Date of Award
6-2013
Document Type
Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Katherine Lynes
Language
English
Keywords
Samuel, stories, bible, god, poems
Abstract
This collection of poems reflects my engagement with the stories and themes in 1st and 2nd Samuel, including forgiveness, God’s will and promises, sin, relationship between man and God, and transformation (I also respond to Psalm 51, in which David responds to events in 2nd Samuel). My engagement involves reinterpretation of Biblical passages, connections to modern contexts and personal stories, and getting inside the stories and moments of Biblical characters such as Samuel, Hannah, Saul and David. Other modern poets doing similar work, like Mark Jarman and John Berryman, explore similar themes but do not focus on 1st and 2nd Samuel or make consistent direct connections to Biblical passages. In addition, their work leans towards more abstraction and free verse, while I tend to employ more concrete details and imagery and a larger variety of poetic formats including the sonnet, villanelle, haiku, and ballad. These poems reveal my living engagement with the Bible, from wrestling with concepts and stories I struggle to understand to learning to fully trust God. The Bible informs and transforms my worldview, beliefs, lifestyle, and ultimately my story; these poems offer a glimpse into what that process looks like, allowing my reader to see the transformative power of the Bible.
Recommended Citation
Stack, Paul, "You Saw You See: Wrestling With and Learning to Trust God Through 1st and 2nd Samuel A Collection of Poems" (2013). Honors Theses. 735.
https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/735