Extempore - on Being Shown a Beautiful Country Seat
written in 1794
Extempore - on Being Shown a Beautiful Country Seat - meaning Summary
Wry Rejection of Flattered Praise
This very short extemporaneous piece is a sharp, humorous rebuff. The speaker concedes the addressee's claim to aesthetic charms but refuses to grant them personal possession or admiration, calling the person a "eunuch" as a cutting insult and telling them to keep those beauties "for others to enjoy." The tone is mocking and dismissive, suggesting envy, moral judgment, or social satire rather than sincere praise. It functions as a concise, ironic corrective to flattery or boastfulness.
Read Complete AnalysesWe grant they're thine, those beauties all, So lovely in our eye: Keep them, thou eunuch, Cardoness, For others to enjoy!
Feel free to be first to leave comment.