# Reginald's Rubaiyat explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Saki.

## What happens

Reginald recounts his failed attempts at writing poetry for a duchess's album, including a Hymn to the New Year, a quatrain about an unwholesome egg, and a parody of a French classic, all of which are rejected for various reasons. He eventually tricks the duchess by inserting a Tibetan fragment under Agatha's autograph, and then reveals he is actually free to dine with the listener.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Moral Facade

The duchess's contradictory objections to political allusions and bribery, while engaging in electioneering.

### The Absurdity of Social Rituals

The duchess's insistence on a 'Persian and decadent' yet morally safe poem for her album.

### Rebellion and Individuality

Reginald's defiance in writing a forbidden Tibetan fragment and his final declaration of dining elsewhere.

## Character check-ins

### Reginald

Narrator and protagonist, attempts to write poetry for the duchess's album.

### Clovis Sangrail

Implied listener of Reginald's story, addressed as 'you' in the final paragraph.

## Key lines

> The chief qualification, I understand, is that you must be born.

The only requirement for being a poet is being alive.

_Reginald's sarcastic take on poetic talent._

> It suggested extremely unusual things to absolutely unlikely people, which I believe is the art of first-class catering in any department.

Good poetry, like good catering, should offer unexpected experiences to those who least expect them.

_Reginald's philosophy of art as provocation._

> I thought it much cleverer to give the grapes to the former and the political literature to the sick woman, and the duchess was quite absurdly annoyed about it afterwards.

I swapped the gifts, giving grapes to the voter and pamphlets to the sick woman, which the duchess found infuriating.

_Reginald's mischievous electioneering tactic._

> I said I didn't believe Agatha had a quick, and we got quite heated in arguing the matter.

I claimed Agatha lacked sensitivity, leading to a heated argument.

_Reginald's witty retort about Agatha's emotional depth._

> That Agatha would get on to a yak in company with a lover even in the comparative seclusion of Tibet is unthinkable.

Agatha would never ride a yak with a lover, even in remote Tibet.

_Reginald's mockery of Agatha's prudishness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/reginald-s-rubaiyat
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters