Religion

Words cannot utter

by Christina Rossetti 1830–1894

From Verses (1893)

Religion

Words cannot utter
Christ His returning:
Mankind, keep jubilee,
Strip off your mourning,
Crown you with garlands,
Set your lamps burning.

Speech is left speechless;
Set you to singing,
Fling your hearts open wide,
Set your bells ringing:
Christ the Chief Reaper
Comes, His sheaf bringing.

Earth wakes her song-birds,
Puts on her flowers,
Leads out her lambkins,
Builds up her bowers:
This is man’s spousal day,
Christ’s day and ours.

✦ ✦ ✦

Verses (1893), section: Some Feasts and Fasts / Easter Day.

MLA

Rossetti, Christina. “Words cannot utter.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/rossetti_c/680/.

Chicago

Rossetti, Christina. “Words cannot utter.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/rossetti_c/680/.

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