A Pagan Prayer by Virna Sheard
The work is a lyrical meditation on the longing for spiritual renewal and liberation through the natural world. It contrasts the inherent confinement of human existence with the boundless freedom found in nature. The speaker implores a divine force to transform the self at life’s end, to merge with the natural elements—earth, sun, and sky—and thereby escape the limitations imposed by a constructed, constrained life. Throughout the text, nature is exalted as a realm of uninhibited expression and liberty. The song of the nightingale, the flight of the swallows, and the expansive imagery of the sky and the earth evoke a world where life is unbounded, vibrant, and in perpetual renewal. In contrast, human existence is depicted as restricted by physical and metaphorical barriers—symbolized by the walled garden, windows, bolts, staples, and keys—which confine the spirit and limit the freedom to fully express inner joy and ecstasy. Although human wisdom is acknowledged, it is portrayed as a burden that deepens the awareness of life’s sorrows rather than providing solace or peace. The accumulation of knowledge and experience brings with it a sense of weariness and a painful recognition of the world’s imperfections. The poem suggests that such wisdom, despite its value, fails to offer the liberating comfort that nature inherently possesses. A persistent tension runs through the work between the exalted ideal of natural liberty and the reality of human limitations. The speaker’s prayer is both an acknowledgment of the fleeting and encumbering nature of human existence and a yearning for the purity and renewal that come from reintegration with nature. It calls for a transformation that transcends the material and intellectual confines of life, proposing that true liberation is found not in human constructs but in the elemental, ever-renewing force of the natural world. Ultimately, the work is a profound invocation for restorative faith—one that recognizes and embraces the joyful, liberating aspects of nature as antidotes to the burdens of accumulated human experience. It challenges conventional religious and cultural expectations by aligning the divine with the natural rather than the institutional, promoting a vision where transformation is achieved through a harmonious merging with the limitless and free essence of the natural world.
By Virna Sheard · First published 1903 · Genre: Spiritual Poetry, Nature Poetry, Mystical Poetry · 208 words
First lines
Lord of all Life! When my hours are done, / Take me and make me anew -- / And give me back to the earth and the sun, / And the sky's unlimited blue.
The nightingale sings in an ecstasy / To the moonlit April night, / But my songs are locked in the heart of me, / Like birds that may not take flight.
The little purple-winged swallows that fly / Through waves of the upper air, / Have a sweeter liberty, Lord, than I, / Who may not follow them there.
Pavilions of sunshine -- tents of the rain, / For these, the wild and the free; / And for us walled garden and window-pane, / And bolt and staple and key.
What this Textopian page supports
A Pagan Prayer is listed on Textopian as a poem by Virna Sheard, dated 1903 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Virna Sheard
- Date: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Spiritual Poetry, Nature Poetry, Mystical Poetry, Meditative Poetry, Lyrical Poetry
- Length: 208 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for A Pagan Prayer by Virna Sheard
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Genres
- Spiritual Poetry — The text is an invocation that addresses a universal life force, reflecting spiritual transformation and transcendence.
- Nature Poetry — The work is rich in natural imagery, with references to the earth, sun, sky, and birds, emphasizing nature's role in the thematic structure.
- Mystical Poetry — The blend of natural elements with a prayerful tone produces a mystical atmosphere, inviting contemplation of the unseen and eternal.
- Meditative Poetry — The introspective and reflective quality of the text lends itself to meditation on life, transformation, and the relationship between the human and the natural world.
Tags
historical fiction · romance · spirituality · mysticism · mythology · paganism · self-discovery · cultural conflict · identity · transformation · symbolism · emotional depth