# The Birth of Virtue explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

In a primordial age of perfect transparency, thoughts and passions were openly visible. As time passed, this clarity faded, leading to concealment and deception. From this distrust, the goddess Virtue was born.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

The poem describes the loss of transparency and the rise of lies, directly engaging with the theme of deception.

### Nature and Artifice

The shift from natural openness to artificial concealment, culminating in the personified Virtue arising from distrust, explores the tension between nature and artifice.

## Key lines

> When, long ago, the young world circling flew Through wider reaches of a richer blue, New-eyed, the men and maids saw, manifest, The thoughts untold in one another’s breast⁠— Each wish displayed, and every passion learned; A look revealed them as a look discerned.

In the early days of the world, people could see each other's thoughts and feelings directly, without any need for words.

_Describes the original state of perfect transparency._

> But sating Time with clouds o’ercast their eyes; Desire was hidden, and the lips framed lies.

As time passed, people's vision became clouded, desires were concealed, and speech became deceitful.

_Explains the loss of transparency and the onset of deception._

> A goddess then, emerging from the dust, Fair Virtue rose, the daughter of Distrust.

From this atmosphere of suspicion, the goddess Virtue was born, arising from the dust of distrust.

_Introduces the origin of Virtue as a response to the loss of trust._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/the-birth-of-virtue
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters