It Was Wrong to Do This, Said the Angel
'It was wrong to do this,' said the angel. 'You should live like a flower, Holding malice like a puppy, Waging war like a lambkin.' 'Not so,' quoth the man Who had no fear of spirits; 'It is only wrong for angels Who can live like the flowers, Holding malice like the puppies, Waging war like the lambkins.'
It Was Wrong to Do This, Said the Angel - meaning Summary
Inverting Moral Authority
The poem stages a brief exchange in which an angel reproves a man, urging gentle, innocent behavior, while the man retorts that those qualities suit angels, not humans. The reversal highlights different moral expectations: the angel prescribes idealized conduct; the man asserts a pragmatic distinction between celestial purity and human reality. The poem quietly questions moral absolutism and suggests empathy for human imperfection.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.