Poetry · Chapter
The Rescue explained
A minister's child is buried alive in a swoon, but grave robbers attempt to steal the body during a storm.
What happens
A minister's child is buried alive in a swoon, but grave robbers attempt to steal the body during a storm. The father, driven by love, pursues them, and in a dramatic confrontation, the robbers are lost in a flooded river. The minister rescues the sack containing his still-living child, and the family is joyfully reunited.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the boy’s childish joy and naive belief that he can see Ameri…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Mortality and Loss
The poem centers on the death and near-loss of a child, the father's grief, and the terror of grave robbing.
- Moral Lessons and Domestic Virtue
The minister's faith is tested, and the story illustrates divine providence and the power of parental love.
Characters to notice
- James McIntyre
Author of the poem, narrating the dramatic rescue.
Key passages
“The minister he heard the crash As 'gainst the broken bridge they dash.”
The minister heard the sound of the cart crashing into the broken bridge.
Climactic moment where the grave robbers meet their end.
“Sack proved to hold his darling child; The parents' joy who can tell, To find their child alive and well.”
The sack contained his beloved child, and the parents' joy was indescribable when they found her alive and well.
Resolution of the story with a happy reunion.
