Poem April 21, 1962 Issue

MARK AS WRITER

Winthrop Pitt Tryon

After a hundred years of scrutiny
And polemic, best and worst,
Scholars peaceably agree
That Mark,
To invent a norm
Of outline for the Gospel form,
Was first.

Let who will take precedence
In mastery of Greek,
For telling the story
With shadings light and dark,
Attaining moments sublime;
Mark's still is the glory
Of earliest to speak.

By all credence
Nearest in time,
If not in choice,
Mark is quick
To see the Galilean hand
Reach toward the sick,
To hear the Galilean voice
Call Levi out
From the village-crowding rout.

From record or from word of mouth
Narrative, at Mark's command,
Flows, a fountain,
Christ on the sea, Christ on the mountain;
Then at the south
Christ in the temple—the cockcrow—
Soldier's mockery—
Stone rolled away —
All entered on a page to stay.

Winthrop Pitt Tryon

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