{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-saint-and-the-monk",
 "title": "The Saint and the Monk",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Shapes of Clay",
 "book_slug": "shapes-of-clay",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 146,
 "container": "Shapes of Clay",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1903,
  "venue": "Shapes of Clay (1903)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier"
  ]
 },
 "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": 38,
  "n_stanzas": 5,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 58,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Saint Peter at the gate of Heaven displayed",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The tools and terrors of his awful trade;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The key, the frown as pitiless as night,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "That slays intending trespassers at sight,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And, at his side in easy reach, the curled",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Interrogation points all ready to be hurled.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Straight up the shining cloudway (it so chanced",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "No others were about) a soul advanced⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A fat, orbicular and jolly soul",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "With laughter-lines upon each rosy jowl⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A monk so prepossessing that the saint",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Admired him, breathless until weak and faint,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Forgot his frown and all his questions too,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Forgoing even the customary “Who?”⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Threw wide the gate and with a friendly grin",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Said, “ ’Tis a very humble home, but pray walk in.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The soul smiled pleasantly. “Excuse me, please⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Who’s in there?” By insensible degrees",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The impudence dispelled the saint’s esteem,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "As dawning consciousness dispels a dream.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The frown began to blacken on his brow,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "His hand to reach for “Whence?” and “Why?” and “How?”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“O, no offense, I hope,” the soul explained;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“I’m rather⁠—well, particular. I’ve strained",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A point in coming here at all; ’tis said",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "That Susan Anthony (I hear she’s dead",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "At last) and all her followers are here.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "As company, they’d be⁠—confess it⁠—rather queer.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The saint replied, his rising anger past:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“What can I do?⁠—the law is hard-and-fast,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Albeit unwritten and on earth unknown⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "An oral order issued from the Throne:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "By but one sin has Woman e’er incurred",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "God’s wrath. To accuse Them Loud of that would be absurd.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "That friar sighed, but, calling up a smile,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Said, slowly turning on his heel the while:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“Farewell, my friend. Put up the chain and bar⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "I’m going, so please you, where the pretty women are.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}