# F. A. Cotharin explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

A brief, humorous poem about an insurance salesman who has sold a policy to the narrator, who jokingly vows to die before the next premium is due.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Satire

The poem uses dark humor and a punchline to satirize insurance sales and the narrator's ironic revenge.

### Work and Profession

Highlights the insurance salesman's profession and the transactional relationship with a customer.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker who has been sold insurance by F. A. Cotharin and plans to get even by dying before the premium is due.

## Key lines

> Has he sold insurance to you? Well, brother, he landed me, too. But I’ve figured how I Can get even: I’ll die Before there’s a premium due.

The narrator confirms that F. A. Cotharin sold him insurance, and he plans to outsmart the salesman by dying before the next payment is required.

_The narrator's witty retaliation against the insurance salesman._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/f-a-cotharin
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters