity, in its ruthless industrial ambitions, has scarred the earth. However, within the final sestet, Hopkins offers a quiet, glowing hope by revealing the Holy Ghost, who forever guards the cycle of life, keeping it spinning no matter what humanity does.
‘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.
This mesmerizing poem uses expansive imagery and sorrowful personalization to portray a speaker's dream of the crucifixion. In its melancholic lines, the speaker stumbles upon the sacred scene of God’s Son nailed to the cross. In a surreal moment, they hear the very voice of the cross, which speaks in sorrowful detail of its harrowing journey from a tree in the forest to the wood that embraced the Messiah. What unfolds is a meditation on suffering, sacrifice, and redemption, where the cross and Christ intertwine in shared agony, standing forever as a bridge between earth and heaven.
‘God’s World’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay describes the wonders of nature and the value a speaker places on the sights she observes.
This sonnet portrays a speaker overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the world. They stand in awe of nature’s raw details—its wild winds, aching trees, and skies heavy with mist—so captivated their soul feels stretched to its limits. The speaker basks in this beauty, but beneath their praise lies trembling fear—fear that God has made the world too beautiful to bear. In this haunting moment, they plead for stillness, saying that one more falling leaf or bird’s call might cause their soul to utterly depart.
‘The Tyger’ is a well-known poem by William Blake. It explores the dark and destructive side of God and his creation.
This is a poem that raises questions about the nature and origins of God. Blake uses the tiger as a symbol of the creator and poses a series of rhetorical questions that challenge the reader to contemplate the mystery of creation and the paradoxical nature of the divine.
‘A Chorus’ celebrates the myriad ways the divine manifests its presence in the world around us, whether through human interaction or nature.
The God that is depicted in the poem is an omnipresent force that exists for the benefit of the world. The speaker envisions them as a "spirit" and "invisible monarch," the primary creative power that both moves through and sustains life, be it a natural landscape or a human moment. In this way, the divine is revealed to be a dually vast and intimate figure, appearing in both "the muscle of the world" even as it also "[works] in your breathing."
‘Often I Am Permitted to Return to a Meadow’ by Robert Duncan is often regarded as the poet’s best work. It analyzes the poet’s dream of a meadow while also exploring the new technique of projective verse.
This poem reaches toward the spiritual realm, tracing Duncan's own beliefs about spirituality. As a learned theologist, Duncan's interpretation of his dream is that he is somewhere beyond the physical realm in a place where the divine light, the creator of the universe, manifests forms and structure within the universe.
‘Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –’ is one of Emily Dickinson’s best-known poems. It features the poet’s growing disbelief regarding the customary Christian rituals and her intention to seek salvation without resorting to the conventional means.
Being one of Emily Dickinson's most popular poems, this piece examines a law created by God and passed down to His people—the Sabbath. In these short lines, Dickinson reveals her quiet rebellion, choosing to follow her own path and form a connection with God free from human-made traditions. She finds her Sabbath not in church, but in nature—free, personal, and pure.
In rich poetic language, ‘Ash Wednesday’ presents the spiritual struggle of an alienated individual lacking faith in decayed modern culture.
This haunting piece follows the salvation journey of a speaker grappling with doubt and longing. It opens with them admitting they no longer hold the same hopes or desires they once chased, yet deep within lingers a quiet yearning for God’s mercy. As the poem moves forward, the speaker reflects on the different stages of their inner transformation (letting go of pride, ambition, and even old comforts) while wrestling with the weight of their soul. In the end, their voice softens into a simple, aching prayer, a plea for mercy now and at the hour of death.
‘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 delves deeply into the topic of God, exploring the speaker’s intimate relationship with the divine. Through these raw, pleading lines, the speaker opens up about their longing for forgiveness and redemption. They confess their repeated sins, those inherited, those shared, and those returned to again and again, laying bare their struggle before God. Throughout the poem, the speaker fully recognizes God’s power and mercy, desperately seeking divine grace. In the end, they also confront their deepest fear: the fear of death and damnation. Yet, with a final, fragile hope, they turn to God’s promise of salvation through His Son, finding peace in that eternal light. This piece is a heartfelt meditation on sin, assurance, and the human longing for God's mercy.
‘Savior’ by Maya Angelou is a thoughtful religious poem. It explores the past and present while emphasizes the changes that have occurred since Christ was crucified.
This powerful piece portrays the poet’s deep yearning for God and the Savior. The opening lines admit there are countless barriers (priests, rituals, and distractions) standing between the poet and divine love. The next stanza takes a sharp jab at the church, accusing it of reducing Christ’s great sacrifice to empty rituals and stained glass. The third stanza continues this thought, showing how something as profound as Jesus’s sacrifice has been dulled into mere words carved in stone. In the final plea, the poet cries out for God’s mercy, begging Him to return and save His lost children from their disbelief and fear.
‘To Find God’ uses nature’s wonders to suggest the divine’s presence, urging reflection on the unseen through the seen.
This piece employs evocative imagery to pose profound, thought-provoking questions that subtly hint at the existence of the divine. Within its lines, the speaker dares others to measure or undo the marvels of nature—the weight of fire, the course of the wind, the falling rain, and the stars above. Each question grows harder as the speaker makes it clear that no human can fully grasp these wonders. In the end, they hint that if no one can answer, they must face the truth of a God behind these mysteries.
‘I Give You Thanks My God’ by Bernard Dadié describes the nature of blackness and the speaker’s gratitude for the strength to carry the world.
This melancholic piece portrays the life of a person burdened with sorrow. Though their world feels heavy and they call themselves the porter of sorrows, they still thank God for making them as they are. The speaker describes their features, ones others may overlook or reject, and boldly says they are glad to bear the weight of the world, much like Christ carried His cross. In the end, despite all their pain, they lift their voice in thanks, praising God for their blackness
I give you thanks my God for having created me black
In ‘Rabbi Ben Ezra’ by Robert Browning, aging wisdom urges surrender to divine plan, embracing life’s imperfections for spiritual refinement.
This poem perceives God as an omnipotent and benevolent force guiding human life. It emphasizes trust in God's divine plan and providence, portraying Him as the ultimate source of wisdom and purpose. Through the persona of Rabbi Ben Ezra, the poem reflects a deep faith in God's sovereignty and the belief that life's challenges are ultimately part of His greater design.
Romano’s ‘When Tomorrow Starts Without Me’ offers solace in grief, exploring love and afterlife, reassures that loved ones remain forever.
God is portrayed as a kind, forgiving figure, welcoming the narrator to heaven and offering peace. His presence provides a sense of comfort and divine love, emphasizing faith and eternal life. This depiction reassures readers, offering a sense of hope and a reminder of the spiritual care that transcends the sorrow of earthly goodbyes.
‘Vespers [Your voice is gone now; I hardly hear you]’ by Louise Glück takes issue with a reclusive god who uses their absence to manufacture humanity’s dependence.
God is the speaker's audience throughout the 'Matins' and 'Vespers' poems found in 'The Wild Iris.' Their titles imply they are a form of prayer, though not always so focused on praise of the divine, as pleas of understanding and sometimes rebuke of their harsh methods of interaction (or lack thereof) with humanity. The god described in this poem is one seemingly content with separating themselves from the speaker, using the sorrow of loss to motivate a devotion toward the divine.
Our Poem Guides, PDFs, Study Tools, and Articles are created by a team of qualified poetry experts to provide an unparalleled in-depth look into poetry.
