A Soldier
Give him the wormwood!
CHRISTUS, with a loud cry, bowing his head.
It is finished!
XI
The Annotated Edition
A Soldier by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
This brief poem encapsulates the moment of Christ's crucifixion, emphasizing the bitter wormwood offered to him and his last words, "It is finished." Longfellow depicts the dying Christ as a soldier — one who has persevered through a spiritual struggle until the very end.
- Core theme
- Courage
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This brief poem encapsulates the moment of Christ's crucifixion, emphasizing the bitter wormwood offered to him and his last words, "It is finished." Longfellow depicts the dying Christ as a soldier — one who has persevered through a spiritual struggle until the very end. The poem encourages us to view sacrifice and endurance as displays of courage rather than signs of defeat.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
Give him the wormwood!
Editor's note
This command comes from those watching the crucifixion, as they offer a bitter drink to the dying man. Wormwood, known for its intense bitterness, symbolizes the cruelty and mockery of the moment. The crowd is not showing compassion; instead, they present only bitterness.
CHRISTUS, with a loud cry, bowing his head. / It is finished!
Editor's note
This directly references John 19:30 from the Bible, where Jesus delivers his final words on the cross. The phrasing mimics stage directions ('with a loud cry, bowing his head'), lending the moment a dramatic, almost theatrical intensity. 'It is finished' marks the end of a mission — the soldier has persevered through his battle until the very end.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is stark and solemn. There’s no ornamentation or comfort — just the raw, stripped-down moment of death. The brevity carries the emotional weight: Longfellow offers us little, and that restraint makes the scene hit harder than any detailed description might.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Wormwood
- Wormwood is recognized as one of the bitterest substances from ancient times. In this context, it symbolizes the cruelty and disdain directed at Christ during his crucifixion, as well as the suffering that often accompanies the end of a challenging life.
- The loud cry
- The cry is not a whimper but a shout; it shows that this death is not a passive surrender but a deliberate, chosen completion. It links Christ to the image of a soldier who dies on his own terms.
- "It is finished"
- These three words encapsulate the essence of the poem. They indicate the end of physical pain and the achievement of a goal. For Longfellow, they represent the soldier's last message: the mission is complete.
§06Historical context
Historical context
This poem is an excerpt from Longfellow's extensive dramatic trilogy *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), which he worked on for nearly thirty years. The trilogy explores Christian history, spanning from Christ's birth to the Puritan era in New England. "A Soldier" presents a brief yet powerful scene within the Passion sequence. Longfellow had a profound interest in the connections between faith, suffering, and heroism, revisiting religious themes throughout his life, particularly after the devastating loss of his second wife in a fire in 1861 — an event that left him reeling for years. Portraying Christ as a soldier was common in 19th-century Protestant thought, which often praised a vigorous, active faith. The poem's brevity — consisting of just a few words — carries its own weight: some moments are simply too significant for elaborate poetry.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
Longfellow compares a soldier who sees a battle through to the end with Christ enduring the crucifixion. Both experience suffering and fulfill their missions. The title reinterprets death not as a victim’s conclusion but as a warrior’s ultimate act.
Wormwood is a plant known for its strong bitterness, often found in ancient texts and mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of pain and punishment. Presenting it to Christ at his death serves as a mockery, providing him with bitterness instead of comfort.
It quotes directly from the Gospel of John (19:30), translating the Greek word *tetelestai*, which means 'it is accomplished' or 'it is completed.' Longfellow takes this phrase straight from scripture to provide the poem with its emotional and theological foundation.
The brevity is intentional. Longfellow reduces the scene to its core elements — a taunt, a cry, a final declaration — because the moment is so significant that any extra words would lessen its impact. The silence surrounding the words contributes to the poem's power.
Yes. This is a scene from *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a three-part dramatic poem by Longfellow that explores Christian history. This particular fragment is part of the Passion section, which portrays the last hours of Christ's life.
The Roman numeral XI indicates that this is the eleventh section or scene in the broader dramatic sequence of *Christus*. It serves as a structural label rather than being part of the poem's imagery.
The main themes include courage, death, and faith. In the poem, dying is portrayed as a choice and a fulfillment rather than a loss, and it equates spiritual resilience with military bravery.
Longfellow started *Christus* shortly after losing his wife Fanny in a fire in 1861, a tragedy that deeply affected him. His ongoing exploration of themes like suffering, sacrifice, and faith throughout the trilogy is closely tied to his personal grief.
Adjacent texts in the archive
Read next