Poems from the Soul: Twelve of the Great Hymns of Wales

By M. Wynn Thomas

Even as many in the modern world draw away from organised religion, the great hymns of our time persist: we turn to them at weddings and funerals, at rugby matches and in pubs.

Bringing together twelve of Wales’s best-loved hymns, from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, Poems from the Soul reveals the heart and soul of a people’s poetry. These are the poems of ordinary folk – blacksmiths, farmers and preachers – and they played a vital role in the creation of the Welsh people.

Ranging from the visionary intensity of Ann Griffiths to the striking biblical imagery of Wales’s unofficial national anthem, ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’, in every hymn a single, singular voice sings out, loud and strong with fear, hope, ecstasy or anxiety.

With original illustrations by Ruth Jên Evans throughout, this collection offers insights into the making of a modern nation and demonstrates the transformative power of voices raised in song.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Calon
• Release date: Feb 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781837600144

M. Wynn Thomas

M. Wynn Thomas is Professor of English and Emyr Humphreys Professor of English at Swansea University. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Learned Society of Wales, and the author of twenty books on the two literatures of Wales and on American poetry.

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