Poetry · Chapter
For Expulsion explained
The narrator addresses Brig.
What happens
The narrator addresses Brig. Roberts, who has seven wives, mocking his domestic situation and the social and political pressures he faces. The poem satirizes polygamy, political ambition, and the hypocrisy of moral condemnation, suggesting that the price of a seat in Congress and a bed in Hell is worth the shame and lamentation of family.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The poem highlights the hypocrisy of moral condemnation, where pious individuals with multiple mistresses criticize polygamy, and the corrupt bargain of political power for personal sacrifice.
Political Satire
The poem satirizes the political process, suggesting that a seat in Congress is worth the shame of abandoning wives and children, and that Hell is the ultimate reward for such ambition.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator speaks directly to Brig. Roberts, mocking his polygamous household and political aspirations.
Key passages
“They say, Brig. Roberts, you have seven wives, And every one a beauty! As to that I’m not informed; in the domestic hives Of Utah, where I’ve sometimes hung my hat, Not all the dames were comely.”
People claim you have seven beautiful wives, but I can't confirm that; in Utah, where I've stayed, not all women were attractive.
The narrator opens with a teasing remark about Roberts' wives, setting a satirical tone.
“If I had half as many wives as you (That’s three wives and a half as I compute) I hardly know what I’d be driven to. I might in desperation play the flute, Or Congress find in me a raw recruit.”
If I had three and a half wives like you, I'd be so desperate I might take up the flute or run for Congress.
The narrator humorously suggests that having many wives would drive a man to absurd pursuits, including politics.
“But that’s the smallest price for which we’ll sell A seat in Congress and a bed in Hell.”
That's the least we're willing to pay for a seat in Congress and a place in Hell.
The final lines underscore the cynical trade-off between moral compromise and political ambition.