Poetry · Chapter
W. R. Moorhouse explained
A brief limerick-style verse about W.
What happens
A brief limerick-style verse about W. R. Moorhouse, an insurance man from Chicago, contrasting his love for trap shooting with the speaker's preference for craps, humorously noting that both end the same way.
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 chapter uses a limerick to poke fun at W. R. Moorhouse's hobby and the narrator's own gambling, ending with a self-deprecating punchline.
- Work and Profession
W. R. Moorhouse is identified by his profession as an insurance man in Chicago, grounding the humor in his occupational identity.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The speaker who contrasts his own gambling habits with Moorhouse's trap shooting.
Key passages
“When this party comes out to play, The pigeons thank God they're but clay”
When Moorhouse goes trap shooting, the clay pigeons are lucky they aren't real birds.
The line humorously suggests that Moorhouse is such a good shot that real pigeons would be in danger.
“He loves to shoot traps, But I'd rather shoot craps, Though I always come out the same way.”
Moorhouse enjoys trap shooting, but the narrator prefers gambling with dice, though both activities end with the same result.
The narrator draws a parallel between the two pastimes, implying that neither is particularly profitable or successful for him.
