Poetry · Chapter
Another Aspirant explained
The poem warns George Dewey against pursuing Miss Columbia, citing the failed romantic and political pursuits of McKinley, Bryan, and Teddy Roosevelt, and ultimately advising him to set sail again.
What happens
The poem warns George Dewey against pursuing Miss Columbia, citing the failed romantic and political pursuits of McKinley, Bryan, and Teddy Roosevelt, and ultimately advising him to set sail again.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Political Satire
The poem satirizes the courtship of political power, personifying the nation as Miss Columbia and mocking the ambitions of Dewey, McKinley, Bryan, and Roosevelt.
- Deception and Self-Deception
Warns of Miss Columbia's deceptive nature, describing her as 'Satan's daughter with a breast of brass,' and cautions against self-deception in political pursuit.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator addresses George Dewey directly, offering cautionary advice.
- George Perry
Referenced as George Dewey, the naval hero and aspirant to political favor.
Key passages
“George Dewey, dear, I did not think that you— So very married and so happy, too— Would go philandering with another girl”
I didn't expect you, George Dewey, to be unfaithful to your wife by flirting with another woman.
The narrator expresses surprise at Dewey's political ambition, framing it as romantic infidelity.
“She’s no fool mermaid with a comb and glass, But Satan’s daughter with a breast of brass.”
She is not a naive seductress but a cunning and unyielding figure of evil.
Miss Columbia is portrayed as a dangerous, deceptive entity rather than a harmless temptress.
