# The Committee on Public Morals explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The Senate in Sacramento lacks a committee on public morals despite their abundance. After a riotous quarrel among the senators, a committee is formed but public morals remain absent.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The Senate forms a committee on public morals while public morals are absent, highlighting political hypocrisy.

### Political Satire

The chapter satirizes the Senate's ineffective and hypocritical approach to public morality.

## Key lines

> The Senate met in Sacramento city; On public morals it had no committee, Though greatly these abounded.

The Senate convened in Sacramento without a committee on public morals, even though there was plenty of immorality around.

_Introduces the ironic lack of a morals committee despite rampant moral issues._

> Soon the quiet Was broken by the Senators in riot. Now, at the end of their infectious quarrels, There’s a committee but no public morals.

The peace was shattered by the senators' brawling. After their divisive arguments, a committee exists but public morals are still absent.

_Highlights the futile outcome of the senators' conflict._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/the-committee-on-public-morals
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters