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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE MASTER'S INVITATION, by ANSON DAVIES FITZ RANDOLPH First Line: Dear lord, thy table is outspread Last Line: If thou but follow me! | |||
DEAR Lord, thy table is outspread; What other could such feast afford? And thou art waiting at the head, But I am all unworthy, Lord; Yet do I hear thee say, -- (Was ever love so free?) Come hither, son, to-day And sit and sup with me. O master! I am full of doubt, My heart with sin and fear defiled; Come thou, and cast the tempter out, And make me as a little child; Methinks I hear thee say, -- Come thou, at once, and see What love can take away, And what confer on thee. My Lord! to thee I fain would go, Yet tarry now I know not why; Speak, if to tell what well I know, That none are half so vile as I. What do I hear thee say? -- Look, trembling one, and see These tokens, which to-day Tell what I did for thee. May, Lord! I could not here forget What thou didst for my ransom give; The garden prayer, the bloody sweat, All this and more, that I might live. I hear thee sadly say, -- If this remembered be, Why linger thus to-day? Why doubt and question me? Oh, love to angels all unknown! I turn from sin and self aside; Thou hast the idol self o'erthrown, I only see the Crucified; I only hear thee say, -- A feast is spread for thee On this and every day, If thou but follow me! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PROLONGED SONNET: WHEN THE TROOPS WERE RETURNING FROM MILAN by NICCOLO DEGLI ALBIZZI MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE: SONG by JOHN DRYDEN DEATH OF STONEWALL JACKSON by HENRY LYNDEN FLASH ROBIN HOOD, TO A FRIEND by JOHN KEATS THE PAUPER'S DEATH-BED by CAROLINE ANNE BOWLES SOUTHEY THE TENT ON THE BEACH: 5. THE CHANGELING by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER MY LITTLE GARDEN by GWENDOLEN ALLEN THE VIGILANTES by MARGARET ELIZA ASHMUN THE CHIEF AMONG TEN THOUSAND (SONG OF SOLOMON) by HORATIO (HORATIUS) BONAR |
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