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Verses on Various Occasions · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Verses on Various Occasions by John Henry Newman.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Epigraph

    The epigraph describes a man who owns only a few acres of poor land, yet through his humble cultivation of vegetables, lilies, verbena, and poppies, he equals the wealth of kings in spirit.

  2. Chapter 2

    Dedication

    Newman dedicates his volume of poems to Edward Badeley, acknowledging the contrast between poetry and law, expressing gratitude for Badeley's legal help during a past conflict, and reflecting on the religious movement they both followed.

  3. Chapter 3

    Verses on Various Occasions

    A collection of poems reflecting on faith, doubt, transience, and divine presence across various moments of life, from childhood to death, with meditations on saints, scripture, and personal devotion.

  4. Chapter 4

    I: Solitude

    The chapter opens with a reflection on the power of stillness and solitude to calm the passions and elevate the soul toward heaven, drawing on the hermit's experience and angelic choirs. The poet then marks his birthday with a prayer of gratitude and a plea for divine guidance, rejecting both worldly revelry and despair. Subsequent poems explore themes of nature versus art, the call to serve as champions of the Lord, the decay of faith, and the sustaining power of prayer and divine presence amid trials.

  5. Chapter 5

    II: My Birthday

    The speaker reflects on his birthday, contrasting the worldly revelry of the wealthy with a solemn, prayerful gratitude to God for protection and guidance. He rejects both foolish pleasure and bitter despair, instead asking for a constant soul, control over passions, and a refined spirit that looks toward heavenly reward.

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  1. Chapter 6III: Paraphrase of Isaiah 64
  2. Chapter 7To F. W. N.
  3. Chapter 8V: Nature and Art
  4. Chapter 9Introduction to an Album
  5. Chapter 10Snapdragon
  6. Chapter 11VIII: The Trance of Time
  7. Chapter 12IX: Consolations in Bereavement
  8. Chapter 13A Picture
  9. Chapter 14XI: My Lady Nature and Her Daughters
  10. Chapter 15Opusculum
  11. Chapter 16XIII: A Voice from Afar
  12. Chapter 17XIV: The Hidden Ones
  13. Chapter 18XV: Thanksgiving
  14. Chapter 19Monks
  15. Chapter 20XVII: Epiphany-Eve
  16. Chapter 21XVIII: The Winter Flower
  17. Chapter 22XIX: Kind Remembrances
  18. Chapter 23Seeds in the Air
  19. Chapter 24XXI: The Pilgrim
  20. Chapter 25Home
  21. Chapter 26XXIII: The Brand of Cain
  22. Chapter 27XXIV: Zeal and Love
  23. Chapter 28Persecution
  24. Chapter 29XXVI: Zeal and Purity
  25. Chapter 30XXVII: The Gift of Preserverance
  26. Chapter 31XXVIII: The Sign of the Cross
  27. Chapter 32XXIX: Bondage
  28. Chapter 33XXX: The Scars of Sin
  29. Chapter 34XXXI: Angelic Guidance
  30. Chapter 35XXXII: Substance and Shadow
  31. Chapter 36Wanderings
  32. Chapter 37XXXIV: The Saint and the Hero
  33. Chapter 38XXXV: Private Judgment
  34. Chapter 39XXXVI: The Watchman
  35. Chapter 40XXXVII: The Isles of the Sirens
  36. Chapter 41XXXVIII: Absolution
  37. Chapter 42XXXIX: Memory
  38. Chapter 43XL: The Haven
  39. Chapter 44XLI: A Word in Season
  40. Chapter 45XLII: Fair Words
  41. Chapter 46XLIII: England
  42. Chapter 47XLIV: Moses
  43. Chapter 48XLV: The Patient Church
  44. Chapter 49XLVI: Jeremiah
  45. Chapter 50Penance
  46. Chapter 51XLVIII: The Course of Truth
  47. Chapter 52Christmas Without Christ
  48. Chapter 53Sleeplessness
  49. Chapter 54LI: Abraham
  50. Chapter 55LII: The Greek Fathers
  51. Chapter 56The Witness
  52. Chapter 57LIV: The Death of Moses
  53. Chapter 58LV: Melchizedek
  54. Chapter 59LVI: Corcyra
  55. Chapter 60Transfiguration
  56. Chapter 61Behind the Veil
  57. Chapter 62LIX: Judgment
  58. Chapter 63LX: Sensitiveness
  59. Chapter 64LXI: David and Jonathan
  60. Chapter 65Humiliation
  61. Chapter 66LXIII: The Call of David
  62. Chapter 67A Blight
  63. Chapter 68LXV: Joseph
  64. Chapter 69LXVI: Superstition
  65. Chapter 70LXVII: Isaac
  66. Chapter 71LXVIII: Reverses
  67. Chapter 72LXIX: Hope
  68. Chapter 73LXX: St. Paul at Melita
  69. Chapter 74LXXI: Messina
  70. Chapter 75LXXII: Warnings
  71. Chapter 76Dreams
  72. Chapter 77LXXIV: Temptation
  73. Chapter 78Our Future
  74. Chapter 79Heathenism
  75. Chapter 80LXXVII: Taormini
  76. Chapter 81Sympathy
  77. Chapter 82Relics of Saints
  78. Chapter 83LXXX: Day-Labourers
  79. Chapter 84LXXXI: Warfare
  80. Chapter 85LXXXII: Sacrilege
  81. Chapter 86Liberalism
  82. Chapter 87LXXXIV: Declension
  83. Chapter 88The Age to Come
  84. Chapter 89External Religion
  85. Chapter 90St. Gregory Nazianzen
  86. Chapter 91LXXXVIII: The Good Samaritan
  87. Chapter 92Reverence
  88. Chapter 93XC: The Pillar of the Cloud
  89. Chapter 94XCI: Samaria
  90. Chapter 95XCII: Jonah
  91. Chapter 96XCIII: Faith Against Sight
  92. Chapter 97XCIV: Desolation
  93. Chapter 98Zeal and Patience
  94. Chapter 99The Religion of Cain
  95. Chapter 100XCVII: St. Paul
  96. Chapter 101XCVIII: Flowers Without Fruit
  97. Chapter 102Zeal and Meekness
  98. Chapter 103Vexations
  99. Chapter 104CI: The Church in Prayer
  100. Chapter 105CII: The Wrath to Come
  101. Chapter 106CIII: Pusillanimity
  102. Chapter 107James and John
  103. Chapter 108CV: Hora Novissima
  104. Chapter 109CVI: Progress of Unbelief
  105. Chapter 110Consolation
  106. Chapter 111CVIII: Uzzah and Obed-Edom
  107. Chapter 112CIX: The Gift of Tongues
  108. Chapter 113CX: The Power of Prayer
  109. Chapter 114Semita Justorum
  110. Chapter 115CXII: The Elements
  111. Chapter 116CXIII: Apostacy
  112. Chapter 117CXIV: Judaism
  113. Chapter 118CXV: Separation of Friends
  114. Chapter 119The Priestly Office
  115. Chapter 120Morning
  116. Chapter 121CXVIII: Evening
  117. Chapter 122CXIX: A Hermitage
  118. Chapter 123CXX: The Married and the Single
  119. Chapter 124CXXI: Intercession of the Saints
  120. Chapter 125CXXII: Waiting for the Morning
  121. Chapter 126CXXIII: Matins—Sunday
  122. Chapter 127CXXIV: Matins—Sunday
  123. Chapter 128CXXV: Matins—Monday
  124. Chapter 129CXXVI: Matins—Tuesday
  125. Chapter 130Matins—Wednesday
  126. Chapter 131Matins—Thursday
  127. Chapter 132Matins—Friday
  128. Chapter 133CXXX: Matins—Saturday
  129. Chapter 134CXXXI: Lauds—Sunday
  130. Chapter 135CXXXII: Lauds—Sunday
  131. Chapter 136CXXXIII: Lauds—Monday
  132. Chapter 137Lauds—Tuesday
  133. Chapter 138CXXXV: Lauds—Wednesday
  134. Chapter 139Lauds—Thursday
  135. Chapter 140Lauds—Friday
  136. Chapter 141Lauds—Saturday
  137. Chapter 142CXXXIX: Prime
  138. Chapter 143CXL: Terce
  139. Chapter 144Sext
  140. Chapter 145CXLII: None
  141. Chapter 146CXLIII: Vespers—Sunday
  142. Chapter 147CXLIV: Vespers—Monday
  143. Chapter 148CXLV: Vespers—Tuesday
  144. Chapter 149CXLVI: Vespers—Wednesday
  145. Chapter 150CXLVII: Vespers—Thursday
  146. Chapter 151CXLVIII: Vespers—Friday
  147. Chapter 152CXLIX: Vespers—Saturday
  148. Chapter 153Compline
  149. Chapter 154Advent—Vespers
  150. Chapter 155CLII: Advent—Matins
  151. Chapter 156Advent—Lauds
  152. Chapter 157CLIV: The Transfiguration—Matins
  153. Chapter 158CLV: The Transfiguration—Lauds
  154. Chapter 159For a Martyr
  155. Chapter 160For a Confessor Bishop
  156. Chapter 161CLVIII: Ethelwald
  157. Chapter 162CLIX: Candlemas
  158. Chapter 163CLX: The Pilgrim Queen
  159. Chapter 164CLXI: The Month of Mary
  160. Chapter 165CLXII: The Queen of Seasons
  161. Chapter 166Valentine to a Little Girl
  162. Chapter 167St. Philip Neri in His Mission
  163. Chapter 168St. Philip in Himself
  164. Chapter 169St. Philip in His God
  165. Chapter 170Guardian Angel
  166. Chapter 171CLXVIII: The Golden Prison
  167. Chapter 172Heathen Greece
  168. Chapter 173A Martyr Convert
  169. Chapter 174CLXXI: St. Philip in His School
  170. Chapter 175St. Philip in His Disciples
  171. Chapter 176For the Dead
  172. Chapter 177To Edward Caswall
  173. Chapter 178The Two Worlds
  174. Chapter 179St. Michael
  175. Chapter 180Prologus in Phormionem
  176. Chapter 181The Dream of Gerontius
  177. Chapter 182§ 1
  178. Chapter 183§ 2
  179. Chapter 184§ 3
  180. Chapter 185§ 4
  181. Chapter 186§ 5
  182. Chapter 187§ 6
  183. Chapter 188§ 7
  184. Chapter 189Endnotes