# Faith explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Georgia Douglas Johnson.

## What happens

The poem contrasts the faint-hearted, who lose faith when all seems lost, with the strong, who continue to hope despite burial and silence. It describes a cycle of inner death and resurrection, where high yearnings are crucified only to be reborn.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Resilience

The strong endure burial and silence, yet continue to hope, embodying resilience in the face of suffering.

### Spirituality and Transcendence

The cycle of burial, crucifixion, and new creation suggests a spiritual transcendence through faith.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker observes the difference between the faint and the strong in matters of faith.

### Hope

Hope is embodied in the strong who continue to hope on despite burial and silence.

## Key lines

> The faint lose faith When in the tomb their all is laid, And there returns No echoing of weal or woe.

Those who are weak in spirit abandon their faith when everything they value is buried and no response comes from the grave.

_Describes the despair of the faint-hearted when faced with total loss._

> The strong hope on, They see the clods close over head, The grass grow green, No word is said, And yet⁠— A little world within the world Are we, Daily our hearts’ high yearnings fade, Are buried! New ones are made⁠— Are crucified! And yet ⁠—

The strong continue to hope even as they watch the earth cover their dead, seeing grass grow in silence. They recognize that within each person is a small universe where deep desires die daily, are buried, and then new ones are born—crucified yet somehow persisting.

_Highlights the resilience of the strong and the cyclical nature of inner death and renewal._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/faith
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters