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Poem
January 25, 1794
The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A didactic poem decrying the perils of gaming, which ignites avarice, erodes honesty and reason, torments the soul, and ultimately leads to a life of folly and death as a knave.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
ON GAMING.
Once let the breast this fatal passion seize,
And avarice succeeds, by slow degrees,
At her approach, true honesty withdraws;
No more the judgment yields to reason's laws;
A thousand cares the tortured soul molest;
Nature no longer takes her wonted rest;
So much the love of gold employs the mind,
It leaves no trace of former worth behind.
The heart that once could feel a social pain,
Is lost to ev'ry pleasure, now, but gain:
The cheated dupe, instructed by his wound,
Learns to dispense the mischiefs he has found;
Creeps, like a wretch, neglected to his grave,
And, as he liv'd a fool, he dies a knave.
Once let the breast this fatal passion seize,
And avarice succeeds, by slow degrees,
At her approach, true honesty withdraws;
No more the judgment yields to reason's laws;
A thousand cares the tortured soul molest;
Nature no longer takes her wonted rest;
So much the love of gold employs the mind,
It leaves no trace of former worth behind.
The heart that once could feel a social pain,
Is lost to ev'ry pleasure, now, but gain:
The cheated dupe, instructed by his wound,
Learns to dispense the mischiefs he has found;
Creeps, like a wretch, neglected to his grave,
And, as he liv'd a fool, he dies a knave.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Gaming
Avarice
Honesty
Moral Decay
Vice
Poem Details
Title
On Gaming.
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Creeps, Like A Wretch, Neglected To His Grave,
And, As He Liv'd A Fool, He Dies A Knave.