Poetry · Chapter
The God of My Goddess explained
The speaker renounces both old and new gods, declaring allegiance to the god of his beloved.
What happens
The speaker renounces both old and new gods, declaring allegiance to the god of his beloved. In a moment of darkness, he seeks her god, only to find that she now worships him.
Themes in this chapter
Desire and Restraint
The speaker's devotion to the god of his beloved reflects a surrender to desire, while the reversal of roles suggests a tension between seeking and being sought.
Spiritual Quest
The speaker's journey from old gods to a new, personal deity embodies a search for spiritual meaning through love.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The speaker who abandons old and new gods for the god of his beloved, and becomes the object of her worship.
- Beauty
The goddess who presides over the speaker's feast of delight, and whose god he seeks.
Key passages
“The old gods and their slaves I’ve deserted; The new gods I’ve shunned at first sight; And my god is the god of the goddess That presides at my feast of delight.”
I have abandoned the ancient gods and their followers, and I reject any new gods I encounter. My deity is the god of the goddess who rules over my joyful celebrations.
The speaker declares a personal, love-driven faith, rejecting traditional and novel religions.
“But once, when the dark moment lingered, I questioned the god she adores; To his throne I implored her to lead me, And, behold! I’m the god she implores.”
Yet in a prolonged period of despair, I asked about the god she worships and begged her to guide me to his presence. Surprisingly, I have become the god she prays to.
The speaker's quest for the beloved's god results in a role reversal, where he becomes the object of her devotion.