Poetry · Chapter
Montefiore explained
The narrator dreams of the aged philanthropist Montefiore, surrounded by a reverent crowd of Jews and Gentiles praising his charitable deeds.
What happens
The narrator dreams of the aged philanthropist Montefiore, surrounded by a reverent crowd of Jews and Gentiles praising his charitable deeds. When Montefiore tosses a coin over their heads to escape the press, the crowd disperses, leaving him alone.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The crowd's fickle adoration—pressing close for a coin then vanishing—suggests superficial reverence and self-interest.
Deception and Self-Deception
The narrator's own participation in the clamor and the sudden solitude after the coin toss highlight the illusory nature of public acclaim.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator recounts a dream in which he joins a crowd praising Montefiore.
Key passages
“Montefiore I saw—’twas in a dream the other night— A man whose hair with age was thin and white: One hundred years had bettered by his birth, And still his step was firm, his eye was bright.”
The narrator dreamed of Montefiore, an old man with thin white hair who, despite being over a century old, remained vigorous and sharp-eyed.
Introduces Montefiore as an aged but vital figure.
“Before him and about him pressed a crowd. Each head in reverence was bared and bowed, And Jews and Gentiles in a hundred tongues Extolled his deeds and spoke his fame aloud.”
A diverse crowd surrounded Montefiore, all showing respect and praising his accomplishments in many languages.
Depicts the universal admiration for Montefiore's philanthropy.
“So closely round him swarmed our shouting clan He scarce could breathe, and taking from a pan A gleaming coin, he tossed it o'er our heads, And in a moment was a lonely man!”
The crowd pressed so tightly that Montefiore could barely breathe; he threw a coin over their heads, and instantly they scattered, leaving him alone.
Highlights the crowd's greed and the fleeting nature of their attention.