I recently published a poetry anthology titled Timeless Devotional Poetry. Here is an excerpt from the preface of this book that is longer and more informative than the book’s description on my website:

“Poetry is the most ancient literary genre and the most abundant. It has endured because it appeals to readers of all ages. Small children can be taught to enjoy the beauty of poetry. Teenagers and young adults appreciate poems about love and human relationships. We all benefit greatly from poems that teach us how to deal with trial or loss. The lyrical language with its rhythms and harmonies can be contagious. Poetry is uplifting. It can inspire and encourage us to fulfill our God-given duties. For centuries, poetry has endured because of its universal appeal.

“I started thinking about assembling this collection when I contemplated the current neglect of poetry, particularly God-honoring poetry. I have but one objective in compiling this volume: to keep poetry that honors God alive for future generations. .. If we don’t read, reflect on, and enjoy the great wealth of Christian poetry available to us, these poetic gems will eventually be consigned to academic libraries and forgotten by the vast majority of the reading public. .. I am deeply troubled by the thought that my grandchildren and the rest of the world may not have access to this wealth of devotional poetry.

“Timeless Devotional Poetry comprises a chronological record of poetry from Anglo-Saxon England through early modern times that glorifies God and has stood the test of time. Thirteen centuries of superb English poetry come to mind. Since I am English, I am partial to and most familiar with all things British. Therefore, this volume contains predominantly works written by British poets. It is an incontrovertible truth that much of the finest poetry written throughout the centuries is Christian poetry—that is, poetry that exalts God and his Word. One needs only to consider the number of Christian poets and the lyrics of God-honoring hymns that have remained well-loved to appreciate this fact. God himself inspired many poets such as the Hebrew King David to compose poetry that stirs our souls. We find beautiful poetry in the Psalms and other books of the Bible. God has promised there will always be a remnant, and many Christians have been, and a few continue to be, fine poets. It’s a comforting reality for believers worldwide.

“Nevertheless, like other categories of classic literature, poetry per se is not in favor today, and poems that honor God are enjoyed by few readers. Several reasons exist for the declining interest in the genre. Poetry is more difficult to read and enjoy than other literary genres; it makes more intellectual demands on the reader. Great poetry is not being taught in many of our schools. Many parents don’t read poetry, so they don’t pass along a love of poetry to their children. We live in a post-literate age that discourages reflection, the world of the mind. It is apparent to anyone aware of cultural trends that literature in general is of little interest, in fact irrelevant, to many people today. Few academics study pre-modern literature, and most other people do not read or are not interested in the great literature of past centuries. This is a tragic reality because great literature is transforming. It shapes our values and molds us into compassionate human beings. It hones our appreciation for beauty and transcendent ideas.

“It is a given that the literary canon has been under attack for decades. Recently, students at a major university succeeded in getting a portrait of Shakespeare removed from the wall of the English department. It was replaced with a photograph of a modern feminist writer. Most canonical writers are no longer included in high school or university curricula. The great authors of the ages have been replaced by recent authors whose works are of questionable caliber and whose moral compass is non-existent. A depressing amount of poetry written today is mundane, often downright sordid. Much of it is composed in free verse, which, to cite Robert Frost, is like playing tennis with the net down. A great deal of modern verse hardly sounds like poetry.

“On the other hand, much Christian poetry has for centuries been set to music and sung as hymns in church services. These hymn lyrics speak to the soul and deserve to be read and cherished for their poetic beauty. Many of these hymns contain spiritual substance and application that modern worship songs often lack. Contemporary worship songs tend to substitute repetition and emotional appeal that supposedly attract younger worshipers in order to be culturally relevant, and many are written for modern electronic musical instruments rather than the traditional musical instruments of the past such as the organ or piano. Our churches and society in general run the risk of forgetting the great old hymns that have stood the test of time in an effort to appeal to all ages of worshipers.

“The task of selection for this anthology was challenging. Because of the centuries of Christian poetry and hymn lyrics from which to choose, I had to be extremely selective. My selections are not comprehensive or representative of every literary era; I am also limited by my familiarity with British and American poetry rather than the poems of other countries. Because of space limitations, I chose short lyric poems. .. As a general principle, I did not represent poets whose poetry mentions God and includes religious ideas but is not, nevertheless, God-honoring. With one or two exceptions, I included only poets who are dedicated to serving God with their work. Due mainly to content, I included very few modern poems.

“This volume comprises a highly personal collection of poems that praise God and his Word and are short enough for inclusion in it. I have my favorite Christian poets—Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti, John Milton, and, above all others, George Herbert. I included several poets’ paraphrases of the Psalms. It goes without saying that biblical poetry, on which these paraphrases are based, far surpasses the poems of man. I have included poems I love that convey overtly God-honoring ideas including the lyrics of a few well-loved hymns. ..

“I located the poems included in this volume in literature anthologies I used during my years as a college and high school English teacher and in poetry books obtained from bookstores and libraries. To read and select from thousands of poems has certainly been daunting, but the task of completing this book gave me countless hours of enjoyment. It was exciting to make discoveries about poetry; for example, I was unaware that Richard Baxter, Cotton Mather, Samuel Johnson, and John Quincy Adams wrote poetry or that many poems are based on biblical incidents; I had never previously read poems by Anne Brontë or C. S. Lewis. It was a pleasure to make these discoveries. . ..

“I hope my choices give you many hours of pleasure, and if I have generated or rekindled interest in, for example, the poetry of godly men such as George Herbert, the work of compiling this anthology has been amply rewarded. It is also my earnest desire that it will become a useful resource for teachers and homeschool parents as a supplement to a classroom anthology and that it will provide countless fine poems for older students to study, to enjoy, and to prepare them for adulthood.”