"The Altar" is as much about the art of poetry itself as it is about the speaker's relationship to God. The speaker arranges the words in the shape of an altar, showing us that he can make use of two artistic mediums (words and shapes) at the same time. He kills two artistic birds with one poem (or feeds two birds with one seed, if you prefer). It is clear throughout the poem that both the metaphorical altar made of out of the speaker's heart and the poem itself are the same thing. In other words, the act of constructing a sacrificial altar is the same as constructing a poem. Art then, for the speaker, is very closely associated with the act of sacrificing to, and praising, God.
Questions About Art and Culture
- Is there anything wrong with the speaker calling his poem an altar?
- What do you make of the whole shape thing anyway? Does it make you take the poem less seriously? Why or why not?
- Does the speaker think he is a bad poet, really? Is he too humble?
- In what ways does this poem resemble a hymn or prayer? What effect does this have as you read and interpret it?
Chew on This
For the speaker of this poem, writing poetry and praising God are the same thing. They cannot be separated—so don't even try it, pal.
It's not all deep thoughts and high-fives. Writing poetry is just like any other sacrifice: painful and laborious.