Colossians Three Sixteen » Poetry and Music Friday

Poetry and Music Friday

Posted by Brent | Art, Music | Friday 29 September 2006 6:55 am

Sorry for the interruption, but “life” got in the way last week and I just didn’t have enough time to post everything, so the “Poetry and Music Friday” feature was cut. However, in a normal week, I set aside Fridays to celebrate creativity by featuring a poet and a musical act who features at least one track for free and legal download. I also regularly link to the photography of Steve McCoy, Joe Thorn, Will Turner, Alex Forrest and Joe Kennedy as well as the Friday Flickr group they participate in.

Today’s featured poet is: Michael Wigglesworth (1631-1705). According to Fire and Ice, Wigglesworth “was born in England and came to America at the age of seven. He lived in New Haven until he went to Harvard; he was graduated in 1651 and remained as a tutor for three years. He lived out the rest of his essentially uneventful life in Malden, Massachusetts, the place of the ministry to which he was appointed in 1656.”

His best-known poem, The Day of Doom, is quite lengthy (you can download the 45-page Word document here) but serves as a good reminder of the connection that ought to exist between deep theological reflection and artistic expression. Our featured poem today is A Prayer Unto Christ:

O Dearest Dread, most glorious King,
I’le of thy justest Judgements sing:
So thou my head and heart inspire,
To Sing aright, as I desire.
Thee, thee alone I’le invocate,
For I do much abominate
To call the Muses to mine aid:
Which is th’ Unchristian use, and trade
Of some that Christians would be thought,
And yet they worship worse then nought.
Oh! what a deal of Blasphemy,
And Heathenish Impiety,
In Christian Poets may be found,
Where Heathen gods with praise are Crown’d,
They make Jehovah to stand by,
Till Juno, Venus, Mercury,
With frowning Mars, and thundering Jove
Rule Earth below, and Heaven above.
But I have learnt to pray to none,
Save unto God in Christ alone.
Nor will I laud, no, not in jest,
That which I know God doth detest.
I reckon it a damning evil
To give Gods Praises to the Devil.
Thou, Christ, art he to whom I pray,
Thy Glory fain I would display.
Oh! guide me by thy sacred Sprite
So to indite, and so to write,
That I thine holy Name may praise,
And teach the Sons of men thy wayes.

Purchase the works of Michael Wigglesworth

Today’s featured musical act is a band calling themselves Caspian. Caspian plays a brand of loud, sometimes heavy instrumental rock. A bit more straight-forward than much of what is considered “post-rock,” it would still generally fall into that category. The music is guitar-driven and can be quite cathartic. The band features one track from their recent EP, one track from an unreleased demo, one live track and several unreleased more ambient loops which are also featured here.