# XXIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A satirical epitaph in Sacramento City commemorates Dr. May with a wooden monument, mocking the fleeting nature of fame and the absurdity of posthumous recognition.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Corruption

The monument to Dr. May is a hollow gesture, critiquing the insincerity of public memorials and the corruption of true remembrance.

### Mortality and Regret

The poem reflects on death and the obscurity of Dr. May's burial, underscoring the futility of earthly fame against mortality.

## Character check-ins

### Fame

Personified as a trumpet that brays about Dr. May, highlighting the hollow nature of public acclaim.

## Key lines

> In Sacramento City here This wooden monument we rear In memory of Dr. May, Whose smile even Death could not allay.

We erect this wooden monument in Sacramento City to honor Dr. May, whose smile remained undimmed even by death.

_The opening lines establish the monument's purpose and Dr. May's cheerful defiance of mortality._

> He’s buried, Heaven alone knows where, And only the hyenas care;

His burial place is unknown, and only scavengers take any interest.

_Highlights the obscurity and neglect surrounding Dr. May's actual remains._

> Fame’s trumpet, with its brazen bray, Bawled; “Who (and why) was Dr. May?”

Fame's loud, harsh trumpet call asks who Dr. May was and why he mattered.

_Satirizes the empty noise of fame, which ultimately questions the very person it purports to celebrate._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/xxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters