If a good man were ever housed in Hell
By needful error of the qualities,
Perhaps to prove the rule or shame the devil,
Or speak the truth only a stranger sees,
Would he, surrendering quick to obvious hate,
Fill half eternity with cries and tears,
Or watch beside Hell's little wicket gate
In patience for the first ten thousand years,
Feeling the curse climb slowly to his throat
That, uttered, dooms him to rescindless ill,
Forcing his praying tongue to run by rote,
Eternity entire before him still?
Would he at last, grown faithful in his station,
Kindle a little hope in hopeless Hell,
And sow among the damned doubts of damnation,
Since here someone could live, and live well?
One doubt of evil would bring down such a grace,
Open such a gate, and Eden could enter in,
Hell be a place like any other place,
And love and hate and life and death begin.
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But do you think it is entirely hopeful, Joe? A lot of Muir's poetry is more than a little edgy, and the fact that the "good man" was put in hell (and it seems a very deliberate placing), states that God does not care about him. God deliberately put him in hell to suffer, despite the fact that he is a good man. And yes, there is a chance that the good man can change the place, but it is not certain.
I guess what I'm saying is that there is hope, but I don't see the poem as entirely hopeful.
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This is one of my favorite poems about hope. I first discovered Muir's poetry about 20 years ago in college, and have been enjoying it since.
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