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Poem
February 21, 1880
The Indianapolis Leader
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
What is this article about?
A sonnet depicting a enigmatic soul conflicted between godly and demonic elements, questioning its afterlife placement in heaven, hell, or a middle realm, and affirming God's ultimate judgment.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
A Character—And a Question.
A dubious, strange, uncomprehended life,
A roll of riddles with no answer found,
A sea-like soul which plummet cannot sound.
Torn with belligerent winds at mutual strife,
The God in him hath taken unto wife
A daughter of the pit, and strongly bound
In coils of snake-like hair about him wound,
Dies, straining hard to raise the severing knife.
For such a sunken soul, what room in Heaven?
For such a soaring soul, what place in Hell?
Can those desires be damned, those doings shriven,
Or in some lone mid-region must he dwell
For ever? Lo! God pitcheth with the seven
Stars in His hand, and shall not He judge well?
—Spectator.
A dubious, strange, uncomprehended life,
A roll of riddles with no answer found,
A sea-like soul which plummet cannot sound.
Torn with belligerent winds at mutual strife,
The God in him hath taken unto wife
A daughter of the pit, and strongly bound
In coils of snake-like hair about him wound,
Dies, straining hard to raise the severing knife.
For such a sunken soul, what room in Heaven?
For such a soaring soul, what place in Hell?
Can those desires be damned, those doings shriven,
Or in some lone mid-region must he dwell
For ever? Lo! God pitcheth with the seven
Stars in His hand, and shall not He judge well?
—Spectator.
What sub-type of article is it?
Sonnet
What themes does it cover?
Religious Faith
Death Mourning
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Conflicted Soul
Heaven Hell
Divine Judgment
Enigmatic Life
Moral Strife
What entities or persons were involved?
Spectator
Poem Details
Title
A Character—And A Question.
Author
Spectator
Subject
Fate Of A Conflicted Soul
Form / Style
Petrarchan Sonnet
Key Lines
For Such A Sunken Soul, What Room In Heaven?
For Such A Soaring Soul, What Place In Hell?
Lo! God Pitcheth With The Seven Stars In His Hand, And Shall Not He Judge Well?