# CVII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A brief aphorism suggesting that if women's vices worshiped their creators, men would boast of the adoration they inspire.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The aphorism implies a critique of male vanity and the moral double standards in how men perceive women's vices.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The line suggests a self-deceptive pride in the vices women embody, reflecting a twisted form of adoration.

## Key lines

> If the vices of women worshiped their creators men would boast of the adoration they inspire.

If women's flaws were to pay homage to the men who shaped them, those men would proudly claim the admiration they receive.

_The aphorism satirizes male ego and the tendency to take pride in the very faults they may have cultivated in women._

## Links

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