Raphael
I am the Angel of the Sun,
Whose flaming wheels began to run
When God Almighty's breath
Said to the darkness and the Night,
Let there he light! and there was light!
I bring the gift of Faith.
The Annotated Edition
Raphael by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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This short poem is narrated by Raphael, the archangel known for his ties to the sun and healing.
- Core theme
- Faith
Study actions
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This short poem is narrated by Raphael, the archangel known for his ties to the sun and healing. He proclaims himself as the bearer of divine light at Creation. Longfellow references the Book of Genesis, specifically God's command "Let there be light," to link the angel's universal purpose to the blessing of Faith. In just six concise lines, the poem suggests that light and faith are intertwined: both serve as gifts that dispel darkness.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
I am the Angel of the Sun, / Whose flaming wheels began to run
Editor's note
Raphael speaks from a personal perspective, declaring who he is. The imagery of "flaming wheels" resonates with the biblical vision of the chariot in Ezekiel and the classical depiction of the sun-god's chariot, situating Raphael at the core of the cosmos. The use of "I am" in the present tense conveys an eternal, unwavering authority.
When God Almighty's breath / Said to the darkness and the Night,
Editor's note
The poem revisits the very first moment of Creation. God's word is portrayed as breath—something intimate and tangible—bringing the divine act closer to us instead of keeping it distant. "Darkness and the Night" are given human-like qualities as forces that needed to be confronted and overcome directly.
Let there he light! and there was light! / I bring the gift of Faith.
Editor's note
Longfellow nearly quotes Genesis 1:3 word for word (the "he" is a common typographic variant of "be"). The exclamation marks inject a burst of energy into the line. The last line reveals the poem's true argument: the angel who brings physical light into the world also brings Faith into the human soul. Light and Faith are treated as one and the same.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is serious and assertive — Raphael speaks with the steady confidence of someone who witnessed the dawn of time. There’s no uncertainty or wavering in the poem. The exclamation marks in the Genesis quotation momentarily elevate the mood to something celebratory before the last line returns to a sense of quiet strength. Overall, it feels like a hymn distilled into six lines.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The Sun / flaming wheels
- The sun has long been a symbol of divine power and knowledge. The "flaming wheels" evoke the biblical chariot of God from Ezekiel 1, as well as the classical solar chariot, connecting Raphael to both traditions and highlighting him as a cosmic force, rather than just an earthly one.
- Darkness and the Night
- Darkness, depicted as an opponent that God's word must conquer, represents ignorance, chaos, and the lack of the divine. By capitalizing both words, Longfellow treats them like proper names—almost as competing forces—heightening the significance of the Creation moment.
- Light
- Light is the main symbol in the poem, serving two purposes: it represents the literal first act of Creation and acts as a metaphor for Faith. The connection between the two in the final line highlights the poem's essential message — to believe is to be illuminated.
- God's breath
- Describing God's creative command as "breath" instead of a thunderclap makes the divine seem close and nurturing, reminiscent of the Genesis moment when God breathes life into Adam. It implies that Faith, much like breath, is a personal and direct gift.
§06Form & structure
Form & structure
- Meter
- iambic tetrameter
- Rhyme
- AABCCB
§07Historical context
Historical context
Longfellow included this poem in a sequence where each of the seven archangels speaks in turn, taken from his longer dramatic work *Christus: A Mystery* (1872) and related lyric collections. The archangel Raphael, known as a healer and guide in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit and in Jewish and Islamic tradition, has a name that translates to "God heals." By the 19th century, Raphael was also closely associated with the Italian Renaissance painter of the same name. Longfellow, who spent years in Europe and was significantly influenced by its art and religion, would have felt these connections strongly. The poem contributes to a larger Victorian discussion about the tension between scientific rationalism and religious faith — Longfellow's perspective here is to anchor faith in the universe's very first act.
§08FAQ
Questions readers ask
Who is Raphael in this poem?
Raphael is one of the archangels mentioned in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts. His name translates to "God heals," and he is commonly linked to the sun, healing, and guiding travelers. In this poem, Longfellow portrays him as the bearer of the sun's light — symbolizing the gift of Faith — to the world.
What does "flaming wheels" refer to?
It refers to two interconnected traditions. The first comes from the biblical vision in Ezekiel 1, depicting God's presence accompanied by a fiery chariot with wheels that spin. The second is the classical portrayal of the sun-god (either Apollo or Helios) steering a blazing chariot across the sky daily. Longfellow merges these images to present Raphael as a cosmic, timeless figure.
Why does the poem say "Let there he light" instead of "be"?
This typographical convention was common in 19th-century printing, where the long "s" and other letter forms could be styled differently. Longfellow's choice of words isn't significant here—the intended reading is "Let there be light," which directly quotes Genesis 1:3.
What is the connection between light and Faith in the poem?
The final line — "I bring the gift of Faith" — follows right after the Genesis quotation about light, blending the two ideas into a single gift. Longfellow suggests that just as Raphael set the physical sun in motion at Creation, he also sparks the inner light of belief in people. Faith isn't something we reason our way into; it's a gift, like the sunrise.
Is this poem part of a longer work?
Yes. It is part of a sequence where each of the seven archangels gives a brief speech, drawn from Longfellow's broader dramatic poem Christus: A Mystery (1872) and other related lyric works. Each angel represents a distinct divine gift — Raphael's gift is Faith.
What is the poem's structure and form?
The poem consists of one six-line stanza that follows an AABCCB rhyme scheme (run/sun, breath/light/light/Faith, featuring "light" twice and ending with "Faith"). The lines are brief and impactful, creating an effect more akin to a spoken declaration or creed than a reflective lyric.
What literary tradition is Longfellow drawing on here?
Longfellow draws from the dramatic monologue tradition, allowing a non-human or historical figure to speak, while also tapping into the legacy of religious lyric poetry that ranges from Milton's Paradise Lost to the Psalms. Additionally, the poem reflects the Romantic interest in angels as bridges between humanity and the divine.
What is the overall message of the poem?
The poem suggests that Faith isn't something humans made up or decided on — it's a cosmic gift, as ancient as light, brought to us by a divine messenger who has been active since the very first moment of Creation. Longfellow is essentially saying that living in the light means already living in Faith.
Citation
Cite this poem
MLA
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "Raphael." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/raphael-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.
APA
Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). Raphael. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/raphael-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/
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