Social Commentaries

The Poor of London

by Hilaire Belloc 1870–1953

From Verses and Sonnets (1896)

Social CommentariesReligion

Almighty God, whose Justice, like a sun
Shall coruscate along the floors of heaven:
Raising what’s low, perfecting what’s undone,
Breaking the proud, and making odd things even.
The Poor of Jesus Christ along the street
In your rain sodden, in your snows unshod,
They have nor hearth, nor roof, nor daily meat,
Nor even the bread of men; Almighty God.

The Poor of Jesus Christ whom no man hears
Have called upon your vengeance much too long.
Wipe out not tears but blood: our eyes bleed tears:
Come, smite our damnéd sophistries so strong,
That thy rude hammer battering this rude wrong
Ring down the abyss of twice ten thousand years.

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A sonnet praying that God's justice, 'like a sun', will raise the low. The Poor of Jesus Christ have called on His vengeance too long, and the poet bids Him 'wipe out not tears but blood'.

MLA

Belloc, Hilaire. “The Poor of London.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/belloc/28/.

Chicago

Belloc, Hilaire. “The Poor of London.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/belloc/28/.

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