# Lt. Col. N. M. Percy explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

A brief limerick pays tribute to Lt. Col. N. M. Percy, a surgeon from Chicago, as recalled by a grateful doughboy whose life was saved through Percy's skill and divine mercy.

## Themes in this chapter

### Work and Profession

The limerick highlights the surgeon's professional skill and the gratitude of a patient, emphasizing the value of dedicated work in medicine.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The doughboy who speaks in the limerick, reflecting on his survival and the surgeon's unusual title.

## Key lines

> A doughboy, preserved by God’s mercy And the skill of a surgeon, said “Nursey, Will you tell me why This he-guy from Chi Travels round with a title like ‘Percy’?”

A soldier saved by divine grace and a surgeon's expertise asks a nurse why the Chicago doctor goes by the name 'Percy'.

_The doughboy's playful curiosity about the surgeon's name underscores the mix of gratitude and humor in the aftermath of war._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/lt-col-n-m-percy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters