{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/a-single-termer",
 "title": "A Single Termer",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume IV",
 "book_slug": "collected-works-iv",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 9,
 "container": "Shapes of Clay",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1910,
  "venue": "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume IV (1910)",
  "note": "Taken from Volume IV of the Neale collected edition (copyright 1910). That is the printing this text comes from, not the poem's first appearance: the volume's own preface speaks of the verses republished in this volume and the next, and which newspaper or earlier book printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "shapes-of-clay.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": 16,
  "n_stanzas": 4,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 48,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "When Senator Foraker came to die",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His features lit up with a glow,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And he said: “I am going to dwell on high",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the Democrats down below.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“I have kept the faith, I have fought the fight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To the Trusts forever true.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "With Elkins to lead, I have followed the light⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Saint Peter, it’s up to you.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Said Peter: “We strive to please in vain;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Many a soul coming here",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Escapes to earth to be born again",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And resume the old career.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Here he opened the gate. “Although, no doubt,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This fellow’s a son of sin.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The devil himself can’t keep him out.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But I’ll lock the fine gentleman in.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}