# The Watcher explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## What happens

A mysterious, divine watcher gazes upon the turmoil of nations from a windy cleft. The watcher's eyes grow holier, resembling those of one in prayer, and their clasped hands tremble with cosmic power, blessing the world until a final, terrible awakening shakes humanity from its conscious nightmare.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Purification

The nations' conflict and the 'conscious nightmare' reflect suffering, while the watcher's blessing and the final awakening suggest purification.

### Redemption and Grace

The watcher's blessing and the hope of waking from the nightmare imply a redemptive grace.

## Character check-ins

### God

The watcher's eyes and hands suggest a divine presence observing and blessing humanity.

## Key lines

> From out a windy cleft there comes a gaze Of eyes unearthly, which go to and fro Upon the people’s tumult, for below The nations smite each other

From a windy gap, an otherworldly gaze scans the chaotic crowds as nations war below.

_Describes the watcher's perspective on human conflict._

> And if those clasped hands tremble, comes a power As of the might of worlds, and they are holden Blessing above us in the sunrise golden

If the watcher's clasped hands shake, a world-shaking power steadies them, and they remain raised in blessing over us in the golden sunrise.

_Illustrates the watcher's immense power and benevolent posture._

> And they will be uplifted till that hour Of terrible rolling which shall rise and shake This conscious nightmare from us, and we wake.

The hands will stay uplifted until the hour of dreadful upheaval that will shake away our waking nightmare and bring true awakening.

_Foreshadows a final, apocalyptic awakening from suffering._

## Links

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