The Soul in Paraphrase: A Treasury of Classic Devotional Poems

“Leland Ryken has performed a great service by gathering these poems into a volume that yields counsel, challenge, and comfort to Christians of all stripes. These poems will be faithful companions to every thoughtful believer.”

“Leland Ryken has gifted us with a much-needed anthology that not only presents the finest devotional poetry in English, but provides incisive commentary that allows the reader to understand each poem’s various layers of meaning and to participate in its wrestling with God, faith, and the human condition.”

“Leland Ryken’s The Soul in Paraphrase is a stunning collection of timeless devotional poems that—just like the Bible—rewards the patient, careful reader. Every Christian should add this volume to their library, enjoying it slowly and savoring its riches in the daily rhythms of devotional life.”

“This timeless treasury reads like a devotional on devotional poetry. With the fruits of a long career served in the love of God and of literature, Leland Ryken informs and illumines each poem’s contribution to the thoughtful Christian’s pursuit of beauty, grace, and truth. Perfect as a guide or a gift.”

“I have long desired a book just like this fine collection of poems. I am constantly seeking to encourage prospective pastors, teachers, and Christians in the church to read good poetry. Leland Ryken has compiled exactly what I need: a treasury of great devotional poems that I can regularly recommend to others. He includes many of my own favorites by Shakespeare, Donne, Herbert, Hopkins, and Eliot, so I was fascinated to read his valuable commentaries introducing those poems. He has also chosen less familiar works, making this a book I will return to again and again. Thank you for such an excellent work!”

“Leland Ryken is a leading literary scholar of our time and in these pages offers a timeless collection that couldn’t be timelier. The Soul in Paraphrase presents masterful poems that nourish heart, mind, and soul, along with commentary that is learned, lucid, and inviting. This is a volume that will delight poetry enthusiasts and skeptics alike.”

“Some of the most profound devotional exercises—perhaps second only to the reading of Scripture—come from reading and contemplating Christian poetry. But readers today are ill-equipped to do so, knowing poetry only as either greetingcard verse or undecipherable puzzles. In this collection, Leland Ryken, the dean of Christian literary scholars, gives back to contemporary Christians their rich literary heritage. First, he selects works of the highest aesthetic and spiritual quality; and, second, he offers brief commentary that unpacks each poem’s meaning, artistry, and theological depths. In showing how poetry is a ‘trap for meditation’ (as Denis de Rougemont called it), Ryken has given us a resource that will greatly enhance our Christian devotions.”

“For most modern people, poetry is hard to read and not immediately rewarding. And yet, it is precisely that difficulty and the contemplation that it requires that makes reading poetry such a valuable exercise in a world of distractions. Leland Ryken has produced a volume that will aid Christians, even those not well versed in poetry, in delighting in the rich history of devotional poetry.”