{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/a-man",
 "title": "A Man",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume V",
 "book_slug": "collected-works-v",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 1,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1911,
  "venue": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume V (1911)",
  "note": "Taken from Volume V of the Neale collected edition (copyright 1911). That is the printing this text comes from, not the poem's first appearance: the volume's own preface states that most of its verses are republished from newspapers and periodicals of the Pacific Coast, and which of them printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "black-beetles-in-amber.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4793",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12658",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12977",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15599",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof08bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/literarycalifor05mighgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/cali07webb"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 63,
  "n_stanzas": 4,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 49,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Casting to South his eye across the bourne",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of his dominion (where the Palmiped,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With leathers ’twixt his toes, paddles his marsh,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Amphibious) saw a rising cloud of hats,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And heard a faint, far sound of distant cheers",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Below the swell of the horizon. “Lo,”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Cried one, “the President! the President!”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All footed webwise then took up the word⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The hill tribes and the tribes lacustrine⁠—all",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The folk riparian and littoral,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Cried with one voice: “The President! He comes!”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And some there were who flung their headgear up",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In emulation of the Southern mob,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While some, more soberly disposed, stood still",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And silently had fits; and others made",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Such reverent genuflections as they could,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Having that climate in their bones. Then spake",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Court Dunce, humbly, as became him: “Sire,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If thou, as heretofore thou hast, wilt deign",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To reap advantage of a fool’s advice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "By action ordered after nature’s way,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As in thy people manifest (for still",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Stupidity’s the only wisdom) thou",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Wilt get thee straight unto to the border land",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To mark the President’s approach with such",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Due, decent courtesy as it shall seem",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We have in custom the best warrant for.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Eyeing the storm of hats which darkened all",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Southern sky, and hearing far hurrahs",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of an exulting people, answered not.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then some there were who fell upon their knees,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And some upon their Governor, and sought",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Each in his way, by blandishment or force,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To gain his action to their end. “Behold,”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They said, “thy brother Governor to South",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Met him even at the gateway of his realm,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Crook-kneed, magnetic-handed and agrin,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Backed like a rainbow⁠—all things done in form",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of due observance and respect. Shall we",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Alone of all his servitors refuse",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Swift welcome to our master and our lord?”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Answered them not, but turned his back to them",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And as if speaking to himself, the while",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He started to retire, said: “He be damned!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "To that High Place o’er Portland’s central block,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where the Recording Angel stands to view",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The sinning world, nor thinks to move his feet",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Aside and look below, came flocking up",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Inferior angels, all aghast, and cried:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Has said, O what an awful word!⁠—too bad",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To be by us repeated!” “Yes, I know,”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Said the superior bird⁠—“I heard it too,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And have already booked it. Pray observe.”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Splitting the giant tome, whose covers fell",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Apart, o’ershadowing to right and left",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Eastern and the Western world, he showed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The newly written entry, black and big⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Upon the credit side of thine account,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}