Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DIRE: 3. PETER'S PENCE FROM PERUGIA, by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DIRE: 3. PETER'S PENCE FROM PERUGIA, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Iscariot, thou grey-grown beast of blood
Last Line: With dusty shame, when thou art damned and dead.
Subject(s): Death; Fear; Judas Iscariot (d. 30 A.d.); Nations; Dead, The


ISCARIOT, thou grey-grown beast of blood.
Stand forth to plead; stand, while red drops run here
And there down fingers shaken with foul fear,
Down the sick shivering chin that stooped and sued,
Bowed to the bosom, for a little food
At Herod's hand, who smites thee cheek and ear.
Cry out, Iscariot; haply he will hear;
Cry, till he turn again to do thee good.
Gather thy gold up, Judas, all thy gold,
And buy thee death; no Christ is here to sell,
But the dead earth of poor men bought and sold,
While year heaps year above thee safe in hell,
To grime thy grey dishonourable head
With dusty shame, when thou art damned and dead.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net