Nourishing the Soul: The Poetry of Christina Rossetti

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Inspiration can be gathered in many ways--from nature, from stories, from music, from Scripture.    I have felt hungry lately for more classical forms of expression--like hymns, baroque music, and poetry.  Though flooded with breezy modern worship tunes, informational articles, and personal blog posts, these do not quite reach the deeper places of my heart, mind, and soul.

The poetry of Christina Rossetti was first introduced to me years ago with the song In the Bleak Midwinter.  Not long after, I bought a book of her poems.  After letting it sit on my shelf for many years, it was time to pick up her poetry again. The first poem in the book, "The Key Note," left me breathless.  It starts:

Where are the songs I used to know.

where are the notes I used to sing?

I have forgotten everything

I used to know so long ago...

 
Ten of my favorite poems by Ms. Rossetti, which I read from my copy of Rossetti: Poems, can be found in the list below.  One can also enjoy her poetry for free via Project Gutenburg and Google books (links below).

1. "The Key Note"
2. "A Wintry Sonnet"
3. "Son, Remember"
4. "Eve"
5. "Hope"
6. "What is Pink?"
7. "Who Has Seen the Wind?"
8. "Later Life: A Double Sonnet of Sonnets"
9.  "Weary in Well-Doing"
10. "Lord, Thou Art Fullness"

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday and AP Tuesdays.