Be Thou My Song: Grace and Faith in Christian Poetry of the Seventeenth Century

by Kerri L Tom PhD, Steven P. Mueller PhD (foreword)

"Be Thou my Song" is a line from seventeenth-century poet Edward Taylor. In his meditation on Philippians 2:9, Taylor finds that his ability to compose poetry falls short of his desire to glorify God, so he prays, “ That I thy glorious Praise may Trumpet right, / Be thou my Song, and make Lord, mee thy Pipe.” In one way or another, all of the poets included in the chapters of Be Thou My Song strive to convey their wonder for God' s unending grace and mercy in their own limited ways; He provides the content, the song, while the writers are merely the conduits, the pipe. By reading these poems carefully, we can share in their gratitude for how God cares for us, both here on earth and in our final heavenly home.In each chapter, you will find a poem, presented in its entirety, followed by an exploration of that poem and some questions to contemplate afterwards. The goal of these explorations is to provide readers with a deeper appreciation, a deeper understanding, and a deeper love of what each poet has given to us.

94 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book only because my good friend wrote it. I am not good with poetry, but Kerri's writing style makes you feel like you are in an engaging classroom with an understanding teacher.
Now, I appreciate poetry a bit more, and I have learned quite a bit of history through this wonderful little book.