JESUS. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This short poem envisions the young Jesus delivering a prophecy: he speaks of his crucifixion thirty years ahead, identifies the thief Titus who will be crucified alongside him, and assures that Titus will be with him in paradise.
The poem
When thirty years shall have gone by, I at Jerusalem shall die, By Jewish hands exalted high On the accursed tree, Then on my right and my left side, These thieves shall both be crucified, And Titus thenceforth shall abide In paradise with me. Here a great rumor of trumpets and horses, like the noise of a king with his army, and the robbers shall take flight.
This short poem envisions the young Jesus delivering a prophecy: he speaks of his crucifixion thirty years ahead, identifies the thief Titus who will be crucified alongside him, and assures that Titus will be with him in paradise. It takes the form of a dramatic monologue in Christ's voice, inspired by apocryphal Christian tradition. The prose stage direction that follows — trumpets, horses, fleeing robbers — sets the scene like a moment from a mystery play.
Line-by-line
When thirty years shall have gone by, / I at Jerusalem shall die,
By Jewish hands exalted high / On the accursed tree,
Then on my right and my left side, / These thieves shall both be crucified,
And Titus thenceforth shall abide / In paradise with me.
Here a great rumor of trumpets and horses, like the noise of a king with his army, and the robbers shall take flight.
Tone & mood
The tone feels both prophetic and serene. Jesus speaks with a calm authority, as if reciting words from a pre-written script, without any sense of grief or dread—only assurance. The old-fashioned language ("thenceforth," "abide," "accursed tree") lends the entire poem a scriptural or liturgical quality, while the final stage direction elevates it to something grand and theatrical.
Symbols & metaphors
- The accursed tree — The cross, referred to in the Old Testament curse (Deuteronomy 21:23), embodies shame and punishment. Yet, the term "exalted high" swiftly transforms it into a symbol of glory — merging the curse and the crown in a single image.
- Thirty years — The time leading up to the crucifixion represents the complete journey of a human life experienced in everyday moments. This makes the prophecy feel tangible and human, rather than just a concept — Jesus is measuring his own years just like anyone else.
- Trumpets and horses — The sound of a king arriving with his army. In the stage direction, this signifies divine sovereignty: it's not a robbery but a royal encounter, and the criminals flee, sensing a power that goes far beyond what they can see.
- Paradise — The word Jesus uses in Luke 23:43 to assure the good thief of immediate entry into God's presence wraps up the poem with a powerful message of mercy — the final word isn't about death or the cross, but about what lies beyond them.
Historical context
Longfellow published this poem as part of his ambitious dramatic trilogy *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a project he dedicated nearly thirty years to. The trilogy explores the entirety of Christian history, from Christ's birth through the early church and into the Puritan era in New England. "Jesus" is included in the opening section, *The Divine Tragedy*, which is designed as a verse drama, drawing inspiration from medieval mystery plays and Goethe's *Faust*. The name "Titus" for the good thief comes from the apocryphal *Gospel of Nicodemus*, a text that was widely recognized in the Middle Ages, and Longfellow's choice to use it shows his extensive engagement with early Christian literature. The prose stage direction carries over directly from the play's dramatic format, reminding readers that the poem was intended to be experienced as theater as much as lyric verse.
FAQ
Titus is the name attributed to the "good thief" in the apocryphal *Gospel of Nicodemus*—the criminal crucified next to Jesus who speaks in his defense and is promised paradise. While the canonical Gospels don’t mention his name, medieval Christian tradition filled in this detail, and Longfellow references that tradition here.
It’s a purposeful theological pun. Being lifted on a cross literally means being raised up, but in Christian theology, the crucifixion represents Christ's greatest glory — his "exaltation." The Gospel of John consistently employs this double meaning. Longfellow captures both interpretations in just two words.
This poem is a scene from Longfellow's verse drama *Christus: A Mystery*, which includes stage directions as part of the original text. It paints a cinematic picture: the distant rumble of royal power that sends the robbers fleeing, highlighting that even as a child, Jesus is enveloped by forces greater than everyday life.
The line echoes the theological language of Longfellow's time and the Gospel sources he referenced. It's a phrase with a painful legacy—one that has been used to justify real harm—and modern readers are justified in their awareness of this. In context, Longfellow aligns with the framing of the Gospel of John instead of making a separate accusation, but that doesn’t diminish the line’s troubling implications.
It originates from Deuteronomy 21:23, stating that anyone hanged on a tree is cursed. Paul references this verse in Galatians to support the idea that Jesus bore the curse of the law himself. "Accursed tree" became a common term for the cross in Christian literature, embodying both the disgrace of execution and the deep theological concept of substitution.
*Christus: A Mystery* is a three-part dramatic poem that Longfellow published in 1872, although he had been working on it since the 1840s. The first part, *The Divine Tragedy*, brings to life scenes from the Gospels in the form of a verse play. One of the early scenes, titled "Jesus," portrays Christ as a child or young man who is already conscious of his destiny.
Because it’s one continuous speech—a prophecy given in a single breath. The tight, eight-line format with its steady rhyme scheme (AAABCCCB) reflects the compactness of the message: all that needs to be expressed is conveyed, and then the scene progresses. This brevity enhances the overall impact.
The stanza follows an AAABCCCB rhyme scheme—three lines sharing the same rhyme, followed by a fourth line that brings in a new rhyme, then three more lines continuing that rhyme, ending with a line that reflects back on the fourth. This structure is often referred to as a "tail rhyme" or *rime couée* stanza, a style found in medieval English poetry and hymns, which aligns beautifully with the poem's liturgical and archaic tone.