# CLII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A brief dialogue between a passerby and Contentment, who claims to have no shirt yet enjoys himself despite the cold, contrasting with the passerby's fine attire and discomfort.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

Contentment's claim of having no shirt may be a deceptive or paradoxical statement, highlighting the illusion of material comfort versus inner peace.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The passerby who questions Contentment, shivering in fine attire.

## Key lines

> Who art thou that despite the piercing cold and thy robe’s raggedness seemest to enjoy thyself?

Who are you, who seems happy even though you are poorly dressed in the bitter cold?

_The passerby expresses surprise at Contentment's apparent joy despite ragged clothing._

> I have no shirt. Pass on, Success.

I own no shirt. Move along, Success.

_Contentment reveals he has no shirt, dismissing the passerby as 'Success' and implying that material wealth is irrelevant to contentment._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/clii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters