# Matter for Gratitude explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A satirical poem that critiques the hypocrisy of giving thanks for divine favor in the form of spared suffering, contrasting San Francisco's relative safety with the devastation inflicted on neighboring regions like Mexico. It mocks the selective gratitude that celebrates survival while others perish, highlighting the absurdity of attributing natural disasters and diseases to divine will.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The poem satirizes the hypocrisy of thanking God for sparing one's own community while others suffer, exposing the corruption in interpreting divine will.

### Political Satire

Directly mocks Governor Stoneman and the political use of religious thanksgiving to justify selective divine favor.

## Key lines

> We thank Thee that Thou goest south to smite, And sparest San Francisco’s loins, to crack Thy lash on Hermosillo’s bleeding back

We are grateful that God punishes others instead of us.

_Highlights the selfish and hypocritical nature of the thanksgiving._

> We praise Thee, God, that Yellow Fever here His horrid banner has not dared to rear

We thank God that yellow fever did not strike here.

_Expresses relief at being spared while others suffer._

> O God, forgive them all, from Stoneman down, Thy smile who construe and expound Thy frown, And fall with saintly grace upon their knees To render thanks when Thou dost only sneeze.

Forgive those who misinterpret God's indifference as favor and thank Him for mere chance.

_Final stanza condemns the foolishness of attributing random events to divine intervention._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/matter-for-gratitude
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters