The Higher Pantheism in a Nutshell

Read 'The Higher Pantheism in a Nutshell' by 'Algernon Charles Swinburne' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

The Higher Pantheism in a Nutshell by Algernon Charles Swinburne

 One, who is not, we see; but one, whom we see not, is; 
Surely this is not that; but that is assuredly this. 

What, and wherefore, and whence? for under is over and under; 
If thunder could be without lightning, lightning could be without thunder. 

Doubt is faith in the main; but faith, on the whole, is doubt; 
We cannot believe by proof; but could we believe without? 

Why, and whither, and how? for barley and rye are not clover; 
Neither are straight lines curves; yet over is under and over. 

Two and two may be four; but four and four are not eight; 
Fate and God may be twain; but God is the same as fate. 

Ask a man what he thinks, and get from a man what he feels; 
God, once caught in the fact, shows you a fair pair of heels. 

Body and spirit are twins; God only knows which is which; 
The soul squats down in the flesh, like a tinker drunk in a ditch. 

More is the whole than a part; but half is more than the whole; 
Clearly, the soul is the body; but is not the body the soul? 

One and two are not one; but one and nothing is two; 
Truth can hardly be false, if falsehood cannot be true. 

Once the mastodon was; pterodactyls were common as cocks; 
Then the mammoth was God; now is He a prize ox. 

Parallels all things are; yet many of these are askew; 
You are certainly I; but certainly I am not you. 

Springs the rock from the plain, shoots the stream from the rock; 
Cocks exist for the hen; but hens exist for the cock. 

God, whom we see not, is; and God, who is not, we see; 
Fiddle, we know, is diddle, and diddle, we take it, is dee.

Form: Couplet Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace