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Poem
August 30, 1831
The Rhode Island Republican
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
A narrative poem depicting the tragic fate of an elderly war veteran imprisoned for a small debt of three dollars, suffering in squalor until death releases him, critiquing societal injustice.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE POOR DEBTOR.
He lay upon a loathsome floor,
A log the pillow for his head—
Nor straw nor blanket for his bed;
His locks with age were hoar!
'Twas sad upon his blanched cheek
To see what furrows grief had made—
A poor old man bereft of aid—
Ah! who his woes shall speak?
What was the glorious world to him?
The jewelled sky? the earth in bloom?
Confined within a living tomb,
Useless was every limb:
As if he were a beast of prey—
The deadly foe of human kind—
Strong bolts and bars his frame confined,
Lest he should break away!
His food was scanty, coarse, unchanged
Through grates he gasped for vital air:
Thieves, cut-throats, his companions were—
From virtue's path estranged.
Yet in his country's proud defence,
He once his blood had freely pour'd,
And valiantly had borne the sword—
This was his recompense!
What was his crime, do you inquire?
The worst of all—'Twas poverty!
He owed his neighbor dollars three,
His neighbor bound him in his ire!
Not long did the old man remain
Within his lone and gloomy cell;
Thanks to a friend!—What friend pray tell?
'Twas Death that broke his chain.
He lay upon a loathsome floor,
A log the pillow for his head—
Nor straw nor blanket for his bed;
His locks with age were hoar!
'Twas sad upon his blanched cheek
To see what furrows grief had made—
A poor old man bereft of aid—
Ah! who his woes shall speak?
What was the glorious world to him?
The jewelled sky? the earth in bloom?
Confined within a living tomb,
Useless was every limb:
As if he were a beast of prey—
The deadly foe of human kind—
Strong bolts and bars his frame confined,
Lest he should break away!
His food was scanty, coarse, unchanged
Through grates he gasped for vital air:
Thieves, cut-throats, his companions were—
From virtue's path estranged.
Yet in his country's proud defence,
He once his blood had freely pour'd,
And valiantly had borne the sword—
This was his recompense!
What was his crime, do you inquire?
The worst of all—'Twas poverty!
He owed his neighbor dollars three,
His neighbor bound him in his ire!
Not long did the old man remain
Within his lone and gloomy cell;
Thanks to a friend!—What friend pray tell?
'Twas Death that broke his chain.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Poor Debtor
Debtors Prison
Veteran Imprisoned
Poverty Crime
Social Injustice
Poem Details
Title
The Poor Debtor.
Subject
Imprisonment For Debt
Key Lines
What Was His Crime, Do You Inquire?
The Worst Of All—'Twas Poverty!
He Owed His Neighbor Dollars Three,
His Neighbor Bound Him In His Ire!
'Twas Death That Broke His Chain.