CHRISTUS.
'T is written! Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by each word that from God's mouth proceedeth!
II
The Annotated Edition
CHRISTUS. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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This short poem presents Longfellow's take on Christ's response to Satan during the temptation in the wilderness, based on the Gospel of Matthew.
- Themes
- doubt, faith, hope
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This short poem presents Longfellow's take on Christ's response to Satan during the temptation in the wilderness, based on the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus declines to turn stones into bread, emphasizing that spiritual nourishment is more important than mere physical survival. In just two lines, Longfellow conveys the fundamental conflict between our bodily needs and the power of divine word.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
'T is written! Man shall not live by bread alone, But by each word that from God's mouth proceedeth!
Editor's note
These two lines quote Christ's response to the devil's first temptation, almost directly from Matthew 4:4, which itself references Deuteronomy 8:3. The emphatic start — "'T is written!" — shows that Christ is turning to scripture as the highest authority, rather than relying on his personal views. "Bread alone" represents all of our physical and material needs, while "each word that from God's mouth proceedeth" highlights spiritual truth as the more profound and essential sustenance. The exclamation mark at the end maintains an urgent and assertive tone, rather than a reflective one.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is straightforward and resolute. There's no doubt or uncertainty here — the speaker confidently states scripture as if they’ve long resolved the issue. The concise nature of the statement feels almost like a reprimand: the answer is so obvious that it requires just two lines.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Bread
- Bread symbolizes physical nourishment and material comfort, offering a sense of security in the world. By mentioning it, the poem recognizes that our bodily needs are genuine, yet suggests that they are not enough on their own.
- The word of God
- The divine word is depicted as a type of nourishment that surpasses and takes precedence over physical food. It represents spiritual truth, moral guidance, and the active presence of the divine in our lives.
- "'T is written"
- This phrase indicates that scripture serves as a reliable and authoritative record. It suggests that the response to temptation is not spontaneous but rooted in a longstanding, written agreement between God and humanity.
§06Historical context
Historical context
Longfellow published *Christus: A Mystery* in 1872, wrapping up decades of effort that began as early as the 1840s. This complete work is a dramatic trilogy that explores the history of Christianity, starting with Christ's birth and moving through the medieval period to the Puritan era in New England. The fragment known as "Christus," numbered II, is part of the initial section based on the Gospels. Longfellow wrote within a long-standing tradition of verse drama focused on sacred themes, drawing influence from Goethe's *Faust* and Milton's *Paradise Regained*. The poem captures the mid-to-late Victorian fascination with retelling biblical stories in literary form, alongside Longfellow's own lifelong journey grappling with faith, suffering, and spiritual endurance, which was deepened by personal losses, including the death of his wife in 1861.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
It's a two-line dramatization of the moment from the Gospels when Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread after he has fasted for forty days in the wilderness. Jesus turns him down, quoting scripture to emphasize that spiritual nourishment is more important than physical food.
It comes from Deuteronomy 8:3 in the Hebrew Bible, where Moses reminds the Israelites that God provided them with manna in the desert to teach them to rely on divine guidance instead of just material needs. Jesus echoes this to Satan in Matthew 4:4, and Longfellow references it here nearly verbatim.
Longfellow captures a single, impactful moment — a rebuke. The shortness reflects the straightforwardness of Christ's response in the Gospels. There's no need for discussion; the answer is already found in scripture, making two lines sufficient.
It's a contraction of "It is written," a phrase found in the Gospels that introduces quotes from Jewish scripture. By starting with this, Christ (and Longfellow) indicates that the authority of these words comes from the text itself, not from personal opinion, and is divine in nature.
Yes. This couplet comes from *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a dramatic trilogy that Longfellow worked on for about thirty years. The complete piece explores the life of Christ, the medieval church, and Puritan New England.
Both works depict Christ's temptation in the wilderness, using that encounter to examine the contrast between spiritual and worldly power. Longfellow likely drew inspiration from Milton, but his approach is much more succinct.
At its core, the poem explores faith — particularly the belief that trusting in divine truth supports a person far more than material comfort ever could. It also addresses identity, as Christ's refusal shapes who he is and what he represents.
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