Poetry · Chapter
Song: Spirit Here That Reignest! explained
The speaker invokes a multifaceted spirit that reigns, pains, burns, mourns, laughs, quaffs, and dances, expressing a deep emotional and ecstatic communion with this entity, culminating in a Bacchanalian flush.
What happens
The speaker invokes a multifaceted spirit that reigns, pains, burns, mourns, laughs, quaffs, and dances, expressing a deep emotional and ecstatic communion with this entity, culminating in a Bacchanalian flush.
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 Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the King, overwhelmed by his own confession, reveals Bertha’s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Mythology and Classical Reference
The poem invokes Momus (god of mockery) and Comus (god of revelry), embedding classical figures in a lyrical invocation.
- Sorrow and Melancholy
The spirit is described as one that 'mournest' and the speaker is 'passion-struck' into 'pale dominions,' evoking melancholy.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Spirit here that reignest! Spirit here that painest! Spirit here that burnest! Spirit here that mournest!”
O spirit that rules here, that causes pain, that burns with passion, that mourns deeply.
The speaker addresses the spirit with a series of contrasting attributes, establishing its complex nature.
“Spirit, I bow My forehead low, Enshaded with thy pinions.”
Spirit, I humble myself, my head bowed and covered by your wings.
The speaker shows submission and reverence, seeking shelter under the spirit's wings.
“Spirit, I look All passion-struck Into thy pale dominions.”
Spirit, I gaze, overwhelmed with emotion, into your colorless realms.
The speaker is deeply moved, peering into the spirit's domain, which is described as pale or lifeless.
“Spirit here that laughest! Spirit here that quaffest! Spirit here that dancest! Noble soul that prancest!”
O spirit that laughs here, that drinks deeply, that dances, noble soul that frolics!
The spirit's joyful and celebratory aspects are invoked, contrasting with earlier mournful tones.
“Spirit, with thee I join in the glee A-nudging the elbow of Momus.”
Spirit, I join you in the merriment, playfully nudging the elbow of Momus, the god of mockery.
The speaker participates in the revelry, engaging with the classical figure Momus in a familiar, jesting manner.
“Spirit, I flush With a Bacchanal blush Just fresh from the Banquet of Comus.”
Spirit, I blush with the ecstatic flush of a Bacchic reveler, newly arrived from Comus's feast.
The speaker's blush signifies intoxication and divine frenzy, linking to the rites of Bacchus and the masque of Comus.
