# Faith and Hypocrisy in Poetry

> Theme guide for Poetry by Taras Shevchenko.

Religious faith is portrayed both as a source of solace and as a tool of oppression, with sharp critiques of church hypocrisy, iconoclasm, and the misuse of religion by the state, as in 'Iconoclasm' and 'Hymn of the Nuns'.

## Where it surfaces

- [Naimechka (The Servant)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/naimechka): Anna's devout pilgrimage and prayers contrast with the societal hypocrisy that forces her to conceal her identity.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/v): Anna's devout pilgrimage and offerings to saints contrast with her hidden secret and weeping, suggesting a tension between outward piety and inner pain.
- [To the Circassians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/to-the-circassians): The poem contrasts Christian piety with the reality of greed, theft, and oppression, exemplified by the 'holy monk' who justifies King David's sins.
- [To the Rich and Great](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/to-the-rich-and-great): The rich are called 'hypocrites and chatterers' who claim to follow the apostle's law of brotherly love but in reality care only for material wealth, exposing religious hypocrisy.
- [To the Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/to-the-master): The poem contrasts the reverence shown to icons and cathedrals with the immoral actions of worshippers who pray for war and plunder.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/iii): Critiques those who 'enlighten' with 'everlasting fires' yet crucify the motherland, highlighting hypocrisy in the guise of progress.
- [Lyric: From Day to Day, from Night to Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/lyric-from-day-to-day-from-night-to-night): The speaker directly addresses God, pleading for love or hate, questioning divine indifference and the hypocrisy of a silent deity.
- [On the Eleventh Psalm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/on-the-eleventh-psalm): The poem contrasts honey-sweet, deceitful words of the wicked with the pure, tested word of God, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who boast in intellect and speech while setting snares for others.
- [Prayer: My Prayer for the Tsars](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/prayer-my-prayer-for-the-tsars): The speaker uses the form of a prayer to denounce the Tsars, contrasting the ideal of divine justice with the reality of their tyranny, and asks for truth and love rather than material or political gain.
- [Prayer: For Those That Have Done Wrong to Me](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/prayer-for-those-that-have-done-wrong-to-me): The poem is a direct prayer to God, emphasizing forgiveness and divine guidance over retribution, reflecting genuine faith.
- [Prayer: To Those of the Ever-Greedy Eyes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/prayer-to-those-of-the-ever-greedy-eyes): The prayer addresses the Creator, asking for paradise for the lowly, while the tsars are called 'gods of earth'—a critique of the hypocrisy of earthly power claiming divine sanction.
- [Hymn of the Nuns](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/hymn-of-the-nuns): The nuns sing 'Hallelujah' while accusing God of cheating them, revealing a hollow, coerced piety.
- [To the Goddess of Fame](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/to-the-goddess-of-fame): The poem satirizes the goddess Fame as a drunken barmaid who dispenses haloes on credit, mocking the hypocrisy of fame and honor.
- [Iconoclasm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/chapters/iconoclasm): The poem condemns the hypocrisy of religious authorities who use icons and rituals to control and deceive, calling for a return to true, unmediated light.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/themes/faith_and_hypocrisy
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_22_se/themes