...Just a Whisper
Where titles are the criers, introductions pave the way, and art in loftiness then prances forth on stage. He bows and capers, sings and dances, to applause or none at all. This wants no applause, it is only posted, tiptoeing through with a tiny peep.
(sonnet # CCCCXLI)
When my small world begins to fall apart,
When day is shattered, fancy leaves and friends
Do not exist. When frail and weak, none lends
A hand, all cheer quite fails and joys depart.
When fainting under trouble's blow, my heart
In frantic search, as I bow low, depends
No more on dreams, whose coloured threads' frayed ends
Nigh vanish, look askance and flee, e'en art.
When reeling all bewildered, I must cling
Alone to Thee, within Whose hand and care
My times as e'er, distressed or flourishing,
Rest. Though all else mock, Thy relief, hope's flare,
Buoys me, Thy Word my only stay. O bring
Me, Lord, to see Thy face. Thou'st no compare.
06Jan12
D65b
Yes you are right. The one who never fails us the human beings has no compare . His doors are open all the time to all of us.
nice Jenny. there is no comparison.
You build your house upon the rock and whatever storm comes can not knock it down. Too many are building with straw on muddy ground.
As I'm several behind, I was going to read, smile, and move on to the next, but the octet here demands commentary (as does the sestet, but for different reasons). The octet is fluid, solid, emotional, well written, and altogether good, the first seven lines especially. You know I'm not a rigid critic of archaic tropes, however I think the success of the octet is due - in this particualr case - to the lack of elision and the conversational tone. That is why I say it has such an impact for the first seven lines, and wonder if the nigh/askance/e'en art in L8 serve it as well. In a sense, as the prelude to the sestet, which is written archaically on archaicism, it functions perfectly, but I can't help but wonder. The sestet adopts its own tone in form and function, with thees matched to God throughout. I think that works sufficiently well. L12 had me blink a second until I released you tweaked the meter - REST, though ALL else MOCK, THY reLIEF, hope's FLARE - and I have to nod in approval both at the purposeful deviation, subverting (or perhaps cresting) the sonnet's own line break for the purpose of a line break, highlighting "rest" powerfully well. I'm nodding even more now. Were I to quibble, it would be at "Bouys me" upsetting the meter. But I won't. As religious poetry, which I critique so poorly, I find this to be good. Nicely done.