Poetry · Character

Frank Pixley

A word-warrior whom the verse addresses directly, the sort of sparring partner Bierce prefers to the critics he skewers elsewhere.

supporting

Also known as Pixley, a Word - Warrior Frank Pixley

First appearance: poetry

As a supporting figure in Poetry, Frank Pixley is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Arrives in a gloomy mood after being silenced at a convention; roars for a leg of beef and engages in a hostile stare-down with Gorham.

In the storyTwo DelegatesOpen this moment free

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In Two Delegates: Arrives in a gloomy mood after being silenced at a convention; roars for a leg of beef and engages in a hostile stare-down with Gorham. Later, in The Transmigrations of a Soul: Subject of the…

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Character Web

16 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Mythological and Word-Warrior Figures
Protagonist
Personifications and Named Characters
Religious and Historical Figures

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…

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In the story

Frank Pixley appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Two Delegates
Arrives in a gloomy mood after being silenced at a convention; roars for a leg of beef and engages in a hostile stare-down with Gorham.
The Transmigrations of a Soul
Subject of the narrator's vitriolic critique, accused of miserliness, drunkenness, hypocrisy, and lacking all noble virtues.
The Subdued Editor
The editor, described as 'Pope-eater Pixley,' chewing tobacco and imagining it as Papal blood, then subdued by the devil.
To a Word-Warrior
Addressed directly as a 'Word-Warrior,' Pixley is criticized for his inflammatory speech and writing during the Civil War, including inciting a mob that destroyed a newspaper.
The American Party
Mentioned as the other member of the party, referred to as 'Pixley' and compared to a kite that would sail.
Substance or Shadow
Mentioned as having a head easy to strike, a target for satire.
XVIII
Subject of the epitaph; described as a cynical scribe and muleteer who flattered for pay and hoarded his life away.
The Mummery
Appears as a character in the mummery, representing the blend of art and criticism.

Chapter companion notes

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See Frank Pixley in poetry

See Frank Pixley in Two Delegates