The poem portrays a publisher who has made his fortune by publishing works that are considered immoral and corrupting to society. The speaker of the poem sees this as a form of hypocrisy, as the publisher profits from works that he would likely condemn in private. The poem critiques the commercialization of literature and the ways in which publishers can profit from works that they do not truly believe in.
By John Greenleaf Whittier · First published 1842 · Genre: Satire, Poetry, Political Commentary