Poetry · Chapter
A Vision of St. Eligius explained
The speaker describes a turbulent spiritual state, feeling blown between earth and sky like a kite, drenched in dews of selfish agony.
What happens
The speaker describes a turbulent spiritual state, feeling blown between earth and sky like a kite, drenched in dews of selfish agony. He acknowledges that God holds his string, preventing him from being driven into a gulf of silence. He prays to be drawn home, and in a vision, God remolds him from a kite into a strong-winged bird, soaring on every blast.
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
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the speaker tu…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Spiritual Struggle and Doubt
The speaker's soul is a stifled cry, tossed between earth and sky, experiencing passion and agony.
- Redemption and Grace
God draws the speaker home, remolds him, and transforms him into a strong-winged bird.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“I see thy house, but I am blown about, A wind-mocked kite, between the earth and sky, All out of doors—alas! of thy doors out, And drenched in dews no summer suns can dry.”
I see your home, but I am tossed like a kite mocked by the wind, stuck between heaven and earth, shut out from your doors, soaked in a dew that no summer sun can ever dry.
The speaker feels exiled and spiritually parched.
“Lord, thou dost hold my string, else were I driven Down to some gulf where I were tossed no more, No turmoil telling I was not in heaven, No billows raving on a blessed shore.”
Lord, you hold my string, otherwise I would be driven into a silent gulf where there would be no turmoil to prove I am not in heaven, and no waves crashing on a blessed shore.
God's hold prevents the speaker from falling into a void of silence and despair.
“In thy remodelling hands thou tak'st thy kite; A moment to thy bosom hold'st me fast. Thou flingest me abroad:—lo, in thy might A strong-winged bird I soar on every blast!”
In your reshaping hands you take your kite; you hold me close to your chest for a moment. Then you throw me out—and see, in your power I become a strong-winged bird, soaring on every gust of wind!
God transforms the speaker from a helpless kite into a powerful bird.
