SIMON. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
In this powerful monologue, a speaker talks to someone he has brought from Tyre to the plain of Esdraelon—a site rich with ancient legends and spiritual significance.
The poem
Swift are the blessed Immortals to the mortal That perseveres! So doth it stand recorded In the divine Chaldaean Oracles Of Zoroaster, once Ezekiel's slave, Who in his native East betook himself To lonely meditation, and the writing On the dried skins of oxen the Twelve Books Of the Avesta and the Oracles! Therefore I persevere; and I have brought thee From the great city of Tyre, where men deride The things they comprehend not, to this plain Of Esdraelon, in the Hebrew tongue Called Armageddon, and this town of Endor, Where men believe; where all the air is full Of marvellous traditions, and the Enchantress That summoned up the ghost of Samuel Is still remembered. Thou hast seen the land; Is it not fair to look on?
In this powerful monologue, a speaker talks to someone he has brought from Tyre to the plain of Esdraelon—a site rich with ancient legends and spiritual significance. He defends their journey by referencing a Zoroastrian teaching that suggests the gods reward those who persist, and he highlights the beauty of the landscape as evidence that belief and wonder still exist. Ultimately, it's a speech about the importance of perseverance and faith over the skepticism often found in city life.
Line-by-line
Swift are the blessed Immortals to the mortal / That perseveres!
So doth it stand recorded / In the divine Chaldaean Oracles / Of Zoroaster, once Ezekiel's slave,
Who in his native East betook himself / To lonely meditation, and the writing / On the dried skins of oxen the Twelve Books
Therefore I persevere; and I have brought thee / From the great city of Tyre, where men deride / The things they comprehend not,
to this plain / Of Esdraelon, in the Hebrew tongue / Called Armageddon, and this town of Endor,
Where men believe; where all the air is full / Of marvellous traditions, and the Enchantress / That summoned up the ghost of Samuel / Is still remembered.
Thou hast seen the land; / Is it not fair to look on?
Tone & mood
The tone is earnest and persuasive—this is someone making a case, not just thinking out loud. It carries a quiet intensity, the voice of a true believer who has thoroughly considered everything and wants to share his discoveries. It never crosses into preaching because the speaker consistently reflects on the physical world: the fields, the town, the landscape. By the end, the tone softens into something nearly tender, as if the speaker genuinely hopes his companion will share in his feelings.
Symbols & metaphors
- The plain of Esdraelon / Armageddon — This landscape embodies the significance of both Hebrew scripture and Christian prophecy. For the speaker, it symbolizes a location where history, faith, and the supernatural come together — starkly contrasting with the hollow cleverness of Tyre.
- The city of Tyre — Tyre represents worldly sophistication and intellectual mockery — a place that disregards what it can't quantify. It serves as the contrast through which the speaker articulates his own dedication to belief and perseverance.
- The Witch of Endor — Instead of being seen as a figure of condemnation, she represents our ongoing desire to transcend death and the mundane aspects of life. For the speaker, her memory, still vibrant in Endor, shows that wonder is very much alive.
- The dried ox-skins / the Twelve Books — The physical act of writing sacred texts on animal skin reflects the careful, solitary work that faith and wisdom demand. It subtly suggests that the most valuable things in life require time and effort.
- The Chaldaean Oracles — These ancient mystical texts serve as the speaker's foundational authority. By quoting them at the beginning, he indicates that his worldview is grounded in a tradition that transcends any single religion — representing a universal spiritual inheritance.
Historical context
This poem is part of Longfellow's lengthy dramatic piece *Judas Maccabaeus* (1872), written toward the end of his life. By the 1870s, Longfellow had experienced the death of his second wife, the turmoil of the Civil War, and the loss of several close friends—events that deepened his exploration of faith, perseverance, and the links between the ancient and modern worlds. The poem taps into 19th-century scholarship that was actively discussing the ties between Persian Zoroastrianism, Hebrew prophecy, and early Christianity. Longfellow had a keen interest in comparative religion long before it became a formal academic field, and *Judas Maccabaeus* showcases that interest by blending Greek, Hebrew, and Persian traditions into a unified dramatic setting.
FAQ
The poem doesn’t specify who the listener is. In the broader context of *Judas Maccabaeus*, the speaker is Simon, one of the Maccabean brothers, speaking to a companion he brought from Tyre. The choice to keep 'thee' unnamed is intentional — it shifts the attention to the argument and the setting instead of a particular character.
They are a set of Greek hexameter verses dating back to the 2nd century CE, which were thought to hold divine revelations in ancient times. Longfellow adheres to a 19th-century tradition that associates them with Zoroaster, the ancient Persian prophet, although contemporary scholars typically don't support that link. The opening quotation — 'Swift are the blessed Immortals to the mortal that perseveres' — loosely paraphrases an actual line from those texts.
No — this is an ancient legend, not a historical fact. Some early writers suggested that Zoroaster interacted with Hebrew prophets during the Babylonian exile, and Longfellow embraced this idea. It implied that Persian and Hebrew wisdom had a shared origin, aligning with his interest in universal religious truth.
Armageddon is the Greek version of Har Megiddo, a real location in northern Israel known as the plain of Esdraelon. It is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the setting for the ultimate battle between good and evil. By using this name, the speaker imbues the landscape with a sense of apocalyptic importance, suggesting that this plain has long been a battleground for cosmic forces.
She is the Witch of Endor, featured in 1 Samuel 28 of the Hebrew Bible. When facing a critical battle, King Saul turns to her for help in summoning the ghost of the prophet Samuel. As one of the most memorable supernatural characters in the Old Testament, her mention isn't meant to judge her but to illustrate that Endor carries a rich memory of the miraculous.
The speaker contends that perseverance, faith, and a sense of wonder hold greater value than the clever cynicism often found in urban life. He supports this view with Zoroastrian teachings, Zoroaster's own example of solitary work, and the landscape around him — a place where belief still thrives and where, as he describes it, the air is rich with incredible traditions.
It stands alone as a self-contained speech, but it originates from Longfellow's longer dramatic poem *Judas Maccabaeus* (1872). While it works well on its own due to its complete argument and imagery, understanding the broader context — the Maccabean revolt against Hellenistic rule — provides an extra dimension: the conflict between Greek rationalism and Jewish faith reflects the contrast between Tyre and Endor in the poem.
After pages of theological and historical discussion, the speaker allows the view to speak for itself. "Is it not fair to look on?" feels refreshingly straightforward—it relies on the idea that beauty and presence can convince in ways that words sometimes fail to. This also gives the silent companion a chance to reply, transforming the monologue into the start of a conversation.