The Top 10 Religious Poems Writer Amanda Cosco Religious poetry can be found throughout the history of literature.

Weve put together a list of our top 10 religious poems. Have more suggestions? Send us yours! 1.Holy Sonnet X by John Donne This religious poem is of my favorite pieces of all time. In it, the speaker addresses death, telling him to be not proud, because beyond the mighty and dreadful experience of death, there is everlasting life found, where death shall be no more, death [...] shall die. 2. Thank Goodness by Andrea Gibson You can find my favorite living artist, Andrea Gibson, performing this on YouTube. 3. By Night When Others Soundly Slept by Anne Bradstreet Anne Bradstreets poetry is infused with religious influences and allusions, and By Night When Others Soundly Slept is no exception. The speaker of this religious poem addresses her beloved, which could be God or could be the speakers husband. Bradstreet positions herself as both the dutiful servant to god and the loving wife, and the form and content of her poem express how Bradstreet felt about godliness and the sacrament of marriage. 4.The Tao Te Ching attributed to Laozi The Tao Te Ching is a classical Chinese text. It is a series of what can be considered to be religious poems, since the book discusses the path to virtue and happiness. This is a book that can be read in an hour, but you could spend your whole life untangling the mystery behind the words. 5. The Doubters Prayer by Anne Bronte In this poem, Anne Bronte articulates the doubt that comes along with faith. This is a religious poem that believes God is omnipresent, and pervades every aspect of our lifeeven our doubt. 6. The Tree of Life by Robert Buchanan Robert Buchanan takes up the metaphor of a living tree from the Bible to explore faith in this religious poem. 7. Indications, The by Walt Whitman In this poem, Whitman elevates poetry itself to the level of religion and to the level of faith. Favorite line: The true poets are not followers of beauty, but the august masters of beauty. 8. Because I Could not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson

So many poems about death (like John Donnes Holy Sonnet X, see #1) can also be classified as religious poems because the speaker articulates their faith in the afterlife. In Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Dickinson employs the metaphor of a chariot driving towards eternity to contemplate mortality. 9. Goodbye Christ by Langston Hughes One of my favorite poets, Langston Hughes, discusses the commodification of art in his poem Goodbye Christ. Hughes poem highlights the relationship between words and faith, between art and religion, and between god and mankind. 10. Corinthians 13, The Bible Every time I revisit Corinthians 13, I am reminded of how love and god are absolutely inextricable. Commonly read at Catholic weddings, this religious poem argues that people can have everything, but if we have not loved, we are not whole.