Poetry · Chapter
XL explained
A brief epitaph for Porter Ashe, noting his death and burial, with a wry observation that he serves the turf better in death than he did in life as a patron of horse racing.
What happens
A brief epitaph for Porter Ashe, noting his death and burial, with a wry observation that he serves the turf better in death than he did in life as a patron of horse racing.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Regret
The chapter reflects on death and the finality of the grave, with a hint of irony regarding Porter Ashe's past life.
Characters to notice
- Porter Ashe
Deceased and buried; his mound is covered with green grass.
Key passages
“Here Porter Ashe is in the ground Green grows the grass upon his mound. This patron of the turf, I vow, Ne’er served it half so well as now.”
Porter Ashe is buried here; grass grows green on his grave. He was a supporter of horse racing, but he never served the turf as well in life as he does now in death.
A satirical epitaph suggesting that Ashe's corpse fertilizes the grass better than he ever supported the racetrack.