FUGITIVES. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A small group of Jewish survivors approaches the warrior Judas Maccabaeus, introducing themselves as outcasts and fugitives who have escaped a desecrated Jerusalem to avoid death.
The poem
O Maccabaeus, Outcasts are we, and fugitives as thou art, Jews of Jerusalem, that have escaped From the polluted city, and from death.
A small group of Jewish survivors approaches the warrior Judas Maccabaeus, introducing themselves as outcasts and fugitives who have escaped a desecrated Jerusalem to avoid death. In just four lines, Longfellow captures a moment of urgent solidarity — the refugees see in Maccabaeus a fellow exile who truly understands their struggles. While it’s part of a larger dramatic piece, it resonates on its own as a powerful expression of shared suffering and resilience.
Line-by-line
O Maccabaeus, / Outcasts are we, and fugitives as thou art,
Jews of Jerusalem, that have escaped / From the polluted city, and from death.
Tone & mood
The tone is serious and straightforward. There’s no self-pity or elaborate mourning—just a clear, urgent declaration of identity and situation. The speakers stand tall even as they refer to themselves as outcasts. A quiet dignity flows through the lines, stemming from those who have lost everything except their understanding of who they are.
Symbols & metaphors
- The polluted city — Jerusalem under Seleucid occupation, where the Temple had been defiled. It represents any sacred place tainted by an external power — a home turned hostile, the once-familiar now unbearable.
- Fugitives — The term goes beyond referring to people simply on the run; it signifies a forced exile. It indicates that those who speak it didn't choose to leave but were pushed out by violence and degradation.
- Maccabaeus — He represents resistance and collective exile. Referring to him by name grounds the poem in a particular historical struggle, while also allowing him to symbolize any leader who fights from the margins instead of from a place of power.
Historical context
This poem is an excerpt from Longfellow's 1872 piece *Judas Maccabaeus*, which is a verse drama inspired by the Maccabean Revolt (167–160 BCE). In this historical conflict, Judas Maccabaeus led Jewish warriors against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had banned Jewish religious practices and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. The victory that followed is celebrated during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Longfellow composed this drama later in his career, utilizing both biblical and apocryphal texts. His deep interest in religious history and the moral complexities of resistance and survival shines through. The fragment "Fugitives" portrays the moment when displaced survivors encounter Maccabaeus and pledge their loyalty, highlighting a central theme of the larger work: a people stripped of their home and safety deciding to fight back.
FAQ
This is a fragment from Longfellow's verse drama *Judas Maccabaeus* (1872), rather than a self-contained lyric poem. In the drama, these lines are delivered by a group of Jewish survivors who meet Judas Maccabaeus and proclaim themselves his companions in exile. Longfellow released excerpts like this one with individual titles, which is why it is often seen as a short poem.
Judas Maccabaeus was a Jewish priest and military leader who spearheaded the revolt against the Seleucid Empire around 167 BCE. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV had prohibited Jewish worship and defiled the Temple in Jerusalem. Maccabaeus and his brothers launched a guerrilla resistance, ultimately reclaiming and rededicating the Temple — the event celebrated during Hanukkah. His significance lies in being both a historical figure and a symbol of resilience in the face of exile and loss.
It describes Jerusalem after Antiochus IV set up a pagan altar in the Temple, sacrificed pigs there—an act that deliberately desecrated Jewish law—and banned Jewish religious practices. For the speakers, the city isn't just a place of danger; it's spiritually tainted. Escaping it is as much an act of faith as it is a matter of survival.
They see a clear connection between their situation and that of Maccabaeus. Like him, they are outcasts working beyond the occupied city, battling from the wilderness. When they say "as thou art," they're not trying to flatter him—they're expressing a sense of belonging. It’s their way of saying: we get your struggles because we’re living through them as well.
The main themes are exile, identity, and sorrow. The speakers fully define themselves by their losses and the places they can no longer return to. Yet, there's also a hint of courage — they have survived and are standing before a resistance leader, suggesting they plan to continue the fight.
It has a spiritual aspect without being explicitly devotional. The "polluted city" terminology is rooted in Jewish ideas of ritual impurity, and the broader historical background focuses on the endurance of Jewish religious traditions. However, the poem feels more like a heartfelt expression of dislocation rather than a prayer or a display of faith.
Longfellow was consistently captivated by tales of moral courage and historical conflict throughout his career, and the Maccabean Revolt provided both in spades. He had a deep and enduring interest in the religious histories of various traditions. When he wrote *Judas Maccabaeus* in 1872, toward the end of his life, he was engaging with a tradition of verse drama that allowed him to delve into the lives of historical figures using the expressive power of poetry rather than simply recounting events.