Poetry · Chapter
Thou Also explained
The chapter condemns hypocritical judgment and self-righteousness, warning that those who revel in punishing others' crimes harbor deeper sins themselves unless they bow to holiness.
What happens
The chapter condemns hypocritical judgment and self-righteousness, warning that those who revel in punishing others' crimes harbor deeper sins themselves unless they bow to holiness.
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
- Redemption and Grace
The call to 'bow to holiness' implies the need for humility and divine grace to avoid deeper sin.
- Suffering and Purification
The vivid imagery of punishment and anguish reflects the theme of suffering as a consequence of sin.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator addresses the reader directly, accusing them of complicity in sin.
Key passages
“Thou Also Cry out upon the crime, and then let slip The dogs of hate, whose hanging muzzles track The bloody secret; let the welkin crack Reverberating, while ye dance and skip About the horrid blaze!”
You also denounce the crime, then unleash hatred like tracking dogs, making the sky echo as you celebrate around the fire.
Condemns the hypocrisy of publicly condemning sin while indulging in vengeful glee.
“but think—that, if your knees Bow not to holiness, then even in you Lie deeper gulfs and blacker crimes than these.”
But consider: if you do not humble yourself before holiness, you harbor even worse sins within.
Warns that self-righteousness blinds one to their own hidden depravity.
