From Top to Bottom explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Hypocrisy and Corruption

  The narrator highlights the gap between religious ideals and the corrupt, ignorant behavior of priests across Buddhism and Christianity.

• Political Satire

  The poem mocks religious institutions and figures, using irony and direct address to critique their failings.

Characters to notice

• Mike de Young

  Mentioned as the subject the narrator intends to write about after descending from religious satire.

Key passages

• “Japan has 73,759 Buddhist priests, 'most of whom,' says a Christian missionary, 'are grossly ignorant, and many of them lead scandalous lives.'”

  A Christian missionary claims that the vast majority of Japan's many Buddhist priests are ignorant and immoral.

  Sets up the satirical contrast between religious ideals and reality.

• “O Buddha, had you but foreknown The vices of your priesthood It would have made you twist and moan As any wounded beast would.”

  If Buddha had foreseen the corruption of his priests, he would have been as anguished as a wounded animal.

  Imagines Buddha's hypothetical horror at the hypocrisy of his followers.

• “And yet the fact I can’t disguise That Deacon Rankin’s good and wise. ’Tis true he is not quite a priest, Nor more than half a preacher; But he exhorts as loud at least As any living creature. And when the plate is passed about He never takes a penny out.”

  Despite the general corruption, Deacon Rankin is genuinely good and wise, though not a full priest; he preaches loudly and never steals from the collection plate.

  Offers a rare positive example of religious integrity, albeit with ironic undercutting.

• “When from the humming-bird I’ve wrung A plume I’ll write of Mike de Young.”

  After I've accomplished something as delicate as extracting a feather from a hummingbird, I'll turn to writing about Mike de Young.

  Ends with a whimsical promise to shift focus to a specific target of satire.