Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
Valentine to a Little Girl explained
The speaker addresses a little girl who longs for a Valentine, advising her to seek the Mother undefiled (Mary) for guidance.
What happens
The speaker addresses a little girl who longs for a Valentine, advising her to seek the Mother undefiled (Mary) for guidance. He explains that the name Valentine is noble, associated with martyrs who shed their blood for Christ, and encourages her to choose a saintly companion from the heavenly company.
Themes in this chapter
The Role of the Saint
The poem presents saints as noble warriors and martyrs who serve Christ, offering a model of devotion for the little girl.
Suffering and Humility
The martyrs' willingness to pour out their blood for the Lord exemplifies sacrificial suffering and humble service.
Characters to notice
- Mary
The 'Mother undefiled' whom the little girl is advised to ask for guidance.
- Christ
Referred to as the 'warrior God and King' who bled for the martyrs.
- Valentine
The name of the saintly Valentine, associated with noble blood and martyrdom.
- The Saints
The 'glittering ring' of martyrs including St. Denys, St. George, Martin, Maurice, and Theodore.
Key passages
“Valentine! the name is good; For it comes of lineage high, And a famous family: And it tells of gentle blood, Noble blood—and nobler still, For its owner freely pour’d Every drop there was to spill In the quarrel of his Lord.”
The name Valentine is honorable, stemming from a noble lineage, and its bearer willingly shed all his blood in the service of Christ.
Highlights the nobility and sacrificial martyrdom associated with the name Valentine.
“Yes! there is a plenty there, Knights without reproach or fear— Such St. Denys, such St. George, Martin, Maurice, Theodore, And a hundred thousand more; Guerdon gain’d and warfare o’er, By that sea without a surge, And beneath the eternal sky, And the beatific Sun, In Jerusalem above, Valentine is every one; Choose from out that company Whom to serve, and whom to love.”
There are many saintly knights like St. Denys, St. George, and others who have finished their battle and now dwell in heavenly peace; in that celestial Jerusalem, every saint is a Valentine, and the girl may choose one to serve and love.
Describes the heavenly reward of the martyrs and invites the child to select a saintly patron.