‘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?
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88/100
‘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
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88/100
‘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
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85/100
‘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.
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84/100
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.
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84/100
In ‘The Frog Prince’ by Stevie Smith, the principal subject of contemplation is a frog and everything that is linked with enchantment, satisfaction, and transformation into the subject of true happiness.
The poem evokes faith which is embodied in the liberalized outlook of the speaker of the poem. Despite such doubts and disoriented situations that they experience, the speaker still stays assured in the promise of a higher, divine spiritual quality of life after the current state. Holding fast to such faith is an inspiration or acts as a faith when one is faced with such challenges.
I am a frog
I live under a spell
I live at the bottom
of a green wall.
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83/100
Jonathan Reed’s ‘The Lost Generation’ is a palindrome poem that utilizes an innovative approach in order to dictate the future course of the present generation.
In the bottom-to-top reading of the text, the speaker sounds hopeful regarding the future. The things that seemed irrevocable now turn out to be a possibility caused by inaction and lethargy.
I'm part of a Lost Generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world.
I realize this may be a shock, but
"Happiness comes from within"
is a lie, and "Money will make me happy"
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83/100
Romano’s ‘When Tomorrow Starts Without Me’ offers solace in grief, exploring love and afterlife, reassures that loved ones remain forever.
Faith permeates the poem as the narrator relies on divine guidance and the promise of heaven. The imagery of angels and God’s welcoming presence transforms death into a peaceful transition. This portrayal provides solace to readers, emphasizing that faith offers comfort and certainty, even in the face of life’s greatest unknown: mortality.
When tomorrow starts without me
And I’m not here to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me
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82/100
‘A Chorus’ celebrates the myriad ways the divine manifests its presence in the world around us, whether through human interaction or nature.
Faith in the poem is expressed via the speaker's belief in an invisible spirit that watches over and sustains the world. Their pious belief is also characterized as something innate and only through external influences are doubts sowed: "Man's a believer / Until corrupted." The spirit, an omnipresent force, is a trusted source of creation and order, guiding life's many grandiosities ("He moves in the muscle of the world") and intimacies ("in promises / Kept").
Over the surging tides and the mountain kingdoms,
Over the pastoral valleys and the meadows,
Over the cities with their factory darkness,
Over the lands where peace is still a power,
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82/100
‘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.
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82/100
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
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82/100
‘They are all Gone into the World of Light’ by Henry Vaughan describes a speaker’s longing to understand what death is and where his loved ones have gone.
Vaughan's unwavering faith shines through the poem, serving as a foundational emotion. His confident exploration of spiritual realms and divine mysteries reflects a deep-seated belief. The poet's ability to express faith not as blind certainty but as a transformative force that shapes perception and offers solace adds depth and authenticity to the work.
They are all gone into the world of light!
And I alone sit ling’ring here;
Their very memory is fair and bright,
And my sad thoughts doth clear.
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80/100
‘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
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80/100
In ‘Sonnet 43’, or ‘How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways’ the speaker is proclaiming her unending passion for her beloved.
Faith is essential to the sonnet’s message, depicted as both spiritual and relational trust. Browning’s love is sustained by faith in God and in her partner, presenting it as an act of devotion to both. This faith allows her to envision a love that lasts beyond earthly existence, grounding her emotions in divine assurance.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
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78/100
‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ by Emily Dickinson is a poem about hope. It is depicted through the famous metaphor of a bird.
The unwavering belief that hope will never fail mirrors religious faith, yet there is no tension, questioning, or testing of that trust. For some, that simplicity is refreshing; for others, it lacks the drama and depth that make faith feel fully earned. Strong in conviction, softer in complexity.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
