The Annotated Edition
SLAVE AND EMPEROR by Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes wrote this poem in reaction to World War I, highlighting a military emperor's arrogant rejection of Christianity alongside the eventual downfall of his power in battle.
- Poet
- Alfred Noyes
- Era
- Modernist (1918)
- Themes
- death, faith, identity
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
The Emperor mocked at Nazareth / In his almighty hour.
Editor's note
The opening stanza establishes the main contrast. The Emperor — a clear representation of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Nietzschean beliefs fueling German militarism — refers to Jesus of Nazareth as a "Slave," deeming his messages of humility insignificant in the face of sheer military ambition. The term "will to power" directly attacks Nietzsche's philosophy, which the German war machine had used as a justification. At this point, the Emperor is brimming with confidence, and his disdain is palpable.
Yet, in the darkest hour of all, / When black defeat began,
Editor's note
The poem takes a sudden turn. The word "Yet" carries significant weight—it indicates that the Emperor's victory was short-lived. The tide has shifted, and Noyes portrays the physical world responding: mountains tremble, graves rattle. His legions, meant to embody his "will to power," scatter in fear. The once-invincible Emperor is now left whimpering. The reversal is complete and intentionally humiliating.
"I hear a shout that moves the earth, / A cry that wakes the dead!"
Editor's note
The Emperor speaks for the first time, feeling both bewildered and frightened. His messengers remain silent — his information networks and chain of command have completely let him down. The "shout" and "cry" he hears are otherworldly, far beyond what his military intelligence can comprehend. His question — "What power is this?" — creates dramatic irony: the reader is already aware that the answer is the very force he ridiculed in the first stanza.
Then, all around his foundering guns, / Though dawn was now not far,
Editor's note
The atmosphere takes on a gothic tone. The Emperor's artillery — a hallmark of modern industrial warfare — is "foundering," rendered ineffective and sinking. In the pre-dawn gloom, a "living fear" envelops him. The whispered message is italicized to lend it an eerie quality: the armies of the dead are marching beneath an eastern star. This star strongly echoes the Star of Bethlehem, connecting the supernatural force approaching the Emperor directly back to Nazareth.
_The trumpet blows in Nazareth. / The Slave is risen again._
Editor's note
The final stanza shifts to italics, presenting it as a vision or proclamation rather than just narrative. The "Slave" — Jesus — emerges as a conquering figure on a white horse, the classic image of the risen Christ. The horsemen from Nazareth reflect the apocalyptic imagery found in Revelation. Noyes brings everything full circle: the "wasted breath" that the Emperor dismissed now embodies the power that rules. The repeated mention of "Nazareth" throughout the poem emphasizes that this humble origin is also the source of ultimate authority.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The Slave
- Jesus of Nazareth is labeled derogatorily by the Emperor's ideology regarding Christianity. Noyes takes back this term—what the Emperor intended as an insult transforms, by the end of the poem, into the title of the figure who ultimately defeats him. This reversal encapsulates the poem's main argument.
- Nazareth
- Repeated six times throughout the poem, Nazareth represents a humble, often overlooked origin — a place that empires tend to ignore. This repetition emphasizes that what is small and scorned is also what lasts and ultimately triumphs.
- The Eastern Star
- A clear reflection of the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to the baby Jesus. Here, it manifests on a battlefield, connecting the supernatural power that is defeating the Emperor's army to the very divine source he ridiculed. This suggests that, in Noyes's perspective, the spiritual and the historical form one unified narrative.
- The Emperor's guns
- The foundering artillery symbolizes the entire machinery of modern industrial warfare—the very thing militarist powers relied on most. Their failure at the poem's climax serves as clear evidence that technological and military might cannot withstand the force it has underestimated.
- White rider
- The figure in white at the end of the poem references Revelation 19, where Christ returns as a triumphant king on a white horse. Noyes employs this imagery to present the Allied rescue of Nazareth as an event that holds cosmic significance, rather than merely military importance.
§06Historical context
Historical context
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
Read next