Hattie+Vose+Hall's+Higher+Purpose

In this poem, Hattie Vose Hall is explaining two temples; one literal temple and one metaphorical temple. The literal temple is majestic and sturdy, so that it will stand for centuries to come. The metaphorical temple is the child's soul that the mother is "building". She is "constructing" and "planning each arch with patience." The poet is explaining how the soul of the child is built carefully with love and praise. In the end, the literal temple has decayed and fallen into rubble, lost in the sands of time. While the metaphorical temple or the child's soul is immoral will live on forever.