The Old Stone Cross
The Old Stone Cross - meaning Summary
Cynic at the Crossroads
The poem stages a recurring figure—"the man in the golden breastplate" beneath an old stone cross—uttering sharp, worldly judgments. He condemns rote politicians, coercive journalists and theatrically crude actors, and worries that his era confuses folly with elegance and masks true feeling. The repeated speaker embodies a cynical, conservative voice that prefers detachment and mistrust of modern public life, warning readers about corrupted appearances and lost depth.
Read Complete AnalysesA statesman is an easy man, He tells his lies by rote; A journalist makes up his lies And takes you by the throat; So stay at home' and drink your beer And let the neighbours' vote, Said the man in the golden breastplate Under the old stone Cross. Because this age and the next age Engender in the ditch, No man can know a happy man From any passing wretch; If Folly link with Elegance No man knows which is which, Said the man in the golden breastplate Under the old stone Cross. But actors lacking music Do most excite my spleen, They say it is more human To shuffle, grunt and groan, Not knowing what unearthly stuff Rounds a mighty scene, Said the man in the golden breastplate Under the old stone Cross.
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