The Pearl · Chapter
XVII explained
The Dreamer, guided by the Pearl Maiden, ascends toward the brook's head and from a hilltop beholds the New Jerusalem, a city of gold and precious stones, exactly as described in the Revelation of St.
What happens
The Dreamer, guided by the Pearl Maiden, ascends toward the brook's head and from a hilltop beholds the New Jerusalem, a city of gold and precious stones, exactly as described in the Revelation of St. John. He enumerates the twelve foundation stones and marvels at the city's perfect square dimensions, confirming the vision's correspondence with the biblical account.
Themes in this chapter
Heavenly Kingdom and Eternal Bliss
The description of the New Jerusalem with its golden streets and jeweled foundations evokes the eternal bliss of the heavenly kingdom.
Divine Grace and Mercy
The vision of the city, granted to the Dreamer, is a manifestation of divine grace, revealing the reward prepared for the faithful.
Characters to notice
- The Dreamer
The narrator, who climbs the hill and beholds the New Jerusalem, recognizing it as the fulfillment of John's Revelation.
- The Pearl Maiden
She directs the Dreamer to the brook's head and follows him, guiding his view of the celestial city.
- John the Apostle
His Revelation is the source of the Dreamer's description of the New Jerusalem, its foundations, and its measurements.
Key passages
“This flawless sight I will not hide; Up toward the brook’s head thou must go, While I will follow on this side, Till yonder hill the city show.”
The Maiden says she will not conceal this perfect vision; she instructs the Dreamer to go to the head of the stream while she follows on the other side, until the hill reveals the city.
The Maiden acts as a guide, directing the Dreamer to the vantage point from which he will see the New Jerusalem.
“As John the Apostle saw the sight, I saw that city, standing near Jerusalem, so royal dight, As if from Heaven alighted here.”
Just as John the Apostle saw the city in his Revelation, the Dreamer now sees it, standing near Jerusalem, adorned royally as if it had descended from Heaven.
The Dreamer explicitly connects his vision to the biblical account, emphasizing its authenticity.
“John named the stones that he had seen, I knew the order that he made; The first a jasper must have been, That on the lowest base was laid, Beneath the rest it glinted green; A sapphire in the second grade; Chalcedony, from blemish clean, In the third course was fair arrayed; Fourth, emerald, of greenest shade, Fifth, sardonyx, was raised thereon; The sixth a ruby, as is said In the Revelation of St. John.”
The Dreamer recalls the exact order of the twelve foundation stones as John described them, from jasper at the base to ruby as the sixth, confirming his vision matches the scriptural list.
The detailed enumeration underscores the Dreamer's reverence for the biblical text and the precision of his vision.
“I saw, as John doth clear devise: The great stones rose like a broad stair; Above, the city, to my eyes, In height, length, breadth appeared four-square; The jasper wall shone amber-wise, The golden streets as glass gleamed fair; The dwellings glowed in glorious guise With every stone most rich and rare. Each length of bright wall builded there For full twelve furlongs’ space stretched on, And height, length, breadth all equal were: “I saw one mete it,” writeth John.”
The Dreamer sees the city as John clearly described: the foundations rise like a broad stair, the city is four-square, the jasper wall glows like amber, the streets are like clear glass, and the walls measure twelve furlongs on each side, equal in height, length, and breadth, just as John wrote.
The Dreamer's description mirrors the biblical measurements, reinforcing the heavenly nature of the city.