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The House of Simon the Pharisee by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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

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This short dramatic poem places us at Simon the Pharisee's dinner table, where an unnamed guest expresses the crowd's skepticism about Jesus being the Christ.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Meter
blank verse
Themes
Death, Doubt, Faith
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The PoemFull text

The House of Simon the Pharisee

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A GUEST at table. Are ye deceived? Have any of the Rulers Believed on him? or do they know indeed This man to be the very Christ? Howbeit We know whence this man is, but when the Christ Shall come, none knoweth whence he is.

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Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This short dramatic poem places us at Simon the Pharisee's dinner table, where an unnamed guest expresses the crowd's skepticism about Jesus being the Christ. The speaker contends that since everyone knows Jesus's origins, he can't be the Messiah — after all, the true Christ's background is meant to be a mystery. It's a snapshot of doubt and religious debate captured in a single moment of conversation.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. A GUEST at table. / Are ye deceived? Have any of the Rulers

    Editor's note

    The stage direction 'A GUEST at table' indicates that this is a dramatic monologue — a single voice addressing the guests at Simon the Pharisee's well-known dinner. The opening question 'Are ye deceived?' is sharp and rhetorical, as the speaker attempts to jolt the other guests out of what he perceives as naivety. He quickly turns to authority: if the ruling class hasn't embraced Jesus, why should anyone else?

  2. Believed on him? or do they know indeed / This man to be the very Christ?

    Editor's note

    The guest presents a second challenge. "'Do they know indeed / This man to be the very Christ?'" has a sarcastic tone—suggesting that the educated and powerful rulers would definitely recognize the true Messiah if he showed up. Their silence or refusal serves as evidence that Jesus doesn't meet the mark.

  3. Howbeit / We know whence this man is, but when the Christ / Shall come, none knoweth whence he is.

    Editor's note

    This is the crux of the argument. 'We know where this man is from' — everyone at the table recognizes that Jesus hails from Galilee, specifically Nazareth, and is the son of a carpenter. However, Jewish tradition maintained that the origins of the Messiah would remain hidden or unknown until his revelation. The guest twists this belief into a test: a person whose background is known cannot be an unknown Messiah. The reasoning is neat, and the poem concludes there, prompting the reader to reflect on the irony that the speaker is confidently mistaken.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is sharp and combative—this is a man who believes he's already secured victory before the debate even begins. There's a chilling, self-satisfied confidence in the speaker's voice, and Longfellow allows that certainty to linger without remark, adding a layer of quiet irony to the poem. The reader, aware of how the larger story unfolds, perceives the smugness as tragic rather than witty.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The table / dinner setting
The meal at Simon the Pharisee's house comes straight from the Gospel of John (chapter 7). Setting this debate at a dinner table adds intimacy and a human touch — important theological questions are being discussed over food, just like how real people converse. It connects what could be abstract doctrine to everyday social interactions.
The Rulers
The Pharisees and religious authorities represent institutional religion and its gatekeeping power. The guest regards their opinion as the ultimate authority on truth, a fundamental mistake that Longfellow highlights — the notion that official endorsement defines what is sacred.
Whence he is
The question of origin — where someone comes from — serves as a reminder of the limitations of human judgment. The guest believes that knowing Jesus's hometown provides clarity. However, the poem subtly implies that the true essence of origin is something the guest does not grasp.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
blank verse

§07Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow published this piece in his ambitious dramatic poem *Christus: A Mystery* (1872), a trilogy he spent nearly thirty years developing. The trilogy explores the story of Christianity through three eras: the early church, the Middle Ages, and the modern world. "The House of Simon the Pharisee" is part of the first section, *The Divine Tragedy*, which brings scenes from the Gospels to life in verse. Longfellow had a deep interest in religious history and approached *Christus* as a spiritual meditation rather than a strict doctrinal statement. By the 1870s, he was the most widely read poet among English speakers, and this work was his most extensive effort to engage with faith on a grand scale. The scene is directly drawn from John 7:25–27, maintaining much of the biblical language nearly verbatim.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

It's a dramatic monologue that takes place at Simon the Pharisee's dinner table. An unnamed guest argues that Jesus can’t be the Messiah since everyone knows his background — and according to the tradition the guest refers to, the true Christ's origins should be a mystery. The poem captures a picture of confident, well-reasoned doubt that the reader recognizes as mistaken.

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