# Heine — Poetry character guide

> Heine in Poetry by Ring Lardner.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the Great Heine

**First appearance:** 0005-heine-s-soliloquy

## Snapshot

The Great Heine, a batsman whose frozen silence after a disputed third strike turns a blown call into a study in dignified, jaw-locked restraint.

## Who they are

Heine is the batter at the plate when William's pitch is called strike three, a decision he knows was outside and high. Rather than argue, he makes no reply and asks no query, his locked jaws earning him the other half of the big hundred alongside Zim. He matters because his wordless composure, set against the bellowing players on every side, crystallizes the collection's recurring fascination with quiet endurance under unfair judgment.

## In the story

### [In the Wake of the News](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/in-the-wake-of-the-news)

Central figure in 'Heine's Soliloquy,' contemplating the dilemma of protesting an umpire's call versus losing money.

### [Opening Chorus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/opening-chorus)

Mentioned among those being said goodbye to

### [A Split Century](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/a-split-century)

The batter who silently takes a called third strike, embodying stoic discipline.

### [Heine's Soliloquy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/heine-s-soliloquy)

The speaker of the soliloquy, a baseball player wrestling with the decision to protest umpire calls or stay silent to protect his earnings.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters/heine
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters