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Summary
The poet believes that misfortune shouldn’t be treated as new by the humanity rather it dates back to the time of Christ who had to undergo immense torture and suffering at the time of His crucifixion. The people fail to realize that miseries which fall upon human beings do not come from heaven or God gives them but it should be accepted as quite natural in the course of our life. The misfortunes bring about a change and bring a sense of relief. The Old Testament had foretold the arrival of Christ. In the daily course of our life human beings experience pain and tears which in other words means that the event of Christ is eternally present in our life. The faithful find it hard to believe but it is beyond comprehension for those who don’t have faith at all. But a sensible person cannot fail to understand the essence of beauty in the sacrifice of Christ.Line by Line Analysis
Lines 1-2: Not out of his bliss / Springs the stress felt: God doesn’t reveal himself only through the beauty of Nature neither he reveals himself through miseries that befall on human beings.
Lines 3-4: Nor first from heaven (and few know this) / Swings the stroke dealt: Many people don’t know the reasons of their sufferings and very few have the knowledge that miseries don’t fall from heaven or God.
Lines 5-6: Stroke and a stress that stars and storms deliver / That guilt in hushed by, hearts are flushed by and melt: The poet says it is quite natural that human beings suffer. The hearts are cleaned and they get a sense of relief from the torture. The poet here refers to the sufferings and death of Christ which is linked to the sufferings of human beings.
Lines 7-8: But it rides time like riding a river / (And here the faithful waver, the faithless fable and miss): It is forever present and is eternal like a river. Christ’s sufferings are forever present through the sufferings of human beings. The devout find it difficult to believe but those faithless don’t believe it at all.