His Shield (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Marianne Moore
- First Published: 1951
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Africa or Africans, Religion, Christianity, Middle Ages, Saints or sainthood, Animals
The Poem
“His Shield” is a thirty-three-line poem in five stanzas, with an end-line rhyming scheme. Moore chose the title “His Shield” (originally “The Magic Shield”) in an attempt to explain the life of Presbyter John, a legendary Christian of medieval times from Asia or Africa who was said to wear a salamander’s skin for protection, thus shielding him from heat, fire, and other natural phenomena. Making the name “John” doubly interesting is the fact that her own father was named John, as was her grandfather, who was himself a “Presbyter”: He was a...
[The entire page is 1337 words long]
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