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SIMON MAGUS. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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Simon Magus, a sorcerer mentioned in the New Testament, stands at the foot of the cross, reveling in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
betrayal, death, faith
The PoemFull text

SIMON MAGUS.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

O Nazarene! I find thee here at last! Thou art no more a phantom unto me! This is the end of one who called himself The Son of God! Such is the fate of those Who preach new doctrines. 'T is not what he did, But what he said, hath brought him unto this. I will speak evil of no dignitaries. This is my hour of triumph, Nazarene!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Simon Magus, a sorcerer mentioned in the New Testament, stands at the foot of the cross, reveling in the crucifixion of Jesus. He believes that Christ's death confirms his view that Jesus was a fraud and that it was his bold ideas that led to his execution. This poem takes the form of a dramatic monologue, allowing a villain to voice his thoughts — and in doing so, it reveals just how misguided and insignificant he truly is.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. O Nazarene! I find thee here at last! / Thou art no more a phantom unto me!

    Editor's note

    Simon Magus sneers with satisfaction as he addresses the crucified Jesus. For a long time, he viewed Jesus as a rival whose power seemed either unreal or threatening. Now that Jesus is nailed to the cross, Simon feels he can finally dismiss him as just a man, rather than a divine enigma. The exclamation points capture his breathless excitement, as if he has been waiting eagerly for this moment.

  2. This is the end of one who called himself / The Son of God!

    Editor's note

    Simon portrays Jesus as a self-promoter—someone who *claimed* to be the Son of God, suggesting that the title was more about bragging than reality. The phrase "this is the end" aims for a final and triumphant tone, but readers who know the story recognize the irony: this is far from the end.

  3. Such is the fate of those / Who preach new doctrines.

    Editor's note

    Simon takes a smug lesson from the crucifixion: if you challenge the established order with new ideas, you’ll face dire consequences. He portrays Jesus as a political victim instead of a savior, turning the Passion into a warning about the risks of stirring things up.

  4. 'T is not what he did, / But what he said, hath brought him unto this.

    Editor's note

    This is Simon's most insightful — and telling — statement. He distinguishes between actions and words, holding Jesus's words responsible for his death. The irony is that Simon himself represents the corruption of spiritual authority (simony, the buying and selling of sacred gifts). He criticizes speech while overlooking actions, which is morally upside down.

  5. I will speak evil of no dignitaries. / This is my hour of triumph, Nazarene!

    Editor's note

    The closing lines are full of dramatic irony. Simon's formal statement that he will "speak evil of no dignitaries" — referencing phrases from Acts and Jude — is quickly undermined by his joyful boasting about a dying man. He describes it as his moment of victory, yet the reader perceives a small, scared man patting himself on the back at the foot of a cross. Longfellow uses Simon's own words to reveal his true nature.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone appears triumphant and sneering — Simon is clearly gloating, and Longfellow reflects that ugliness through sharp, clipped sentences and exclamation points. Yet, beneath the surface, the poem is profoundly ironic. Longfellow refrains from stepping in to correct Simon; he lets the reader recognize how hollow and self-incriminating each line truly is. The overall effect is chilling and unsettling, much like witnessing someone celebrate something they utterly misinterpret.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Nazarene
Simon's choice of name for Jesus removes any divine title and roots him in a specific, everyday location — Nazareth. This is a purposeful act of simplification, transforming a figure of great importance into a local figure.
The phantom
Simon claims that Jesus is "no more a phantom" now that he is clearly dying. This highlights Simon's fear: Jesus's power had always seemed ghostly and unattainable to him. In Simon's distorted reasoning, the cross renders Jesus *real* by making him mortal and conquered.
The hour of triumph
Simon sees this moment as his victory, but the phrase reflects the Christian idea of Christ's "hour" — the time of glorification that comes through sacrifice. Simon speaks of triumph without realizing that, in the narrative he is part of, the true victory belongs to the man on the cross.
New doctrines
Simon views Jesus's teachings as a political blunder instead of a spiritual awakening. Using terms like "new doctrines" reflects the mindset of a bureaucrat or competitor, not that of someone searching for truth — it reveals a lot about Simon's perspective on the world.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Simon Magus appears in the Acts of the Apostles as a Samaritan sorcerer who attempts to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from the apostles, which is where the term *simony* comes from. He became a typical villain in early Christian tradition, often portrayed as the first heretic. Longfellow wrote a series of short dramatic monologues featuring biblical and legendary figures, and this poem is part of that collection. By the 1870s, when Longfellow was writing these pieces, the dramatic monologue format had gained popularity thanks to Browning. It became common to depict a morally corrupt speaker during a pivotal historical moment to delve into themes of hypocrisy and self-deception. Longfellow's version of Simon is not just a furious adversary but something even more unsettling: a calculating, self-satisfied individual who observes the crucifixion and sees only the removal of a competitor.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Simon Magus appears in the New Testament, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles. He was a sorcerer from Samaria who converted to Christianity but later attempted to bribe the apostles Peter and John for the power to grant the Holy Spirit. Peter responded with a stern rebuke. Over time, Simon became a symbol of corrupt and self-serving religion in Christian tradition, leading to the term *simony*, which refers to the act of buying or selling church offices, being named after him.

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