# A "Scion of Nobility" explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The chapter mourns the departure of a charming but irresponsible baron who has run away, leaving behind a trail of broken matrimonial plans and unpaid debts. The community laments his loss, recalling his captivating ways and the financial and emotional investment they made in him.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

The baron's charming facade hides his true nature as a debtor and runaway, while the community deceives itself about his worth.

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The mourners' lament is tinged with self-interest, as they grieve the loss of financial gain and social standing more than the man himself.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator speaks as a collective 'we,' mourning the baron's departure and reflecting on his impact.

## Key lines

> Come, sisters, weep!—our Baron dear, Alas! has run away.

Let us mourn together, for our beloved Baron has fled.

_Opens the chapter with a call to collective grief over the baron's disappearance._

> He was so promising a man Whenever he did buy.

He seemed full of potential whenever he made a purchase.

_Highlights the baron's appeal as a customer, linking his promise to his spending._

> We loved the very fat upon His kidneys, for ’twas ours.

We cherished even the excess of his wealth because it benefited us.

_Illustrates the community's possessive affection for the baron's resources._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/a-scion-of-nobility
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters