Poetry · Chapter
A Political Apostate explained
The speaker addresses a former champion of freedom who has turned coat, now supporting the Southern cause and the subjugation of Black people.
What happens
The speaker addresses a former champion of freedom who has turned coat, now supporting the Southern cause and the subjugation of Black people. The poem criticizes political hypocrisy, the betrayal of principles for personal gain, and the futility of intellectual debate when giants of error lead the ignorant astray. It ends with a hope for a future governed by impartial chance rather than fallible human judgment.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The apostate's reversal of principles for political and material gain, symbolized by the 'roaring trade in offices' and the betrayal of freedom.
Political Satire
The poem satirizes the apostate's shift from championing freedom to supporting oppression, using sharp irony and references to historical figures like Webster and Calhoun.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker who addresses the apostate with regret and scorn.
Key passages
“Ex-champion of Freedom, battle-lunged, No more, red-handed, or at least red-tongued, Brandish the javelin which by others thrown Clove Sambo's heart to quiver in your own!”
You were once a loud advocate for freedom, but now you wield the weapon that others used to kill Black people, and you feel the pain as if it were your own.
The speaker accuses the apostate of hypocrisy, having once opposed violence against Black people but now supporting it.
“The time must come—Heaven expedite the day!— When all mankind shall their decrees obey, And nations prosper in their peaceful sway.”
May the day soon arrive when humanity submits to the rule of chance rather than flawed judgment, leading to universal peace and prosperity.
The poem concludes with a utopian wish for a future governed by impartial dice, referencing Rabelais' 'honest judge'.