It is difficult to assess the qualities of this play. There are lines of almost exquisite poetic beauty in it, especially in some passages of the Raven, who serves not only, as in the Biblical story, as the messenger of God, but also as the interpreter of the underlying thought to the audience. But there are also scenes of almost incredible crudity, when no poetic imagery could cover up the dramatic poverty of the action. Mr. Nicholson had to endeavour to wed the Biblical story (I Kings, 17/18) to everyday action; also, to modernise the story in order to make it more "palatable".