# How does Poetry develop the theme of Faith and Prayer?

> Poetry by Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis

## Answer

Poetry by Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis develops Faith and Prayer across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

Prayer is presented as a sacred, unassailable refuge for the enslaved, providing spiritual freedom and solace even while bound in physical chains, and affirming divine justice.

The slave girl repeatedly urges her mother not to weep, trusting in God as their guardian and deliverer.

The entire poem centers on prayer as a sacred, liberating act that connects the enslaved to the divine and provides temporary relief from suffering.

The mother acknowledges God's sovereignty, stating that He who gave her son has taken him, reflecting a reliance on faith to cope with loss.

## Evidence

- [the-slave-girl-s-address-to-her-mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/the-slave-girl-s-address-to-her-mother.md): The slave girl repeatedly urges her mother not to weep, trusting in God as their guardian and deliverer.
- [prayer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/prayer.md): The entire poem centers on prayer as a sacred, liberating act that connects the enslaved to the divine and provides temporary relief from suffering.
- [a-mother-s-grief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/a-mother-s-grief.md): The mother acknowledges God's sovereignty, stating that He who gave her son has taken him, reflecting a reliance on faith to cope with loss.
- [to-the-hibernia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/to-the-hibernia.md): The speaker invokes God's protection over the voyage, trusting divine guidance in the fight against slavery.
- [the-separation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/the-separation.md): The poem invokes faith as a shield and bids God speed to the departing friends, highlighting reliance on divine protection.
- [a-prayer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/a-prayer.md): The entire poem is a prayer, expressing trust in God's power and mercy.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/questions/how-faith-and-prayer
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se
- All questions: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/questions