Lines 1-4:

The first stanza consists of two repeated lines that introduce the main image of the poem, a char­iot that descends from the sky to carry the speaker home. For some singers and listeners, the chariot may represent the path to freedom offered by or­ganized abolitionists through the Underground Railroad. For others it could symbolize a chariot of the Lord offering transportation for the soul to heaven. This interpretation has its origin in the Bible, which contains descriptions of chariots used in war as well as to transport honored souls, such as the prophet Elijah's, to heaven. Since the char­iot in this song is "sweet" it suggests a conveyance to heaven more than to battle in war. "Psalm 68" in the Bible's book of Psalms, for example, depicts God as having thousands of chariots, a sign of his power. In addition to...