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Poem
October 24, 1846
The Mississippi Creole
Canton, Madison County, Mississippi
What is this article about?
Satirical poem titled 'PUN-ishment' deriding a fool's worship of Henry Clay as a false god and a schemer's devilish bargain for power under James Polk, predicting infernal retribution.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
PUN-ishment.
And thou hast worshipped—thou, fond fool, hast knelt
Before that shrine, where truth alone can kneel
In worship pure—but vain: and thou hast felt
That ecstacy of dreams that zealots feel,
When they kneel down, and sacrifice, and pray
Before a God they find, too late, is Clay.
And thou, old schemer, thou, of brazen face
And ever ready lie and cringing knee,
Thou who would'st worship Satan for a place,
Not caring what the penalty might be,
When placed at last, it will not be a joke,
For every fiend at thee his gun will Polk.
And thou hast worshipped—thou, fond fool, hast knelt
Before that shrine, where truth alone can kneel
In worship pure—but vain: and thou hast felt
That ecstacy of dreams that zealots feel,
When they kneel down, and sacrifice, and pray
Before a God they find, too late, is Clay.
And thou, old schemer, thou, of brazen face
And ever ready lie and cringing knee,
Thou who would'st worship Satan for a place,
Not caring what the penalty might be,
When placed at last, it will not be a joke,
For every fiend at thee his gun will Polk.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Epigram
What themes does it cover?
Political
Satire Society
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Punishment
Clay
Polk
Satire
Political Worship
Satan
Schemer
Poem Details
Title
Pun Ishment.
Key Lines
Before A God They Find, Too Late, Is Clay.
For Every Fiend At Thee His Gun Will Polk.