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Galileo Under Confinement

Scene: Florence, 1636 AD. In the third year of his life
imprisonment (as sentenced by the Holy Inquisition)
Galileo Galilei—now 71—poses at his prison-home
for the Flemish painter Justus Sustermans.

Signore Artist, may we stop and rest?
Remember, I’m not young. Give me your hand.
Some wine and bread will help. Who would have guessed
That posing for a portrait could demand
Such vigor! May I see how I appear?
Intriguing! I gaze upward toward the stars,
The moons of Jupiter, the disk of Mars.
Look at my face! As if I’m past all fear!

You over-credit me to paint me more
Robust than life. Perhaps my growing blindness
Distorts the things I see. But in my core
I somehow know that I may trust your kindness.
Men thirst for glory but not soli deo—
But you paint to illumine God’s design…
I talk too much. Do you approve the wine?
The vintner is the Convent San Matteo.

The convent—only minutes up that trail—
Is where my eldest daughter is a nun.
The Inquisition made this house my jail
For crimes of thought which cannot be undone;
So here my life of penance must be led.
The convent makes this a more pleasant cell.
My daughter comes to see that I am well,
To pray for me and see my soul is fed.

The Inquisition has not crushed my hope!
Although I may not publish all I learn,
The priests have let me keep my telescope.
I even scribble notes which they don’t burn.
They know they’ve won. My trials are quite done.
What wicked words deserved the Church’s curse?
Earth’s not the center of the universe.
I showed our world revolves around the Sun.

You don’t believe me, Artist. But I’ve known
Copernicus was right since 1610:
Earth’s motions are not as the Bible’s shown.
This is no threat! It’s all still God’s demesne!
Why shrink from knowledge observation raises?
Our “perfect” Moon is pocked by holes and dunes;
King Jupiter is circled by four moons,
And Venus moves through transits and shows phases.

How keen I was—and am—to comprehend
The principles which govern God’s creation!
The math which dictates how objects descend,
How curve-shaped lenses cause magnification…
Are you surprised God matters so to me?
They libel me as heretic, but I’m
No atheist, nor do I stomach crime.
Why can’t they see that in the Holy See?

I stood accused. They took me from my home
Removed my notes, left all my work awry
And held me in a tiny room in Rome
From which I could not even see the sky.
They put me through a trial based on sham.
The evidence and logic that I taught
Were shunned and they condemned me for wrong thought.
And after this ordeal…? Well, here I am.

You ask me what it feels like to invest
My life in research, years of observation,
To end denounced and doomed to house arrest
Despite six decades of deep contemplation?
I’ve suffered for the truth and scarce recovered.
My freedom’s lost. I’m forced to hold my tongue.
But they’re too late! The bell can’t be unrung!
My work is published—all that I discovered!

This world is blessed by men who wish to learn
And cursed by those who value the reverse—
Sad fools so cocky they would jail or burn
A Seeker who unveils God’s universe.
But Time’s my friend; and observation proves
The candid words I spoke beneath my breath
When sentenced to remain here till my death:
I said of Earth, “But nonetheless, it moves.”

I still can’t grasp what awful crime I’ve done
Or why they call me heretic or worse
When they don’t love the Lord like I. Not one!
I’ve never told God, “Craft a universe
In which the Sun revolves about the Earth…”
For that would be presumptuous to direct.
Men should not mock the Truths they don’t expect,
For everything is God—His mind! His worth!

Well, Artist… are we rested? Let’s resume.
Assuming my achievements aren’t dismembered
And that the priests don’t mete out yet worse doom,
Your painting will be how I am remembered.
I’m pleased that you depict me showing hope!
I’ll once again look up. I’ll face the Sun,
Embracing faith till both our work is done
And someone else takes up my telescope.

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Poet’s Note

In 1636, a portrait of Galileo was commissioned by his good friend Elia Diodati, a jurist from Lucca. At the time of the painting, Galileo had been under house arrest for about 3 years. Although his “Dialogue of Two World Systems” which bolstered the Copernican heliocentric view of the solar system, was banned by the Catholic Church, it was published in Protestant Holland in 1635—beyond the Inquisition’s reach.

In 1992, Pope John Paul II acknowledged that the Inquisition had erred in condemning Galileo for asserting that the Earth revolves around the Sun. John Paul said the theologians who condemned Galileo did not recognize the formal distinction between the Bible and its interpretation.

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Brian Yapko is a retired lawyer whose poetry has appeared in over fifty journals.  He is the winner of the 2023 SCP International Poetry Competition. Brian is also the author of several short stories, the science fiction novel El Nuevo Mundo and the gothic archaeological novel  Bleeding Stone.  He lives in Wimauma, Florida.

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22 Responses

  1. Mary Gardner

    This poem, with its insightful expression and perfect rhyme, made Galileo come alive.

    Reply
  2. Roy Eugene Peterson

    This poem shines with the greatness of the sun magnificently magnifying in clever mental discourse what Galileo must have been thinking while being painted late in life with his natural scientific accomplishments used to brand him as a heretic. I remember that he was under “house arrest,” but did not know his daughter was a nun residing in a nearby convent with visiting privileges. Your superb use of words such as “soli deo,” “demesne,” along with the superb rhyming words mark this as a singular achievement in classical poetry. Words of praise for your work pale by comparison with that which you wrought from a nimble mind.

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much, Roy! This is a very generous comment and I am glad I added to your knowledge about Galileo. Many years ago I had read a historical memoire/biography called “Galileo’s Daughter” by Dava Sobel. The daughter, Sister Mary Celeste’s letters to her famous father survived and were published in this book. In fact, here is the link.

      https://www.amazon.com/Galileos-Daughter-Historical-Memoir-Science/dp/0802779654

      I am most touched by Galileo’s own description of his daughter: “a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me.”

      Reply
  3. Ivy Joew

    “For the Holy Scripture and nature derive equally from the Godhead, the former as the dictation of the Holy Spirit and the latter as the most obedient executrix of God’s orders.”
    “I have no doubt at all that where human reason cannot reach, and where consequently one cannot have a science, but only opinion and faith, it is appropriate piously to conform ab –
    solutely to the literal meaning of Scripture.”
    Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina

    This letter is Galileo’s apologia, and what we can deduce from its basic argument is that any given piece of scripture is to be read literally only as long as it has not been contradicted by science.
    “The evidence and logic that I taught
    Were shunned and they condemned me for wrong thought.”
    I can’t blame them.

    This has been happening with the Qur’an but there science and scripture switched places. Muslims have been pointing out various verses as describing scientific phenomena which have only recently been explained—”even science validates the scripture!”—only to back off from the claims once the scientific theory is disproved and replace.

    I like how demesne would perfectly rhyme if read with a Frenchesque pronunciation.

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you very much, Ivy, for your kind words about the poem and for your thoughtful analysis of the issues presented in the piece.

      Reply
  4. Mark Stellinga

    A very impressive piece, Brian – the sort that ‘comes together’ so smoothly and concisely, and fills one with pride as it’s being composed. The sort we stay up late to fight with, knowing it’s going to be an A+. A very interesting and informative tale as well – great job, my friend. 🙂

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much, Mark! You’ve really nailed the poetic process with that “stay up late to fight with…” comment. And I appreciate the excellent score! Galileo is a very interesting man with a very interesting story. I’m glad to bring some of it to the poetry world.

      Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much, Margaret! You’ve absolutely seen right through to the heart of the poem. Faith and science should not be enemies.

      Reply
  6. Paul A. Freeman

    Brilliant stuff, Brian. You’ve really brought Galileo to life and explained perfectly his discoveries that led him to being put under house arrest.

    My fave line is :’I’m forced to hold my tongue. / But they’re too late! The bell can’t be unrung!’

    The tale you tell is very timely considering the skepticism and knee-jerk denial many people have today in regards to science and scientists.

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much, Paul. I appreciate the generous words about the poem.
      And I agree that there really shouldn’t be a knee-jerk anything. Critical thinking demands looking at evidence and weighing it objectively rather than allowing ideology to lead the observer into cherry-picking. It is appropriate to consider that Galileo was the first pioneer of the scientific method.

      Reply
  7. Joseph S. Salemi

    “Eppur si muove!” (And still it moves!)

    What a great dramatic monologue.

    Galileo’s opponents in the Inquisition may have been motivated by the fear of giving Protestantism a propaganda weapon if the Church didn’t prosecute Galileo for his Copernican views. With their fanatical “sola scriptura” literalism, Protestants would have been able to condemn Catholicism for not disciplining someone who contradicted scriptural cosmology.

    The best comment on the entire affair was made by a Catholic bishop of deep learning. He said “The Scriptures tell us how to get to heaven. They do not tell us how the heavens move.” He understood that many things in the Bible had to be taken in a figurative-metaphorical sense, and were simply incorrect if read as literally true. Your line “Men should not mock the Truths they don’t expect” is the same kind of bullseye comment.

    Brian, I like the octets composed of an ABAB section and an ABBA section. The variation helps avoid monotony, and makes the entire discourse appear more natural and unconstrained. And your rhymes are perfect — especially the brilliant “soli deo” and “San Matteo.” Your choice of diction is exactly proper for giving a 17th-century tone, and that sort of control is hard to maintain in composition.

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much for this appreciative comment, Joe. I am especially grateful for your insightful analysis of the politics involved in the prosecution of the matter against Galileo. What you say is indeed compelling and something that would never have occurred to me.

      Thank you also for quoting the original Italian of Galileo’s famous statement. It’s a nervy and stubborn statement of fact which resounds through history. The corollary today of speaking truth despite coercion might well be “and yet there are only two genders.” Galileo was a brave and probing man and has been a figure of fascination for me most of my adult life — his dropping of objects of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, his invention of a new type of telescope, his study of the pendulum, his discovery of Jupiter’s moons… his contributions are almost too numerous to list. I realize it’s not relevant to your comment, but I must describe my sense of profound respect in visiting his tomb at Santa Croce in Florence.

      I’m very pleased that you like the rhyme scheme. It is for exactly the reason you describe. In a longish poem to have constant ABAB with no relief can be tedious. The hybrid scheme that I used allowed for the same rigor in use of rhyme but also allowed for some variety. I also hoped for a slight effect of the unexpected to parallel the surprising discoveries made by Galileo himself.

      Reply
  8. T. M. Moore

    Brian: Well done. I was reminded while reading your poem of Browning’s “My Last Duchess.”

    Your poem weaves verse, history, science, and psychology (or spirituality)–not to mention religious buffoonery–in a conversational tone without resentment or regret, and so captures elements of the character of the great man.

    Thanks for what I know must have been the hard work to create this memorable piece.

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much for the generous comment, T.M.! To be mentioned in the same sentence as My Last Duchess is a great honor to me. My Last Duchess may well be the most iconic of all dramatic monologues. I’m hard-pressed to think of another one as well regarded. And, by coincidence, I have a Browning essay coming out on Thursday regarding some of his great dramatic monologues (omitting My Last Duchess because Adam Sedia recently discussed that poem in his excellent February essay on The Ten Best Poems to Analyze.) Browning, as you may know, is one of my three favorite poets. Stay tuned.

      I appreciate your insight and attention to the many things going on in my Galileo poem. Yes, it was work to write but at the same time Galileo is a historical figure I have long admired, so there was great satisfaction in paying my respect to him.

      Reply
  9. Warren Bonham

    Leonardo da Vinci once wrote that “A poet would be overcome by sleep and hunger before (being able to) describe with words what a painter is able to (depict) in an instant.” I hate to take issue with someone as learned as he is, but he’s obviously biased towards those who paint and sculpt. I think you did a much better job of providing a glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of Galileo in 697 words than the painter was able to do. Great job!

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Warren, this is such a generous comment! Thank you so much. Who knows if I really captured Galileo’s thoughts, but I like to think… well maybe, perhaps, just a glimpse. If I’m lucky. But, of course, we’ll never know. Like all poetry — 100% true fiction.

      I’ve never heard that da Vinci quote before. I love it!

      Reply
  10. ABB

    Great piece, Brian. Resilience in the face of conflicting authority and the quest for intellectual freedom against dogmatic idiots are themes that will always be relevant, especially today. The references to celestial bodies and the telescope capture G’s broader vision beyond the physical limitations imposed on him. You do an excellent job of capturing the astronomer’s mind as the tone shifts between reflective, melancholic, and defiant. Love your unusual rhymes like 1610/demesne.

    I think your choice of this Sustermans portrait is more apt than the other one where he is staring at the viewer; the idea of gazing upwards towards the stars is an inspired idea. I’m also reminded of another painting depicting Milton visiting Galileo, based on the poet’s testimony that G had “grown old a prisoner to the Inquisition, for thinking in Astronomy otherwise” than what the licensers thought. Galileo is the only contemporary figure mentioned in Paradise Lost—what higher praise?

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Thank you so much, Andrew! I’m glad you noted that there are actually two Sustermans portraits. I did not find the “straight-at-the-camera” view nearly as evocative as the upward gaze. But I’m especially excited by your educating me about a meeting between Galileo and John Milton. This is something I did not know about and it’s amazing! Apparently it took place in 1637 when Milton visited Florence and went to meet the imprisoned Galileo. Talk about evocative! What were they like together? What did they discuss? This adds a dimension to Milton’s character I never would have considered. You’ve now tempted me sorely to write a Galileo sequel.

      https://www.theflorentine.net/2017/12/04/john-milton-florence-italy/

      Reply
  11. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Brian, I love this poem! As ever, it is written smoothly and beautifully with attention to the finest linguistic detail, and a genuine warmth and sympathy that had me sitting and listening to Galileo himself – such is your gift for narrative poetry.

    This poem is so relevant in today’s “settled-science” society – a society that has removed God from the science equation. “Men should not mock the Truths they don’t expect, / For everything is God—His mind! His worth!” highlights all that is wrong with the approach to philosophy today. This is exactly why the “experts” get it so very wrong, constantly. Brian, thank you!

    Reply
    • Brian A. Yapko

      Susan, thank you so much for this generous comment! I’m pleased that you found the poem both well-written and relevant concerning “settled-science.”

      We can easily see how ideology has poisoned science, medicine and other institutions to the point where evidence is sifted and cherry-picked to support theories instead of having theories adjusted to comport with the evidence. We could list a dozen such subjects in which ideology trumps objectivity in less than a minute, starting with gender theory, transgender ideology, climate change, CRT and on and on. Objectivity is eliminated so that ideologues do not have to explain adverse evidence.

      I am also gratified by your choice of lines which reveal the heart of the poem. We are unwise to project our biases and assumptions on God rather than strive to understand how He runs things. One other line I thought you might like makes me think of what many of us social critics do here at SCP: “I’ve suffered for the truth and scarce recovered.” Fortunately, unlike Galileo, our freedom is not yet lost and we are not yet forced to hold our tongues. There is reason to hope.

      Reply

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