Poetry · Character
The Master
The imperious "Master" whom Bierce's speakers address in verse, alternately flattered, defied, and blamed for promises left unkept.
supporting
Also known as thy, your, The Master
First appearance: poetry
As a supporting figure in Poetry, The Master is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Creates Adam from clay, leaving an empty cavity.
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In Bierce's satirical poems, the Master is the unnamed authority — patron, editor, or lover — whom the speaker petitions and reproaches in the same breath. The tension is contractual and emotional: a bargain struck in…
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See The Master in poetryCharacter Web
40 connectionsA slice of how The Master sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Personifications and Named Characters
- Protagonist
- Religious and Historical Figures
- Diverse Allegorical and Named Figures
+35 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative 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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The Master appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Genesis
- Thanksgiving
- The God's View-Point
- The Woman and the Devil
- Two Methods
- God Complies
- A Hasty Inference
- A Voluptuary
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for The Master unlock in the free preview.
See The Master in poetry