# Forgiveness explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## What happens

A child struggles with a difficult sum on his slate, returning to God with tears. God gently wipes the slate clean and offers to work through the problem together, illustrating divine forgiveness and patient guidance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Divine Fatherhood

God is depicted as a father who lovingly helps his child with a difficult task, emphasizing a nurturing and forgiving relationship.

### Redemption and Grace

The wiping clean of the slate symbolizes forgiveness and the grace to start anew, with God's promise to work alongside the child.

## Character check-ins

### God

Portrayed as a forgiving father who wipes the child's slate clean and offers to solve the sum together.

### Unknown

The child who struggles with the sum and returns to God in tears.

## Key lines

> God gives his child upon his slate a sum⁠— To find eternity in hours and years; With both sides covered, back the child doth come, His dim eyes swollen with shed and unshed tears; God smiles, wipes clean the upper side and nether, And says, “Now, dear, we’ll do the sum together!”

God sets a difficult task for his child, who struggles and returns in tears. God gently erases the mistakes and offers to help solve the problem together.

_The poem uses the metaphor of a school sum to illustrate divine forgiveness and collaborative guidance._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters/forgiveness
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters