OnScript Brent Strawn – Shifting Imagery and Psalm 23 (In Parallel)
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Sep 3, 2025 Brent Strawn, a distinguished biblical scholar and Old Testament professor at Duke University, dives deep into the rich imagery of Psalm 23. He masterfully connects this beloved biblical poem to contemporary poetry, illustrating how poetic expressions enrich understanding. Strawn explores themes of comfort and divine presence, shedding light on the historical context and translations of Psalm 23. He also draws parallels to Robert Hayden's work, enhancing the discourse on faith and vulnerability through the lens of poetry.
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Poetry Lives In Imagery
- Poetry depends on imagery as its operative 'things' created by words. Brent Strawn emphasizes that tracking images is essential to reading poetry well.
Psalm 23's Fame Masks Complexity
- Psalm 23 is an "uber-famous" poem whose fame complicates interpretation. Strawn uses its popularity to show why careful image-tracking matters for meaning.
Beecher's Role In The Psalm's Popularity
- Henry Ward Beecher helped popularize Psalm 23 in the United States and called it the "nightingale of the Psalms." By 1916 it entered Methodist funeral liturgy and became linked with death contexts.
