Amanda Huddleston

This poem is fantastic. It delves into the spiritual conflict or existential crisis one experiences after acquiring new knowledge that conflicts with prior beliefs. Disillusionment and loss of faith lay the backdrop for the speaker's sense of loneliness. However, his final outreach to his "Love" is his antidote. This poem contains superb vocabulary and imagery. It was Arnold's spiritual response to Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Many people will benefit from reading this poem if they have the concentration to slowly analyze the diction and concept.