A Man Went Before a Strange God
A Man Went Before a Strange God - meaning Summary
Two Gods, Two Responses
The poem contrasts two kinds of divinity and the human response to them. A public, authoritarian God demands subservience with thunderous pomp, prompting the man to flee. He then encounters an inward, compassionate God who regards him with understanding and tenderness. The poem suggests that spiritual authority grounded in empathy and self-awareness is more humane and life-affirming than external coercion and spectacle.
Read Complete AnalysesA man went before a strange God -- The God of many men, sadly wise. And the deity thundered loudly, Fat with rage, and puffing. "Kneel, mortal, and cringe And grovel and do homage To My Particularly Sublime Majesty." The man fled. Then the man went to another God -- The God of his inner thoughts. And this one looked at him With soft eyes Lit with infinite comprehension, And said, "My poor child!"
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