Thoughts On The Arrow And The Song
I shot an arrow into the air
It fell to earth, I know not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in it’s flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where,
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-
Back in the January issue of Thy Kingdom Come, Brooks Alden, our editor placed the above poem on the back page, and invited our thoughts on this unusual ode. Because the poem spoke to me, and I found it full of meaning, I have taken up Brooks’ challenge;
First thoughts on reading this poem were of Robin Hood – according to legend, the best archer in all England. In the case of the verse, this is more applicable to the end of Robin’s life, where, weak and dying, he called upon the trusty Little John to help him fire a last arrow out of the window – and wherever it fell would be Robin’s burial place.
Then I considered Mr Ethelbert Bullinger’s wonderful book, Witness of the Stars, where we read inside, of 2 Arrows in the heavenly constellations. The first is primed and ready to be fired by the Centaur of Sagittarius, and is aimed at the heart of the Scorpion. Mr Bullinger tells us that both the Centaur and the Arrow are symbolic of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Conquering King.
On the other hand, the second Arrow which is in Capricornus, is in flight, and in contrast to that of the previous one, is actually set to strike the sacrificial Jesus Christ – the Holy Lamb of God, and offering for our sins.
The story deepens when we consider the song, and heading back into the times of the legendary Robin Hood, we find good King Richard the Lionheart (Richard 1st), fighting in the Crusades, has been captured by King Leopold of Austria, and his whereabouts a guarded secret.
So then we learn of Blondel, a young minstrel, loyal to the King. As a minstrel, he loves to sing, and so also did King Richard. So Blondel’s plan was to search from castle to castle for his missing King. Wherever he hears of an unknown prisoner being held he sings with his harp outside the said castle. It is to a tune known to the King;
“O Richard! O my King! Thou art by all forgot, Through the wide world I sadly sing, lamenting thy drear lot.
Alone, I pass through many lands. Alone, I sigh to break thy bands.
O Richard! O my King! Thou art by all forgot, Through the wide world I sadly sing, lamenting thy drear lot.”
Quoting from “Our Island Story” by H. E. Marshall; “Blondel’s voice was sad and heavy, and he could scarcely sing for tears. But hardly had he finished the first verse when, from a window high above him, another voice took up the tune and sang;-
“The minstrel’s song, is love alone, fidelity and constancy. Though recompense be none.”
It is of course King Richard, and so with his place of imprisonment revealed, a ransom of 35 tons of silver is agreed and paid, and the King released.
But it doesn’t end there. Richard, though loved by his subjects in Merrie England, spent very little time within it’s shores, and was soon off to the Crusades once more.
On this last Crusade Richard was actually killed in France in 1199 AD while besieging a castle called Chaluz. As the story goes, he was riding around the walls looking for the best place of attack, when a young archer put an arrow to his bow, saying as he put it to flight; Now, God speed my arrow, let it fly. The arrow hit King Richard in the shoulder – not initially a fatal shot, but perhaps through infection, it was the cause of his death.
Richard Coeur de Lion, or Lionheart, makes us think of the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, Our Saviour. The arrow striking Richard reminds us of the arrow in Capricornus, which was for Jesus Christ who indeed was pierced when crucified, by a spear in His side. And the arrow striking Richard in the shoulder reminds us of the Prophecy that the Government would be upon the shoulder of Our Lord.
King Richard apparently – upon his apprehension – forgave the young archer before he died. Our Lord as He was hanging on the Cross, forgave those responsible for His being there.
And what of the Oak of the last verse of the poem, and the unbroken arrow finally found? The Oak, symbolizes strength, and for me at least, England. Do we not sing Hearts of Oak at the yearly ‘Last Night of the Proms?’ And you know, some believe that the Ark of Noah was built of Oak (Gopher).
The unbroken arrow found in the Oak? Whilst those crucified in Our Lord’s time, generally had the bones in their legs broken to make sure they were really dead, this was not so with Jesus. He had given up the Ghost of His own accord.
The song being found in the heart of a friend – well Blondel was a loyal friend of King Richard. It was love that drove Blondel to search for his King. Is this ‘song’ also the Word of God – Jesus Christ – Who gave His life for His friends. Greater love hath no man…!
Finally, the poem also speaks of the eye not being able to clearly see – where the arrow flew, nor the song – at least not until ‘long, long afterwards’! Was it a case of ‘Seek and ye shall find…..?
Did Henry Wadsworth Longfellow write his poem on a whim of inspiration, or did he intend to bring forth in the reader’s mind the thoughts I have brought out above? Of course all I have written may be nonsense, but nevertheless I found The Arrow and the Song very inspiring.
Our Lord’s signature is in all of His creation, and I am sure many a story and many a poem contains within, an essence of the wonderful story of God’s love for His people.
