A WOMAN.
O Master!
Forgive me! For I said within myself,
If I so much as touch his garment's hem,
I shall be whole.
The Annotated Edition
A WOMAN. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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This brief poem captures the essence of the unnamed woman from the Bible who thought that just touching the hem of Jesus's robe would heal her.
- Themes
- faith, forgiveness, hope
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This brief poem captures the essence of the unnamed woman from the Bible who thought that just touching the hem of Jesus's robe would heal her. Longfellow conveys her act of desperate, humble faith in four simple lines. It reflects the strength of belief when all someone has left is hope.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
O Master! / Forgive me! For I said within myself,
Editor's note
The woman speaks to Jesus directly, calling him "Master" — a term that conveys both respect and a sense of reliance. Her initial plea of "Forgive me" stands out: she isn't seeking forgiveness for a typical sin, but rather expressing regret for having the audacity to entertain her own private thought. She's revealing something she whispered *to herself*, indicating that this is an intimate moment, a hidden hope she scarcely dared to express aloud.
If I so much as touch his garment's hem, / I shall be whole.
Editor's note
These two lines encapsulate the poem's essence. "So much as" reveals her feelings of insignificance and unworthiness—she isn't seeking a conversation, approval, or even a glance, just the edge of a robe. However, "I shall be whole" is expressed with complete confidence, not as a desire but as a firm belief. This contrast between her humility and her unwavering faith forms the emotional heart of the poem.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is soft and respectful, yet beneath the calmness lies a strong belief. Longfellow removes any drama or showiness, revealing only the woman's inner voice — shaking, apologetic, but entirely confident. It feels like a whispered prayer caught in the air.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The garment's hem
- The hem is the lowest and most marginal part of a garment — and that's precisely the point. The woman doesn't reach for Jesus's hand or face; she reaches for the very edge of his clothing. This act symbolizes her feelings of unworthiness, yet also conveys the belief that even the slightest contact with the divine can transform a life.
- Touch
- The act of touching represents faith in a tangible form. In a world where this woman was seen as ritually unclean and untouchable, her gesture of reaching out to make contact is a courageous move that crosses social boundaries. In this context, touch serves as a link between human desperation and divine healing.
- Wholeness
- "I shall be whole" signifies more than just a physical recovery. In this context, wholeness implies a restoration — spiritually, socially, and personally. It contrasts with the fragmentation and isolation that illness and exclusion had brought into her life.
§06Historical context
Historical context
Longfellow published this poem in his collection *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a grand dramatic trilogy that reimagines pivotal moments from Christian history. This poem specifically recounts the Gospel story — found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke — about a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, spending all her money on doctors without any success. She manages to navigate through a crowd to touch the hem of Jesus's robe and is instantly healed. Longfellow was embracing the form of dramatic monologue, giving voice to a biblical character who appears only briefly in the scriptures. By the 1870s, he had become one of the most popular poets in the English-speaking world, and *Christus* showcased his most ambitious religious and literary endeavor. The poem captures the Victorian era's fascination with personal faith as a deeply emotional experience, rather than just a matter of doctrine.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
She is the unnamed woman from the New Testament Gospels (Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8) who endured a chronic hemorrhage for twelve years. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus's robe, she would be healed — and according to the story, she was. Longfellow gives her a voice, allowing us to hear her innermost thoughts just before she reaches out.
She isn't confessing a sin in the traditional sense. Instead, she's expressing regret for her own hopeful presumption — for daring to believe that she, someone seen as unclean and marginalized, could be healed just by touching a holy man's clothing. This reveals her profound humility and her understanding of her position as a social and religious outsider.
The brevity is intentional. Longfellow captures a single moment inside the woman's mind — the thought that races through her just before she takes action. Lengthening it would lessen the impact. The conciseness reflects the immediate, all-or-nothing quality of her faith.
It means healed, but in the most complete sense. In the biblical context, the Greek word used is *sozo*, which encompasses physical healing, spiritual salvation, and social restoration simultaneously. Longfellow's choice of "whole" instead of "healed" or "cured" preserves all those dimensions.
Sure! Here's the humanized version:
Yes, in the way Browning popularized. Longfellow allows a character from a different time and place to express herself in the first person. Unlike a typical Browning monologue, there isn’t a listener present — this is simply an inner reflection, which adds to its sense of intimacy and openness.
*Christus: A Mystery* (1872) is Longfellow's most ambitious religious work—a three-part dramatic poem that explores the early Christian era, the medieval church, and the Puritan period in America. Completing it took him decades. "A Woman" is one of the shorter lyric pieces woven into this larger narrative, offering a voice to characters who appear only briefly in scripture.
The poem uses free verse, lacking a consistent rhyme scheme or meter. The lines are short and fragmented, reflecting a hesitant, breathless way of speaking — perfect for a woman revealing a secret hope she’s hardly dared to consider. The line break after "myself" introduces a brief pause, resembling a held breath before the confession.
At its core, the poem explores faith — particularly the deeply personal, urgent, and unwavering kind. It also reflects on identity and social exclusion (the woman's recognition of her marginalized position), hope (the belief in the possibility of healing), and forgiveness (the initial plea that sets the tone for the entire poem).
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