In 1864, poet Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835–1917) took a springtime stroll along the English countryside—an outing that ultimately produced the traditional hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth.” The gentle song praises the divine beauty of the natural world, and it began as a poem over 150 years ago before its magnetism turned it into a historic hymn.
The song was first used during communion in churches, and later became a treasured meditation for those who find spiritual rejuvenation by immersing themselves in natural landscapes.
Divinity Within All Creation
For the wonder of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light.
When Pierpoint traversed the quiet, sprawling terrain of Bath, England one spring morning, he came upon a hillside brimming with freshly bloomed flowers. The waking sun cast a glow on trees coming back to life. The vast blue sky enveloped the 29-year-old poet, and he became divinely inspired.
