Lines 1-5

Beyond the significance of the title, the first two lines of “Chorale” seem to make clear that it can be read in a religious context. The first line mentions “belief,” while the second mentions “faith.” Further, the reader can understand that this context has conflicting connotations for the narrator, as the “belief” is described as “difficult,” the “faith” as “terrible.” Still, while “terrible” is most commonly used in a strictly negative sense, the word can also be read, more neutrally, as indicating that something is “formidable,” “awesome,” or “great.” Thus, the reader cannot necessarily conclude that the narrator has a negative opinion of faith. Notably, the first two lines feature the repetition of the opening word “quite.”

Line 3, as a continuation of line 2, indicates that the narrator is not, after all, speaking of “faith” in a wholly generic sense, and indeed, the reader may need to...