Poetry · Chapter
XV: C. P. Berry explained
A satirical epitaph for C.
What happens
A satirical epitaph for C. P. Berry, likening him to a scarecrow—harmless in life and death, yet once feared. He is devoured by ravens and daws, leaving only a faint mark on earth.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
Berry is portrayed as a 'fair deceit'—a figure whose feared reputation masks his actual harmlessness, suggesting hypocrisy in how power is perceived.
Mortality and Regret
The epitaph reflects on Berry's death and the insignificance of his legacy, reduced to a 'straw Berry mark' on earth.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator delivers a mocking epitaph for C. P. Berry.
Key passages
“Here’s crowbait!—ravens, too, and daws Flock hither to advance their caws, And, with a sudden courage armed, Devour the foe who once alarmed— In life and death a fair deceit: Nor strong to harm nor good to eat.”
Berry's corpse is carrion for scavengers; the birds that once feared him now boldly feast. He was never truly dangerous or useful—just a deception.
The stanza emphasizes Berry's hollow threat and the irony of his posthumous consumption by those he once intimidated.
“King bogey of the scarecrow host, When known the least affrighting most, Though light his hand (his mind was dark) He left on earth a straw Berry mark.”
He was the bogeyman of scarecrows—most frightening to those who knew him least. His actions were weak, his intentions obscure, and his legacy as insubstantial as straw.
The closing lines cement Berry's insignificance, playing on his name with 'straw Berry mark' to underscore his ephemeral impact.