Epi-Strauss-ium

The following is a poem by Arthur Hugh Clough titled "Epi-Strauss-ium," which means "On-Strauss-ism." Thus, it is a response to David Friedrich Strauss' Das Leben Jesu, which looked critically at the life of Jesus.

"Matthew and Mark and Luke and holy John
Evanished all and gone!
Yea, he that erst, his dusky curtains quitting,
Through Eastern pictured panes his level beams transmitting,
With gorgeous portraits blent,
On them his glories intercepted spent,
Southwestering now, through windows plainly glassed,
On the inside face his radiance keen hath cast,
And int he lustre lost, invisible and gone,
Are, say you, Matthew, Mark and Luke and holy John?
Lost, is it? lost, to be recovered never?
However,
The place of worship the meantime with light
Is, if less richly, more sincerely bright,
And in blue skies the Orb is manifest to sight."

NB: 'he' in line 3 is 'the sun'

Clough is saying, I believe, that though the historical-critical method (higher criticism), as evidenced by Strauss' work, might have cast a shadow on the gospels, rendering them lost, the truth can be seen more clearly without them. The picture is of the narrator standing in church facing East watching the sun rise through the windows that are the gospels. Here he can only see dimly ("On them his glories intercepted spent"). He then turns to face SouthWest and watch the sun set. These windows are clear and allow him to see the sun more clearly. Note the sun in line 3 and the Orb in line 15.

Just some things to think about. I had to read this poem for my Literature and Religion class and was struck by it, so I thought I'd share.

Comments welcome...