Religion

Casual Incitement

by William Wordsworth 1770–1850

From Ecclesiastical Sonnets

Religion

A bright-haired company of youthful slaves,
Beautiful strangers, stand within the pale
Of a sad market, ranged for public sale,
Where Tiber's stream the immortal City laves:
ANGLI by name; and not an ANGEL waves
His wing who could seem lovelier to man's eye
Than they appear to holy Gregory;
Who, having learnt that name, salvation craves
For Them, and for their Land. The earnest Sire,
His questions urging, feels, in slender ties
Of chiming sound, commanding sympathies;
DE-IRIANS--he would save them from God's IRE;
Subjects of Saxon ÆLLA--they shall sing
Glad HALLE-lujahs to the eternal King!

MLA

Wordsworth, William. “Casual Incitement.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/440/.

Chicago

Wordsworth, William. “Casual Incitement.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/440/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by William Wordsworth