Commentary on Redemption

In this poem, the underlying story is the struggle of humankind since the Fall. The speaker wishes to find a solution to his problems but finds that his landlord is absent: the landlord (God) has gone to take possession of ‘some land he had dearly bought/Long since on earth'. Failing to find the landlord among the rich and powerful, the speaker eventually discovers him among ‘thieves and murderers' (the Gospels show Jesus being crucified between two thieves). His request is granted: the landlord himself has paid the price to deal with human sin and the speaker's problem is solved.