# The Troubadour explained — Poetry > Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce. ## What happens The narrator addresses Professor Gayley, praising his academic credentials while sharply criticizing his inability to write poetry. The speaker contrasts Gayley's scholarly authority with his poetic failures, advising him to teach by precept rather than example. The critique extends to Gayley's political views, particularly his hostility toward the British Empire, and the narrator ultimately declares a preference for being a Briton over sharing Gayley's ambitions. ## Themes in this chapter ### Art and Criticism The narrator critiques Professor Gayley's poetry, distinguishing between teaching literature and creating it, and advising that precept is better than example. ### Hypocrisy and Corruption Gayley is portrayed as a hypocrite: a professor of English who cannot write poetry and whose political views are deemed foolish. ## Character check-ins ### Professor Gayley Addressed as 'The Troubadour Professor Gayley'; praised for scholarship but criticized for poor poetry and political ranting. ## Key lines > You hold the Chair, so your credentials say, Of English Letters. That is well and fine. Through teaching diligently, line by line, You may yourself have the good luck some day To learn enough of it to bid you stay Your red right hand from making it. You are a professor of English, but perhaps through teaching you might eventually learn enough to stop writing poetry yourself. _The narrator suggests that Gayley's poetry is so poor that he should focus on teaching rather than writing._ > If you will work by precept, not example. You should teach by giving advice rather than by demonstrating your own flawed work. _A key piece of advice: Gayley's own poetry serves as a negative example._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/the-troubadour - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters