Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
XCVII: St. Paul explained
The narrator dreams of longing to have lived among the great prophets and saints of old, only to be visited by a stranger who proves to be St.
What happens
The narrator dreams of longing to have lived among the great prophets and saints of old, only to be visited by a stranger who proves to be St. Paul, revealing that the saint has been at his side all along.
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 in the stanza’s shift from defensive rebuke (“O rail not”) to a pr…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- The Role of the Saint
The poem explores the narrator's desire to witness the deeds of prophets and saints, culminating in the personal encounter with St. Paul.
- Faith and Doubt
The narrator's passionate complaint and initial envy of past saints give way to the quiet revelation of St. Paul's presence, suggesting a tension between longing and faith.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“I dream’d that, with a passionate complaint, I wish’d me born amid God’s deeds of might; And envied those who had the presence bright Of gifted Prophet and strong-hearted Saint, Whom my heart loves, and Fancy strives to paint.”
I dreamed that I bitterly wished I had lived during the time of God's great works, envying those who witnessed the prophets and saints whom I admire and try to imagine.
The narrator expresses a longing to have lived in biblical times among the saints.
“I turn’d, when straight a stranger met my sight, Came as my guest, and did awhile unite His lot with mine, and lived without restraint.”
I turned and immediately saw a stranger who came to stay with me, sharing my life freely for a time.
The mysterious stranger who is later revealed to be St. Paul enters the narrator's life.
“Then came a voice—'St. Paul is at thy side.'”
Then a voice said, 'St. Paul is beside you.'
The climactic revelation that the stranger is St. Paul.
