William Chalmers Burns and Scottish Revival, then off to China.



William Chalmers Burns (1815-1868)



Called by Robert to

Pinch hit at Anwoth.

Little spot in Lowlands.

Not a lot to brag about.

Rain often

Crops mediocre.

Livestock scraggly.

But the folks had heart.

Loved me from the start.

Robert* was heading

Toward Holy Land.

Through Europe.

Much for his dampened

Coughing health.

Good friends with him.

Brother Andrew** for one.

Now, once into deserts

Robert came down, badly.

Flat on his back.

Praying for us

Up in Bonnie Scotland.

Revival fell with that

Simple dynamic.

Hallelujah.

Heather shook with the Glory.

Colourful it was.

Never to be dislodged

From reborn lives.


*Robert Murray M'Cheyne


** A A Bonar

About this poem

William Chalmers Burns, 1815-1868. Revivalist. Missionary.

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Written on March 05, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 05, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on March 12, 2023

49 sec read
120

Quick analysis:

Scheme X X X X X A A X X B X X X C X X B X C X X X X X
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 680
Words 163
Stanzas 24
Stanza Lengths 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

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Discuss the poem William Chalmers Burns and Scottish Revival, then off to China. with the community...

3 Comments
  • dougb.19255
    Chalmers dead at 53. McCheyne dead at thirty. His memoirs and letters are on my shelf. Taken down often. He was a preacher who visited muchly, and to redeeming effect.
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • dougb.19255
    Chalmers joined the china missions effort launched by Hudson Taylor and his wife. His last years were spent happily, wearing a Chinaman’s clothes, hairstyle; eating his foods, remembering his fables and legends. Preaching unto such folk The Good Shepherd, the Word incarnate. 
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • Teril
    You tell this brief snippet of a tale in a powerful format -concise, expressive, alluding. I am curious as to the before and after...
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"William Chalmers Burns and Scottish Revival, then off to China." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/152800/william-chalmers-burns-and-scottish-revival,-then-off-to-china.>.

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