The Soul
The narrator speaks in first person, calling for the weighing of earthly treasures against the soul.
The Syrophenician Woman
Narrates the story of the Syrophenician woman with emotional and poetic language.
The Slave Mother
The narrator describes the mother's shriek, clasped hands, and imploring eye, conveying her despair.
Ethiopia
The prophetic voice declaring Ethiopia's cry and God's coming deliverance.
The Drunkard’s Child
The narrator describes the scene of the dying child and the drunken father.
That Blessed Hope
The speaker expresses a personal clinging to blessed hope amid worldly strife.
The Dying Christian
The narrator observes the dying woman and describes her peaceful passing.
Report
The speaker offering marital advice to a young friend.
Advice to the Girls
The speaker offers marriage advice, urging girls to look beyond outward show.
Saved by Faith
Tells the story of the woman's faith and healing.
Died of Starvation
The narrator recounts the tragic story of a man imprisoned for begging bread.
A Mother's Heroism
The narrator recounts the story of Lovejoy's mother and her response to her son's death.
The Fugitive's Wife
The wife and narrator, who toils in slavery and is devastated by the impending separation from her husband.
The Contrast
The narrator describes the plight of the scorned woman and the contrasting fate of the man, offering a moral commentary on hypocrisy and injustice.
The Prodigal's Return
The narrator who tells the story of the prodigal's return and reflects on its spiritual meaning.
Be Active
The voice delivering the urgent call to action and moral duty.
Lessons of the Street
The narrator observes and reflects on the various figures encountered in the street.
Gone to God
The narrator reflects on the death of a lonely woman, describing her suffering and final peace.
To the Union Savers of Cleveland
The prophetic voice denouncing the city's complicity and warning of divine judgment.
Bury Me in a Free Land
The speaker who yearns for burial in a free land and vividly describes the atrocities of slavery.
Lines to Hon. Thaddeus Stevens
The speaker addresses Thaddeus Stevens directly, lamenting the unfulfilled hopes for racial justice.
Let the Light Enter!
The narrator presents the dying words of Goethe and the accompanying prayer.
Youth in Heaven
The narrator reflects on the nature of heaven and the eternal youth of angels.
Lines to Charles Sumner
The speaker expresses gratitude and hope for Charles Sumner's anti-slavery advocacy.
Sir, We Would See Jesus
The speaker expressing the collective desire to see Jesus and reflecting on the insufficiency of worldly splendor.
The Bride of Death
The narrator describes the scene of a young girl being claimed by death as a bride.
The Dying Fugitive
The narrator describes the dying fugitive's final moments and inner turmoil.
The Mother’s Blessing
The speaker, a mother expressing her weariness and gratitude for her child.
The Change
The speaker who experiences and celebrates the change from bondage to freedom.
The Dying Mother
The narrator presents the dying mother's final words and scene.
To a Babe Smiling in Her Sleep
The speaker addresses the babe with gentle, reverent questions about angelic visitations and heavenly visions.
Jesus
The speaker who expresses a personal longing for Jesus and a faith rooted in Christ.
The Sin of Achan
The narrator reflects on the ancient tale and applies its lesson as a warning for the present time, calling for a leader to end oppression.
The Little Builders
The narrator addresses the children directly, urging them to become builders of freedom.
Light in Darkness
The speaker recounts personal experience of loss and spiritual awakening.
Learning to Read
The narrator recounts her own experience of learning to read as an older enslaved woman, expressing her longing to read the Bible and her eventual independence.
Church Building
The speaker who recounts the community's efforts to build the church and Uncle Jacob's final blessing.
I Thirst
The first voice speaks of personal spiritual thirst and weariness.
The Dying Queen
The narrator describes the queen's final moments and her resolve to face death consciously.
Free Labor
The speaker who describes wearing a garment free from the stains of slavery and oppression.
Lines
The narrator describes the allegorical scene of Slavery, the Future, and the Crisis.
The Dismissal of Tyng
The narrator delivers a scathing poetic critique of the church's hypocrisy in dismissing Tyng for speaking against slavery.
The Slave Mother
The narrator tells the story of the slave mother's flight and tragic act, and directly addresses the reader with a moral plea.
Out in the Cold
The narrator describes the plight of a motherless child and calls for rescue.
Save the Boys
The speaker laments his own ruin and pleads for the salvation of boys.
Nothing and Something
The narrator presents a moral lesson through a series of vignettes, warning against indifference to the dangers of alcohol.
Wanderer's Return
The mother who speaks of her wandering boy's return, expressing profound joy and relief.
Fishers of Men
The dreamer who chooses to return from heaven's gate to rescue the drowning.
Signing the Pledge
The speaker who recounts his past sins and commits to sobriety.
A Fairer Hope, a Brighter Morn
The speaker who recounts the experience of wearing and breaking the chain of slavery, and who envisions a hopeful future.
The Night of Death
The narrator recounts the harrowing night of the storm and the family's ordeal.
Mother’s Treasures
The mother speaking in the poem, expressing her love and hopes for her children.
The Refiner's Gold
The speaker describes their own spiritual struggle and eventual acceptance of Christ's invitation.
A Story of the Rebellion
The narrator recounts the harrowing escape and the hero's sacrifice.
Going East
The narrator tells the story of the bride's life and death.
Songs for the People
The speaker who desires to create songs that inspire and comfort all people.
An Appeal to My Countrywomen
The speaker addresses 'my favored sisters' and 'my well-sheltered sisters,' urging them to recognize the suffering of enslaved mothers.
My Mother's Kiss
The speaker who recalls his mother's kiss and love, now aged and longing for reunion.
A Grain of Sand
The speaker who contemplates the grain of sand and receives its message of trust.
Dedication Poem
The narrator tells the story of Hagar and reflects on the dedication of the home.
A Double Standard
The speaker, a woman who loved and was betrayed, now bearing society's shame while her seducer is honored.
Our Hero
The narrator recounts the terrifying journey and the heroism witnessed.
A Little Child Shall Lead Them
The grieving mother who preserves the blue badge and tells the story of her child's death and its redemptive effect on her family.
The Sparrow's Fall
The speaker who observes the sparrow's fall and reflects on God's care.
God Bless Our Native Land
The voice praying for the nation's blessing and guidance.
Dandelions
The speaker addresses the dandelions and reflects on the beauty and spiritual message they bring.
Go Work in My Vineyard
The speaker who hears the Lord's call, labors in pain, and finds divine purpose in gathering the bruised grain.
Renewal of Strength
The speaker reflects on personal physical decay and spiritual renewal.
Jamie's Puzzle
The grieving narrator who, along with Jamie, struggles with the mystery of death and separation.
The Lost Bells
The narrator tells the story of the artist and his lost bells.
Behold the Lilies!
The speaker reflects on God's omnipresent love and care.
The Ragged Stocking
The reformed drunkard who tells his story of deliverance from addiction.
The Fatal Pledge
The narrator describes the tragic scene of a man tempted by his bride to break his sobriety.
