“Peace”
by Bessie Rayner Parkes
THE steadfast coursing of the
stars,
The waves that ripple to the shore,
The vigorous trees which year by year
Spread upwards more and more;
The jewel forming in the mine,
The snow that falls so soft and light,
The rising and the setting sun,
The growing glooms of night;
All natural things both live and move
In natural peace that is their own;
Only in our disordered life
Almost is she unknown.
She is not rest, nor sleep, nor death;
Order and motion ever stand
To carry out her firm behests
As guards at her right hand.
And something of her living force
Fashions the lips when Christians say
To Him Whose strength sustains the world,
"Give us Thy Peace, we pray!"
The waves that ripple to the shore,
The vigorous trees which year by year
Spread upwards more and more;
The jewel forming in the mine,
The snow that falls so soft and light,
The rising and the setting sun,
The growing glooms of night; All natural things both live and move
In natural peace that is their own;
Only in our disordered life
Almost is she unknown.
She is not rest, nor sleep, nor death;
Order and motion ever stand
To carry out her firm behests
As guards at her right hand.
And something of her living force
Fashions the lips when Christians say
To Him Whose strength sustains the world,
"Give us Thy Peace, we pray!"
Analysis:
“Peace” by Bessie Rayner Parkes starts out on a calm and
peaceful note describing nature and how it grows. The theme of this poem is to
slow down and enjoy life. Nature itself has many things to offer and we as
humans are always up to something. We rush and hardly relax, yet we hope to
achieve a peace of our own.
“Peace” the title of this work is also the subject matter of
the poem. Bessie talks about how nature acts on its own, “THE steadfast
coursing of the stars,/The waves that ripple to the shore,/The vigorous tress
which year by year/Spread upwards more and more;”. All of these things have
peace because they are not caught up over living their life. They are at peace
in a simple way. “Only in our disordered life/Almost is she unknown”, she
personifies the feeling of peace and says because we have such chaotic lives we
don’t have that peace. Peace is not ‘rest’, ‘sleep’, or ‘death’ it is living
and enjoying the life we have. Not overlooking the little things and stopping
when most would move on.
She uses the peace that nature has within and compares it to
the peace not normally found in our lives. As a reader this poem makes me want
to spend a day out a cypress gardens. Looking at the flowers, feeding
butterflies, and going out on the boat. It makes you want to enjoy the
simplicity that nature has to offer.
thanks sharing, the poem and analysis so beautiful
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