"God Works In A Mysterious Way" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Mea culpa: Line 9 also differs from lines 2 and 13 by containing a first foot trochaic substitution.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

-Listen to my new episode with Matthew here !

-Check out Ethan McGuire's work here and here.

-Check out Brian Brodeur's work here.

-The Black Arts Movement

-Brooks vs. Hayden

-ANOTHER hybrid sonnet?? (No!)

-Rhythmic motifs

-William Cowper's Light Shining Out of Darkness , The Task, and The Iliad.

-The Sermon On the Mount

-For clod's sake

-More rhymes, more furious

-Psalm 23

-In Bright Mansions

-Christian Wiman's article, Mortify Our Wolves

-The Sermon, Remounted.

-Nietzsche's "The Gay Science"

-I'll mortify these puppies my damn self.

Text of Poem:

“God Works In A Mysterious Way”

But often now the youthful eye cuts down its

own dainty veiling. Or submits to winds.

And many an eye that all its age had drawn its

beam from a Book endures the impudence

of modern glare that never heard of tact

or timeliness, or Mystery that shrouds

immortal joy: it merely can direct

chancing feet across dissembling clods.

Out from Thy shadows, from Thy pleasant meadows,

quickly, in undiluted light. Be glad, whose

mansions are bright, to right Thy children’s air.

If Thou be more than hate or atmosphere

step forth in splendor, mortify our wolves.

Or we assume a sovereignty ourselves.

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My favorite poetry podcasts for: Sharp thoughts and cutting truths (Matthew): Sleerickets Lovely introspection and sensitive reflection (Alice): Poetry Says The landscape of Ohioan poetry (Jeremy): Poetry Spotlight

Supported in part by The Ohio Poetry Association Art by David Anthony Klug

List of the most common metrical feet: Iamb: weak-STRONG (u /) Trochee: STRONG-weak (/ u) Anapest: weak-weak-STRONG (u u /) Amphibrach: weak-STRONG-weak (u / u) Dactyl: STRONG-weak-weak (/ u u) Cretic: STRONG-weak-STRONG (/ u /) Pyrrhic: weak-weak (u u) Spondee: STRONG-STRONG (/ /)