{
 "id": "mary-weston-fordham/the-crucifixion",
 "title": "The Crucifixion",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Mary Weston Fordham",
 "poet_slug": "mary-weston-fordham",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Magnolia Leaves",
 "book_slug": "magnolia-leaves",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 15,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1897,
  "venue": "Magnolia Leaves (1897)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/magnolialeavespo00ford"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/mary-weston-fordham_magnolia-leaves",
  "file": "magnolia-leaves.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://scalar.lehigh.edu/african-american-poetry-a-digital-anthology/mary-weston-fordham-magnolia-leaves-full-text-1897-preface-by-booker-t-washington",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006775637"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 30,
  "n_stanzas": 6,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Why did the sun his beams conceal",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As if unwilling to reveal",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That deed of mankind on the day",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When Jesus, at the altar, lay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A willing sacrifice.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Earth, too, in terror shook, when He",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Mighty, died on Calvary;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When for our sins He bowed His head,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Gave up the ghost, and quickly sped",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To regions of the dead.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And some who had for ages long",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Been wrapped in slumber deep and strong,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Awoke, and by their converse showed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That death no more dominion had",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In that He died.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Why did He die? Ah! blissful thought,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When we near death and hell were brought,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He left His Father’s courts above⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "O, list to such amazing love⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And died to save.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Why did He die? ’Twas love divine",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That caused Him all things to resign⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A heavenly choir, celestial home,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Exalted seat, seraphic song,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And all to save.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Blest thought! He reigns victorious now,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To whom all earth will shortly bow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Let men below and saints above",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Wonder at such stupendous love,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As caused their God to die.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}