Poetry · Chapter
Philip R. Clarke explained
A brief, humorous quatrain about Philip R.
What happens
A brief, humorous quatrain about Philip R. Clarke, president of Federal Securities Corp. in Chicago, who wishes for an all-year-round baseball season instead of winter.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because the speaker confronts the painful realization that his child’s lov…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Humor and Satire
The quatrain uses lighthearted humor to express a whimsical wish for perpetual baseball season.
- Work and Profession
Philip R. Clarke is identified by his professional role as president of a securities corporation.
Characters to notice
- Philip R. Clarke
Subject of the quatrain; president of Federal Securities Corp., Chicago, who humorously advocates for a year-round baseball season.
Key passages
“He cannot see any good reason Why God made the winter to freeze in. If it were left out, He’d insist, this old scout, On an all-the-year-round baseball season.”
He sees no justification for winter's freezing cold; if it were eliminated, he would advocate for baseball to be played all year long.
Summarizes Clarke's humorous complaint about winter and his desire for perpetual baseball.
