# One Judge explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The narrator addresses Judge Wallace, praising him as a noble figure who remains morally upright despite the corruption around him. The narrator admits his own writing is driven by personal feelings rather than justice, but finds common ground with the judge in their shared freedom from persecution.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The narrator contrasts the judge's moral purity with the 'moral mire' and 'lawless thrift' of others, while admitting his own writing is motivated by personal feelings rather than justice.

## Character check-ins

### The Judge

Addressed as 'Judge Wallace,' praised for being a noble and morally upright figure.

## Key lines

> One Judge Wallace, created on a noble plan To show us that a Judge can be a Man; Through moral mire exhaling mortal stench God-guided sweet and foot-clean to the Bench

Judge Wallace was designed to demonstrate that a judge can remain human and virtuous, rising above corruption to reach the bench with divine guidance.

_Establishes the judge as a paragon of integrity in a corrupt world._

> Alas, not love of justice moves my pen To praise, or to condemn, my fellow men. Good will and ill its busy point incite: I do but gratify them when I write.

The narrator admits he writes not out of a sense of justice, but to satisfy his own feelings of goodwill or malice.

_Reveals the narrator's self-awareness about his own biases._

## Links

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