Skip to content

The Annotated Edition

Old Testament Stories in Scripture Language. by James Russell Lowell

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →

This text, credited to James Russell Lowell with the title "Old Testament Stories in Scripture Language," seems to be misidentified as a poem.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
Themes
faith, identity, memory
The PoemFull text

Old Testament Stories in Scripture Language.

James Russell Lowell

47, 48. Fables and Folk Stories. In two parts.[35] 49, 50. Hans Andersen's Stories. In two parts.[35] 51, 52. Washington Irving: Essays from the Sketch Book. [51.] Rip Van Winkle, and other American Essays. [52] The Voyage, and other English Essays. In two parts.[35]

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This text, credited to James Russell Lowell with the title "Old Testament Stories in Scripture Language," seems to be misidentified as a poem. The complete text is actually part of a publisher's catalogue that lists titles like Hans Andersen's Stories and Washington Irving's Sketch Book essays. Since no actual poem text was included, it’s not possible to conduct a precise line-by-line and symbolic analysis. Therefore, the entries below are based on reasonable inferences drawn from Lowell's established works and the given title.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. [No poem text supplied]

    Editor's note

    The text you provided is a numbered list of prose titles, specifically entries 47 through 52, and it doesn't include any verse. A detailed stanza analysis isn't feasible without the actual poem. If you have the complete text, please share it for a thorough examination.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Because no poem text was provided, I can't assess the tone directly. However, Lowell's devotional and didactic writings usually have a respectful and sincere tone. They are serious in their moral purpose but use accessible language, targeting readers who prefer scripture to be vivid rather than scholarly.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Scripture language
The intentional use of King James Bible rhythms conveys a sense of authority and timelessness, situating Old Testament stories within a devotional context that 19th-century readers likely found both comforting and uplifting.
Old Testament figures
Patriarchs, prophets, and kings from the Hebrew Bible often serve as moral role models in Victorian poetry, where their stories are recounted as lessons on faith, courage, and the repercussions of pride.
Retelling / adaptation
The process of telling ancient stories in a fresh way represents cultural transmission; it emphasizes that every generation needs to reinterpret its moral legacy in its own voice.

§06Historical context

Historical context

James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) was a prominent American poet and thinker in the 19th century, part of the New England Brahmin circle with Longfellow and Holmes. He took the helm at the Atlantic Monthly and later became the U.S. Ambassador to Britain. His religious and moral poetry was deeply influenced by the King James Bible, showcasing a Unitarian perspective that appreciated scripture both as literature and as doctrine. During the Victorian era, retellings of Old Testament stories in a "scripture language" were popular on both sides of the Atlantic, appealing to educated readers who sought the Bible's moral depth without strict theological interpretations. The catalogue fragment accompanying this title indicates that the poem or text was likely included in a reading series or anthology designed for a wider audience interested in enriching literature.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

The title implies that it recounts narratives from the Old Testament—like Genesis, Exodus, and the Psalms—using the formal, elevated language characteristic of the King James Bible. Without access to the complete text, it's impossible to verify which stories are included.

Read next

Poems in the same key