On a Dog of Lord Eglingtons
On a Dog of Lord Eglingtons - meaning Summary
Loyalty and Moral Superiority
The poem adopts a dog's voice to assert simple ethical virtues: restraint, justice, and respect for the weak. The speaker insists it never barked needlessly, bit without cause, insulted those weaker, or wronged others by force or fraud. Through this humble catalogue of conduct the dog both celebrates animal fidelity and implicitly critiques human behavior. The closing ironic wish—that humans could truthfully claim the same moral standing—casts the dog as morally superior and prompts readers to reflect on human failings versus animal constancy.
Read Complete AnalysesI never barked when out of season, I never bit without a reason; I ne'er insulted weaker brother, Nor wronged by force or fraud another. We brutes are placed a rank below; Happy for man could he say so.
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