Mary, Mother of James by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

She is a figure in the Gospels—different from Mary, the mother of Jesus—who witnessed the crucifixion and was one of the women who visited the tomb on Easter morning. Sometimes, she is referred to as Mary of Clopas. Longfellow provides her with this brief but impactful voice as one of the witnesses to the resurrection story.

Longfellow created this as a dramatic fragment in Christus: A Mystery, which is a lengthy theatrical piece. These brief sections act like stage directions or snippets of conversation — they provide a fleeting glimpse rather than a complete scene. Their conciseness reflects the raw, disoriented nature of grief.

The question "But who will roll away the stone for us to enter?" is taken straight from Mark 16:3, where the women voice their concern on their way to the tomb. It reflects not just a practical issue but also a feeling of helplessness. Longfellow leaves it open-ended, allowing it to transcend the biblical context and serve as a universal inquiry into the barriers that grief presents in our lives.

Christus: A Mystery is a three-part dramatic poem that Longfellow published in 1872. It explores the life of Christ, the medieval church, and the Puritan settlement in New England. This poem is part of The Divine Tragedy, the first section, which brings to life the Passion and resurrection through various short scenes and monologues.

The poem is composed in blank verse — unrhymed iambic pentameter — but the lines are short enough to give it a loose, conversational feel. The absence of rhyme matches the straightforward nature of the speaker's grief; a tidy rhyme would feel out of place in this context.

At its core, the poem explores sorrow and faith—the grief that comes from loss and the choice to continue despite obstacles. It also reflects on mortality, as the tomb serves as the poem's central image, and the isolation felt by those who are grieving.

Longfellow often focused on ordinary individuals amid significant historical events — this theme recurs throughout his work. Mary, the mother of James, isn’t a well-known figure, which makes her sorrow resonate more deeply. She isn’t portrayed as a saint or a symbol; she’s simply a woman who loved someone and is unable to reach his body.