Abraham to Kill Him

Abraham to Kill Him - meaning Summary

Faith, Obedience, and Doubt

The poem retells the Abraham-and-Isaac episode in condensed, ironic terms. Abraham, described as old, is told to kill Isaac, an "urchin," and obeys without hesitation. The language emphasizes obeisance and implied tyranny rather than divine drama. Isaac survives and lives to tell the story; the closing lines frame the outcome as a moral lesson about manners and force, noting how submission and social ritual—rather than overt heroism or faith alone—shape the scene. The tone registers both narrative distance and a wry, critical stance toward obedience.