Christina Rossetti Poems are deep and sensitive prayers addressed to God. Christian Rossetti poems (poem-prayers) are prophetic, compassionate, and incorporate key moments in scripture. Christian Rossetti poems often deal with a crisis of faith and offer a fresh perspective grounded in truth and love. Christian Rossetti poems are to be savored on the tongue, to be learned by heart, ready to be customized, and make it our own.
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Christina Rossetti Poems — Good Friday
An Analysis of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
Brief Summary of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
Good Friday is one of Christian Rossetti poems that is both devotional and spiritual. The thought-provoking poem slowly builds up tension in the first three stanzas and reaches a climax in the last stanza. The poem begins with the speaker lamenting her lack of feeling and emotion before the spectacle of Jesus’ crucifixion and ends by declaring that Jesus Christ is the true Shepherd who seeks His lost sheep and if He strikes her heart of stone, she will have an emotional breakthrough and get released from her sins and repent of what is lacking in her and submit to Him.
First Stanza of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
Christian Rossetti begins the poem with the crucifixion scene of Jesus Christ. The speaker says her heart is hard and unmoved as a stone even though she sees the dying Christ. She says she is not like the sheep that follow Jesus, as part of His flock, who respond with grief and sorrow. She does not weep or burst into tears even when she can number drop by drop the slow loss of Jesus’ blood, which highlights the painful and slow process of crucifixion. She is not filled with remorse for her own sin for which she believes Christ is suffering.
Second Stanza of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
In the second stanza, the speaker compares herself to the women who loved Christ and greatly lamented over His crucifixion. These women wailed because of the gruesomeness of the punishment Christ endured. They mourned as they knew that Jesus was innocent. The speaker contrasts her coldness with the deep grief of the women who followed Christ until His death.
The speaker also differentiates herself from Peter, who wept bitterly seeing Christ’s sufferings as he said that he would follow Jesus even to death, but ended up denying Christ thrice. She also measures herself to one of the thieves, who was crucified along with Christ and was deeply moved at Christ’s sacrifice, even when he was in a state of agony.
Third Stanza of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
In the third stanza, the speaker compares herself to the Sun and Moon, who hid their faces as they could not remain to look upon Jesus’ horribly painful crucifixion. The speaker wishes that she was moved by the sight of Jesus hanging on the cross, just like the celestial bodies. The heavenly objects were affected by the hideously grotesque scene, and they disappeared from view as they seemed to be mourning. The sky went dark at midday (broad noon) when Jesus was crucified, and the entire land was engulfed in darkness. Nature was traumatized due to Jesus’ crucifixion, and it retreated to grieve.
Last Stanza of the Good Friday Poem (Christina Rossetti Poems)
In the last stanza, the speaker pleads with Jesus Christ to seek her like a lost sheep, as He is the good shepherd who leads His flock to greener pastures and still waters. She entreats Christ to reach her with the power of His sacrifice. She concludes the poem by alluding to the story of Moses, who led the Israelites out of the bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land. During the journey, there was no water for the people to drink. So, God commanded Moses to smite the rock at Horeb, and the water poured out so that the people were quenched of their thirst (Exodus 17).
Since Christ is greater than Moses the Prophet, if He smites the speaker’s hard and cold heart, it will nourish and inspire her belief in Christ and she will be overcome by the love of Jesus.
Conclusion (Christina Rossetti Poems)
Good Friday is one of those Christina Rossetti poems that offers a complex take on faith. This poem moves us to grief when we think of Jesus’ great sacrifice and requires our repentance and submission to His will. It sets us on a journey of discovery of the different characters that played vital roles in Christ’s life on earth. It reflects our struggle to get closer to Jesus and follow His teachings.
It implores us to weep for the sufferings Christ endured because of our sin and disobedience. It encourages us to pray to Christ to strike our hearts and make them gush so that we will not only possess God’s promises through Jesus but also become gratefully aware of the cost at which those promises were obtained.
Our eclectic collection of Christian poems contain life-changing Christian teachings, themes, or references. Christian poems are a subtle way to express our thanks to God for His wonderful grace, His wonderful creation, and His beloved Son. When you read these Christian poems, thank our Almighty God for working in your life, setting you free, and helping you become more aware of His presence in you.
