Mary, Mother of James by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This brief poem envisions Mary, the mother of James, at the entrance of Jesus's tomb on Easter morning, wondering who will roll away the heavy stone that blocks it. In just three lines, Longfellow conveys the sorrow and powerlessness of a woman mourning her loved one, unable to access his body. Her question is both practical and profoundly human — a heartfelt expression of grief intertwined with a simple task.

The tone is soft and sorrowful, nearly silent. There are no cries or dramatic outbursts — just the weary, quiet voice of a grieving woman handling what must be done. The question at the end conveys a feeling of helplessness without despair, embodying a type of grief that continues to push ahead, even when the way forward is unclear.

Longfellow published this poem as part of his ambitious dramatic sequence *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a trilogy he labored over for decades that dramatizes the history of Christianity from the Nativity to the Puritan era. This particular piece is included in *The Divine Tragedy*, the first part of the trilogy, which retells the Passion narrative through a series of short dramatic monologues and dialogues based on the Gospels. Mary, mother of James (also known as Mary of Clopas), is one of the women who visits the tomb on Easter morning to anoint Jesus's body, as noted in Mark 16. Longfellow was intrigued by these marginal, grieving figures—ordinary people swept up in world-changing events—and he captures her voice with his usual restraint and empathy. By 1872, Longfellow had experienced profound personal loss, including the death of his second wife in a fire, which gives his portrayal of grief a deep authenticity.