Sonnets for the Annunciation

Sonnets for the Annunciation March 25, 2019

Lent
Feast of the Annunciation 2019
The Edge of Elfland
Manchester, NH

Artist
Fra Angelico (circa 1395–1455)
Title The Annunciation
Description
Altar retable
Date 1430-1432
(Public Domain)

Dearest Readers,

Today is the feast of the Annunciation, 9 months to the day before we celebrate the feast of the Nativity. In a sense, the incarnation begins now, in the midst of Lent. The savior grows in his mother’s womb while remember that are sins put him in the grave. In light of that I have composed the following sonnet hopefully for your benefit, certainly for mine. For more sonnets about Mary, go and read these 5 by Malcolm Guite. In the meantime:

While the Sun in Heaven shined above
And fairies made their lovely flowers grow
As elf and spirit, fox and badger, doe
And deer did eat the vernal feasts of love,
As monsters of the deep did play and shove,
As on the breath of Eurus petals blow,
And as behind the Sun the stars did glow,
Radiating light from up above,
The handmaid of the Lord said, “Let it be
According to your word.” And all creation
Stopped to hear her speak. For in her womb
Now was one who would calm the raging sea,
And she was Eve, in recapitulation,
And he the Adam who bought us from the tomb.

Sincerely,
David Russell Mosley


Browse Our Archives