# LXXII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A single aphoristic statement defining a prude as someone who blushes at their own thoughts and flees from their desires.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The definition of a prude highlights the hypocrisy of feigning modesty while harboring impure thoughts.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The prude's virtuous flight from temptation is a form of self-deception about their own desires.

## Key lines

> A prude is one who blushes modestly at the indelicacy of her thoughts and virtuously flies from the temptation of her desires.

A prude is someone who is embarrassed by their own improper thoughts and pretends to be morally upright by avoiding what they actually want.

_This aphorism satirizes prudish behavior as a form of hypocrisy._

## Links

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