Salvationists
Salvationists - meaning Summary
Satire of Literary Pretension
The poem presents a speaker who rallies their "songs" to denounce cultural and literary pretensions. They propose reviving a scornful label and deliberately alienating readers to expose rusticity, vulgarity, and stupidity in contemporary society. The tone is deliberately combative and ironic, using mock names and collective condemnation to satirize the literary establishment and affirm the poet's refusal to flatter popular taste.
Read Complete AnalysesI Come, my songs, let us speak of perfection We shall get ourselves rather disliked. II Ah yes, my songs, let us resurrect The very excellent term Rusticus. Let us apply it in all its opprobrium To those to whom it applies. And you may decline to make them immortal, For we shall consider them and their state In delicate Opulent silence. III Come, my songs, Let us take arms against this sea of stupidities- Beginning with Mumpodorus; And against this sea of vulgarities Beginning with Nimmim; And against this sea of imbeciles All the Bulmenian literati.
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