How does Longfellow’s poem "The Warning" show the influence of the story of Sampson?

It highlights the similarities between systems of justice in the present and in the past.

It stresses the idea that throughout time people have been unjustly imprisoned for their beliefs.

It compares the fate of the Philistines to the potential fate of a country that supports slavery.

It contrasts Sampson’s weaknesses as a leader with the strength of the people of the Commonweal.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Warning" is an anti-slavery poem accusing the government of its stand on the slave issue and ignoring their cause. Alluding to the biblical story of Samson and the Philistines, he assumes the role of a teacher trying to point out the faults and to teach a moral lesson.

As seen in the story of Samson, the strong man had managed to defeat each and every time he was attacked, all thanks to his hidden strength from God. But once he revealed his secret and chose to leave God, he became weak and was defeated instead. Once regretting his action and turning back to God, he was able to make a massive death for the Philistines in his last attempt, killing himself too.

Likewise, the poem also talks of the "poor, blind Samson in this land" who might "raise his hand, And shake the pillars of this Commonweal". This is a warning to the authorities if they ignore the issues of the slaves, and if any misfortune happens to them, they are fully deserving of it. Thus, this poem is a comparison of the fate of the Philistines with that of any country that supports slavery.