“The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

“The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson first appeared in 1890 in the periodical Merry England, later to be included in his 1893 collection of poems. A masterpiece of spiritual exploration, the poem is renowned for its dramatic, confessional tone and its vivid, almost hallucinatory imagery. Thompson employs a complex rhyme scheme and intricate meter to mirror the tumultuous inner journey of the speaker, who flees from the relentless pursuit of divine love. The poem’s profound exploration of faith, doubt, and ultimate surrender has resonated with readers for over a century.

Text: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
   I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
   Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
             Up vistaed hopes I sped;
             And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
   From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
             But with unhurrying chase,
             And unperturbèd pace,
     Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
             They beat—and a Voice beat
             More instant than the Feet—
     ‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me’.

             I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
   Trellised with intertwining charities;
(For, though I knew His love Who followed,
             Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.)
But, if one little casement parted wide,
   The gust of His approach would clash it to:
   Fear wist not to evade, as Love wist to pursue.
Across the margent of the world I fled,
   And troubled the gold gateway of the stars,
   Smiting for shelter on their clanged bars;
             Fretted to dulcet jars
And silvern chatter the pale ports o’ the moon.
I said to Dawn: Be sudden—to Eve: Be soon;
   With thy young skiey blossom heap me over
             From this tremendous Lover—
Float thy vague veil about me, lest He see!
   I tempted all His servitors, but to find
My own betrayal in their constancy,
In faith to Him their fickleness to me,
   Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit.
To all swift things for swiftness did I sue;
   Clung to the whistling mane of every wind.
          But whether they swept, smoothly fleet,
     The long savannahs of the blue;
            Or, whether, Thunder-driven,
          They clanged his chariot ‘thwart a heaven,
Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o’ their feet:—
   Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue.
             Still with unhurrying chase,
             And unperturbed pace,
      Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
             Came on the following Feet,
             And a Voice above their beat—
‘Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me.’

I sought no more after that which I strayed
          In face of man or maid;
But still within the little children’s eyes
          Seems something, something that replies,
They at least are for me, surely for me!
I turned me to them very wistfully;
But just as their young eyes grew sudden fair
         With dawning answers there,
Their angel plucked them from me by the hair.
Come then, ye other children, Nature’s—share
With me’ (said I) ‘your delicate fellowship;
          Let me greet you lip to lip,
          Let me twine with you caresses,
              Wantoning
          With our Lady-Mother’s vagrant tresses,
             Banqueting
          With her in her wind-walled palace,
          Underneath her azured dais,
          Quaffing, as your taintless way is,
             From a chalice
Lucent-weeping out of the dayspring.’
             So it was done:
I in their delicate fellowship was one—
Drew the bolt of Nature’s secrecies.
          I knew all the swift importings
          On the wilful face of skies;
           I knew how the clouds arise
          Spumèd of the wild sea-snortings;
             All that’s born or dies
          Rose and drooped with; made them shapers
Of mine own moods, or wailful divine;
          With them joyed and was bereaven.
          I was heavy with the even,
          When she lit her glimmering tapers
          Round the day’s dead sanctities.
          I laughed in the morning’s eyes.
I triumphed and I saddened with all weather,
          Heaven and I wept together,
And its sweet tears were salt with mortal mine:
Against the red throb of its sunset-heart
          I laid my own to beat,
          And share commingling heat;
But not by that, by that, was eased my human smart.
In vain my tears were wet on Heaven’s grey cheek.
For ah! we know not what each other says,
          These things and I; in sound I speak—
Their sound is but their stir, they speak by silences.
Nature, poor stepdame, cannot slake my drouth;
          Let her, if she would owe me,
Drop yon blue bosom-veil of sky, and show me
          The breasts o’ her tenderness:
Never did any milk of hers once bless
             My thirsting mouth.
             Nigh and nigh draws the chase,
             With unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
             And past those noisèd Feet
             A voice comes yet more fleet—
          ‘Lo! naught contents thee, who content’st not Me.’

Naked I wait Thy love’s uplifted stroke!
My harness piece by piece Thou has hewn from me,
             And smitten me to my knee;
          I am defenceless utterly.
          I slept, methinks, and woke,
And, slowly gazing, find me stripped in sleep.
In the rash lustihead of my young powers,
          I shook the pillaring hours
And pulled my life upon me; grimed with smears,
I stand amidst the dust o’ the mounded years—
My mangled youth lies dead beneath the heap.
My days have crackled and gone up in smoke,
Have puffed and burst as sun-starts on a stream.
          Yea, faileth now even dream
The dreamer, and the lute the lutanist;
Even the linked fantasies, in whose blossomy twist
I swung the earth a trinket at my wrist,
Are yielding; cords of all too weak account
For earth with heavy griefs so overplussed.
          Ah! is Thy love indeed
A weed, albeit an amarinthine weed,
Suffering no flowers except its own to mount?
          Ah! must—
          Designer infinite!—
Ah! must Thou char the wood ere Thou canst limn with it?
My freshness spent its wavering shower i’ the dust;
And now my heart is as a broken fount,
Wherein tear-drippings stagnate, spilt down ever
          From the dank thoughts that shiver
Upon the sighful branches of my mind.
          Such is; what is to be?
The pulp so bitter, how shall taste the rind?
I dimly guess what Time in mists confounds;
Yet ever and anon a trumpet sounds
From the hid battlements of Eternity;
Those shaken mists a space unsettle, then
Round the half-glimpsed turrets slowly wash again.
          But not ere him who summoneth
          I first have seen, enwound
With glooming robes purpureal, cypress-crowned;
His name I know and what his trumpet saith.
Whether man’s heart or life it be which yields
          Thee harvest, must Thy harvest-fields
          Be dunged with rotten death?

             Now of that long pursuit
             Comes on at hand the bruit;
          That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:
          ‘And is thy earth so marred,
          Shattered in shard on shard?
          Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!

          ‘Strange, piteous, futile thing!
Wherefore should any set thee love apart?
Seeing none but I makes much of naught’ (He said),
‘And human love needs human meriting:
          How hast thou merited—
Of all man’s clotted clay the dingiest clot?
          Alack, thou knowest not
How little worthy of any love thou art!
Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee,
          Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
          Not for thy harms,
But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.
          All which thy child’s mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home:
          Rise, clasp My hand, and come!’

   Halts by me that footfall:
   Is my gloom, after all,
Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly?
   ‘Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
   I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.’  

Annotations: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

Stanza	Text	Annotations
1	“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days…”	The speaker begins by describing his relentless flight from God, who is personified as a persistent pursuer. Despite the speaker’s attempts to escape, God’s “unhurrying chase” continues. This stanza sets the tone of the poem, reflecting the tension between human will and divine pursuit.
2	“I pleaded, outlaw-wise…”	The speaker acknowledges the futility of his escape, expressing fear of surrendering to God’s love because it might require giving up everything else. The stanza portrays the inner conflict between the desire for autonomy and the inevitability of divine love.
3	“Across the margent of the world I fled…”	The speaker continues to describe his desperate attempts to evade God’s pursuit by seeking refuge in nature and the cosmos. The imagery here conveys the vastness of the speaker’s flight and the cosmic scale of his fear.
4	“To all swift things for swiftness did I sue…”	The speaker attempts to escape by aligning himself with the speed of nature’s elements (wind, thunder), but realizes that God’s pursuit is relentless and inevitable. The stanza emphasizes the futility of fleeing from divine love.
5	“I sought no more after that which I strayed…”	The speaker turns to human relationships, particularly the innocence and purity of children, as a refuge. However, even this proves inadequate, as the children are ultimately beyond his grasp. The stanza reflects the speaker’s growing sense of isolation.
6	“Come then, ye other children, Nature’s—share…”	The speaker attempts to find solace in nature and the natural world, seeking to become one with it. Despite this connection, the speaker feels unfulfilled, indicating that nature cannot satisfy the deeper spiritual longing.
7	“So it was done: I in their delicate fellowship was one…”	The speaker describes his temporary union with nature and its mysteries, but this connection does not alleviate his spiritual anguish. The fleeting joy found in nature is contrasted with the persistent sorrow of separation from God.
8	“Nigh and nigh draws the chase…”	God’s pursuit becomes more intense, and the speaker realizes that nothing in the world can satisfy or shelter him. The repetition of “deliberate speed, majestic instancy” highlights the inevitability of God’s love.
9	“Naked I wait Thy love’s uplifted stroke!”	The speaker finally surrenders to God’s love, acknowledging his defenselessness and spiritual nakedness. The imagery of being stripped and smitten reflects the speaker’s submission to divine will.
10	“My days have crackled and gone up in smoke…”	The speaker laments the wasted years of his life, which are now “crackled and gone up in smoke.” This stanza reflects the speaker’s regret and the realization of the emptiness of his pursuits.
11	“For ah! we know not what each other says…”	The speaker expresses a sense of disconnection from nature and its elements, feeling that they “speak by silences.” This stanza underscores the speaker’s spiritual loneliness and the inadequacy of nature to provide true solace.
12	“Such is; what is to be?…”	The speaker grapples with the bitterness of his experiences and the uncertainty of the future. The imagery of a “broken fount” and “tear-drippings” conveys the speaker’s emotional exhaustion and spiritual desolation.
13	“But not ere him who summoneth…”	The speaker catches a glimpse of eternity and the divine, but the vision is fleeting and obscured by the “mists” of time. This stanza reflects the speaker’s struggle to grasp the divine and the ephemeral nature of spiritual insights.
14	“Whether man’s heart or life it be which yields…”	The speaker questions whether God’s harvest of human souls must be nourished by suffering and death. The stanza reflects the speaker’s contemplation of the harsh realities of life and the role of suffering in spiritual growth.
15	“Now of that long pursuit…”	The speaker senses the imminent conclusion of God’s pursuit, likening it to a “bursting sea.” This stanza marks the climax of the poem, where the speaker is on the verge of being overtaken by divine love.
16	“Strange, piteous, futile thing!…”	God addresses the speaker directly, revealing that all the speaker’s attempts to find love and fulfillment apart from God were doomed to fail. The stanza highlights the theme of divine love as the only true source of fulfillment.
17	“All which I took from thee I did but take…”	God explains that the speaker’s losses were not meant to harm, but to guide him back to divine love. This stanza emphasizes the redemptive nature of God’s love and the idea that true fulfillment can only be found in returning to God.
18	“Halts by me that footfall:…”	The poem concludes with the speaker’s realization that his sense of separation from God was an illusion. God’s presence, which the speaker had fled, is now understood as an outstretched hand of love. The final lines convey a sense of reconciliation and the end of the speaker’s spiritual journey.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

Device	Definition	Example	Function
Alliteration	Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words	“Fled Him, down the nights and down the days”	Creates a rhythmic and haunting effect, emphasizing the speaker’s desperate flight.
Apostrophe	Direct address to an absent or imaginary person or thing	“I said to Dawn: Be sudden—to Eve: Be soon;”	Creates a sense of intimacy and emotional intensity, as if the speaker is confiding in the natural world.
Enjambment	Continuing a sentence or phrase beyond the end of a line	“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;<br>I fled Him, down the arches of the years;”	Creates a breathless and urgent tone, mirroring the speaker’s frantic escape.
Imagery	Vivid description that appeals to the senses	“Titanic glooms of chasmed fears”	Creates a powerful and evocative picture of the speaker’s inner turmoil.
Irony	A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens	“Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit”	Highlights the complexity of human relationships and the speaker’s isolation.
Metaphor	A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”	“Nature, poor stepdame, cannot slake my drouth”	Presents Nature as a harsh and uncaring mother figure, emphasizing the speaker’s spiritual thirst.
Onomatopoeia	Words that imitate sounds	“Clung to the whistling mane of every wind”	Creates a dynamic and sensory experience, bringing the natural world to life.
Paradox	A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true	“Deliberate speed, majestic instancy”	Emphasizes the paradoxical nature of God’s pursuit, which is both relentless and patient.
Personification	Giving human qualities to non-human things	“The gust of His approach would clash it to:”	Creates a sense of immediacy and danger, as if God’s presence is a physical force.
Repetition	Repeating words or phrases for emphasis	“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days”	Reinforces the speaker’s obsessive desire to escape.
Simile	A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”	“Their angel plucked them from me by the hair”	Creates a vivid image of the speaker’s loss of innocence and purity.
Symbolism	The use of objects or images to represent abstract ideas	“The Hound of Heaven” itself symbolizes God’s relentless pursuit of the speaker’s soul.
Synecdoche	A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole	“I shook the pillaring hours”	Suggests the speaker’s control over time, which is ultimately illusory.
Tone	The author’s attitude toward the subject matter	The poem shifts from despair and fear to acceptance and surrender, reflecting the speaker’s spiritual journey.
Understatement	Presenting something as less important than it actually is	“I am defenceless utterly”	Emphasizes the speaker’s vulnerability and complete reliance on God.
Verse Form	The structure of the poem	Blank verse, with variations in line length and rhythm	Creates a sense of fluidity and natural speech, allowing for emotional expression.

Themes: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

Literary Theories and “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

Literary Theory	Application to “The Hound of Heaven”	Critique
Psychoanalytic Theory	Application: This theory, based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud, explores the unconscious mind, repressed desires, and internal conflicts. In “The Hound of Heaven,” the speaker’s flight from God can be interpreted as a manifestation of internal psychological conflict. The relentless pursuit by God symbolizes the speaker’s repressed guilt and the unconscious need for reconciliation with divine authority. The poem can be seen as a journey of the self, where the conscious mind (ego) battles against the demands of the unconscious (id) and the moral imperatives of the superego, embodied by God.	Critique: Psychoanalytic theory offers a profound understanding of the speaker’s internal struggle, but it might oversimplify the spiritual dimensions of the poem by reducing them to psychological processes. The theory may overlook the theological and metaphysical aspects that are central to the poem, potentially misinterpreting the nature of the divine pursuit as merely a projection of the speaker’s psyche rather than a genuine spiritual encounter.
Christian Allegorical Theory	Application: As a Christian allegory, “The Hound of Heaven” can be interpreted as a metaphorical narrative of the soul’s flight from God’s grace and its eventual return to divine love. The poem draws heavily on Christian themes such as sin, redemption, and divine mercy. The relentless pursuit by God represents the omnipresent and unyielding nature of divine grace, which the sinner cannot escape. The poem aligns with the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, where the wayward individual eventually returns to the embrace of a loving Father.	Critique: While the allegorical interpretation captures the religious essence of the poem, it might limit the reading of the text to strictly theological terms, potentially neglecting the personal, emotional, and existential dimensions of the speaker’s experience. This approach may also downplay the poem’s universal themes, making it primarily accessible to those with a Christian background, rather than a broader audience.
Existentialist Theory	Application: Existentialism, which emphasizes the individual’s experience of alienation, freedom, and the search for meaning, provides a framework for understanding the speaker’s journey in “The Hound of Heaven.” The poem can be seen as an existential crisis where the speaker grapples with the meaning of life, the fear of losing autonomy, and the inevitability of divine confrontation. The speaker’s flight represents the existential fear of confronting the absolute, while the eventual surrender signifies the acceptance of one’s essence and the realization that true freedom lies in embracing divine purpose.	Critique: The existentialist interpretation highlights the speaker’s struggle with autonomy and meaning, but it might neglect the spiritual resolution that the poem offers. Existentialism’s focus on individual experience and subjective meaning might underplay the universal and transcendent aspects of the poem, particularly the role of divine grace as a source of ultimate meaning beyond personal existence. This approach may also risk interpreting the divine pursuit as a form of existential dread rather than an act of love.

Critical Questions about “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

• How does the poem portray the tension between human free will and divine predestination?
• “The Hound of Heaven” explores the tension between the speaker’s desire for autonomy and the inescapable pursuit of divine grace. Throughout the poem, the speaker exercises his free will by fleeing from God (“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days”), yet despite all attempts to escape, he is unable to evade the “unhurrying chase” of God’s love. The repeated imagery of pursuit and flight raises the question of whether the speaker’s free will is truly his own or whether he is ultimately predestined to return to God. The poem challenges the reader to consider whether human efforts to escape divine will are futile, as the divine presence appears inevitable and all-encompassing (“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me”).
• In what ways does “The Hound of Heaven” reflect the theme of spiritual crisis and redemption?
• The poem vividly portrays the speaker’s spiritual crisis as he grapples with the fear of losing his worldly attachments if he surrenders to God’s love. This fear is evident when the speaker says, “Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside,” revealing his dread of being left with nothing but God. The spiritual crisis deepens as the speaker realizes the futility of finding fulfillment in anything other than divine love, culminating in a moment of redemption when he finally stops fleeing and acknowledges God’s presence (“Rise, clasp My hand, and come!”). The poem’s narrative arc, from relentless flight to eventual submission, mirrors the process of spiritual awakening and redemption, highlighting the transformative power of divine grace.
• How does Francis Thompson use imagery and symbolism to convey the speaker’s internal conflict?
• Thompson employs rich imagery and symbolism throughout the poem to depict the speaker’s internal struggle. The “labyrinthine ways” of the speaker’s mind symbolize the complex and confusing nature of his thoughts as he attempts to escape from God. The “Titanic glooms of chasmed fears” represent the deep, overwhelming fears that the speaker faces as he flees, while the “gust of His approach” symbolizes the relentless and unavoidable presence of God. The symbolism of nature, such as the “gold gateway of the stars” and “pale ports o’ the moon,” reflects the speaker’s futile attempts to seek refuge in the physical world, only to find that it cannot provide the shelter he desires. These images powerfully illustrate the speaker’s inner turmoil and the inevitable pull of divine love.
• What role does the concept of divine love play in the speaker’s journey, and how is it characterized in the poem?
• Divine love is central to the speaker’s journey in “The Hound of Heaven,” characterized as both relentless and compassionate. God’s pursuit is described as “majestic instancy” and “unperturbed pace,” suggesting a love that is both powerful and patient. Despite the speaker’s fear and resistance, divine love is portrayed as unyielding, yet not forceful or violent, as it patiently waits for the speaker to return (“Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me”). The final revelation of God’s love as an outstretched hand ready to embrace the speaker (“Rise, clasp My hand, and come!”) underscores the idea that divine love is not punitive but rather redemptive, offering the speaker the ultimate solace and fulfillment that he had been fleeing from. The poem thus characterizes divine love as an inescapable, yet tender force that seeks to reclaim the soul.

Literary Works Similar to “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

1. “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri: Similarity: Both works explore the theme of a soul’s journey towards redemption and the relentless pursuit of divine grace. Like “The Hound of Heaven,” Dante’s epic poem depicts the protagonist’s spiritual awakening and reconciliation with God.
2. “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan: Similarity: This Christian allegory shares with “The Hound of Heaven” the theme of the soul’s struggle to escape sin and the ultimate surrender to divine guidance. Both works emphasize the spiritual journey and the transformative power of divine love.
3. “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins: Similarity: Hopkins’ poem, like “The Hound of Heaven,” reflects on the omnipresence and persistence of God’s presence in the world, despite human attempts to ignore or flee from it. Both poems convey the idea of an inescapable divine force.
4. “Paradise Lost” by John Milton: Similarity: Milton’s epic explores the consequences of rebelling against God and the subsequent yearning for redemption, similar to the speaker’s flight and eventual submission to divine love in “The Hound of Heaven.” Both works engage deeply with Christian theology and the human condition.
5. “Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross: Similarity: This spiritual text, like “The Hound of Heaven,” describes the soul’s profound journey through spiritual desolation and the eventual union with God. Both works emphasize the concept of divine pursuit and the soul’s struggle to reconcile with God.

Suggested Readings: “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

1. Cross, F. L. “Francis Thompson’s ‘The Hound of Heaven’: A Poetic Encounter with God.” Literature and Theology, vol. 5, no. 3, 1991, pp. 267-278.
2. Buchen, Irving H. “Source-Hunting versus Tradition: Thompson’s ‘The Hound of Heaven.’” Victorian Poetry, vol. 2, no. 2, 1964, pp. 111–15. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40001255. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.
3. Woollen, C. J. “The Hound of Heaven.” The Irish Monthly, vol. 77, no. 913, 1949, pp. 332–35. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20516020. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.
4. Brown, S. J. “Imagery in the Poetry of Francis Thompson.” The Irish Monthly, vol. 59, no. 701, 1931, pp. 710–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20513144. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.
5. Schaefer, William D. “Henley and ‘The Hound of Heaven.’” Victorian Poetry, vol. 5, no. 3, 1967, pp. 171–81. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40001409. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.
6. Leahy, Maurice. “‘The Hound of Heaven.’” The Irish Monthly, vol. 62, no. 735, 1934, pp. 565–74. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43649429. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.

Representative Quotations of “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; / I fled Him, down the arches of the years;”	This opening line establishes the speaker’s persistent attempt to escape from God, symbolizing a flight from divine love and grace. It sets the tone for the poem, reflecting the speaker’s fear and reluctance to submit to God’s pursuit.	Psychoanalytic Theory: This quote can be seen as an expression of the speaker’s internal psychological conflict, where fleeing represents the repression of guilt and fear of confronting the unconscious need for divine love.
“But with unhurrying chase, / And unperturbed pace, / Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,”	This describes God’s relentless yet patient pursuit of the speaker. Despite the speaker’s attempts to flee, God’s pursuit is calm, inevitable, and filled with grandeur, underscoring the omnipresence of divine love.	Christian Allegorical Theory: The portrayal of God’s pursuit in these lines aligns with the concept of divine grace in Christian theology, where God’s love is persistent and unwavering, seeking to bring the soul back to Him.
“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”	Here, God speaks to the speaker, emphasizing that everything the speaker relies on or turns to in his flight is ultimately untrustworthy because he has rejected divine love. The betrayal the speaker feels from the world is a reflection of his own betrayal of God.	Existentialist Theory: This quote highlights the existential realization that in rejecting the absolute (God), the speaker finds himself in a world that offers no true refuge or meaning, leading to a crisis of purpose and identity.
“Naked I wait Thy love’s uplifted stroke!”	This line occurs when the speaker finally stops fleeing and submits to God’s will, recognizing his vulnerability and complete dependence on divine mercy. It marks the turning point in the poem where the speaker acknowledges the futility of his resistance.	Psychoanalytic Theory: The speaker’s “nakedness” symbolizes the stripping away of all defenses and illusions, representing the moment of surrender to the unconscious truth of his need for divine love, akin to the psychoanalytic process of confronting repressed emotions.
“Rise, clasp My hand, and come!”	In the poem’s climax, God extends an invitation to the speaker to return to Him, offering redemption and forgiveness. This moment represents the resolution of the speaker’s spiritual journey, where divine love triumphs over the speaker’s resistance.	Christian Allegorical Theory: This quotation is a direct allegory for the Christian concept of salvation, where the prodigal soul is welcomed back into the fold of divine love and grace. It embodies the idea of redemption and the unconditional nature of God’s love.