What is it about?
When I was a young teacher I shared a flat with a clergyman whose unhappy past led him to treat people badly. The earlier part of the poem gives a thumbnail sketch of the man as I remember him. It later tells how ‘some Sundays’ he would sleep until late, eat an enormous lunch downed with ‘silver’ gin, and head off to evensong, where he would preach to a duped congregation. The closing lines suggest the day will come when he is found out. Few will listen to him then.
Featured Image
Photo by Emmanuel Butrón Zapata on Unsplash
Why is it important?
It is important to know people for what they actually are, because perverse types like this clergyman can wreak havoc on those who trust implicitly. Don’t be conned by outward appearances.
Perspectives
It was therapeutic for me to be able to extract something positive from a bad situation. In this case, a mildly amusing poem.
John Simon
English Academy Review
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Imposter, English Academy Review, July 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10131752.2018.1543176.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
