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Poem
September 20, 1797
The Kentucky Gazette
Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
What is this article about?
Satirical parody of Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, debating whether to dun debtors for cash to pay one's own debts, highlighting the pains of collection and gratitude to friends.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
To dun—or not to dun? that is the question:
Whether 'tis better that the purse should suffer
(For lack of cash) by baneful emptiness:
Or by a gentle dun to fill it up:
To dun! to get the money—and be enabled
To live and pay our debts—'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To dun—to be denied—
Denied, with 'call again'—Aye, there's the rub;
For in that 'call again' what evils come—
What disappointment—for chagrin and woe—
What time is wasted—and what shoes are worn
In consequence—must give me pain.
—It is this
That makes so many debts not worth collecting:
'Tis this which sickens business to despair,
And keeps from HONEST LABOR its reward.
While thus in language of complaint we speak,
We don't forget our many, many FRIENDS;
To THEM a debt of gratitude we owe:
To THEM our gratitude we freely pay.
By 1 by their kindness, till our bark shall sail,
Enjoy the pleasing calm, nor dread the boisterous
gale—
Whether 'tis better that the purse should suffer
(For lack of cash) by baneful emptiness:
Or by a gentle dun to fill it up:
To dun! to get the money—and be enabled
To live and pay our debts—'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To dun—to be denied—
Denied, with 'call again'—Aye, there's the rub;
For in that 'call again' what evils come—
What disappointment—for chagrin and woe—
What time is wasted—and what shoes are worn
In consequence—must give me pain.
—It is this
That makes so many debts not worth collecting:
'Tis this which sickens business to despair,
And keeps from HONEST LABOR its reward.
While thus in language of complaint we speak,
We don't forget our many, many FRIENDS;
To THEM a debt of gratitude we owe:
To THEM our gratitude we freely pay.
By 1 by their kindness, till our bark shall sail,
Enjoy the pleasing calm, nor dread the boisterous
gale—
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Epigram
What themes does it cover?
Commerce Trade
Moral Virtue
Friendship
What keywords are associated?
Dunning
Debts
Satire
Hamlet Parody
Business
Honest Labor
Friends
Gratitude
Poem Details
Form / Style
Parody Of Hamlet Soliloquy In Iambic Pentameter
Key Lines
To Dun—Or Not To Dun? That Is The Question:
To Dun! To Get The Money—And Be Enabled
Aye, There's The Rub;
And Keeps From Honest Labor Its Reward.
To Them Our Gratitude We Freely Pay.