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Poem
June 25, 1810
Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
A moral poem personifying avarice as an insatiable greed that ignores the suffering of widows and orphans, hoarding gold while they starve, and warns of divine judgment on Judgment Day.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
AVARICE.
Avarice, thou rage against
Insatiate dropsy of the soul,
Will nothing quench thy sordid thirst?
Were the sea gold, would'st drink the whole?
Lo! Pain pleads--What then? There's none!
The Widow kneels for bread! Begone
Hark! in thine ears the Orphan's cry;
They die of famine!--Let them die!
Oh, scene of woe! heart rending sight!
Can'st thou turn from them?--Ye! behold!
From all those heaps of hoarded gold
Not one, one piece to save them? Not a mite!
Pitiless wretch! Such shall thy sentence be
At the last day, when Mercy turns from thee!
Avarice, thou rage against
Insatiate dropsy of the soul,
Will nothing quench thy sordid thirst?
Were the sea gold, would'st drink the whole?
Lo! Pain pleads--What then? There's none!
The Widow kneels for bread! Begone
Hark! in thine ears the Orphan's cry;
They die of famine!--Let them die!
Oh, scene of woe! heart rending sight!
Can'st thou turn from them?--Ye! behold!
From all those heaps of hoarded gold
Not one, one piece to save them? Not a mite!
Pitiless wretch! Such shall thy sentence be
At the last day, when Mercy turns from thee!
What sub-type of article is it?
Epigram
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Satire Society
Religious Faith
What keywords are associated?
Avarice
Greed
Widow
Orphan
Famine
Judgment Day
Mercy
Poem Details
Title
Avarice.
Subject
Against Avarice
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Avarice, Thou Rage Against
Insatiate Dropsy Of The Soul,
Will Nothing Quench Thy Sordid Thirst?
Were The Sea Gold, Would'st Drink The Whole?
The Widow Kneels For Bread! Begone
Hark! In Thine Ears The Orphan's Cry;
They Die Of Famine! Let Them Die!
Pitiless Wretch! Such Shall Thy Sentence Be
At The Last Day, When Mercy Turns From Thee!