{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-yearly-lie",
 "title": "The Yearly Lie",
 "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": 186,
 "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": 27,
  "n_stanzas": 13,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 48,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "A merry Christmas? Prudent, as I live!⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You wish me something that you need not give.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Merry or sad, what does it signify?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To you ’tis equal if I laugh, or die.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Your hollow greeting, like a parrot’s jest,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Finds all its meaning in the ear addressed.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Why “merry” Christmas? Faith, I’d rather frown",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Than grin and caper like a tickled clown.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When fools are merry the judicious weep;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The wise are happy only when asleep.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "A present? Pray you give it to disarm",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A man more powerful to do you harm.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "’Twas not your motive? Well, I cannot let",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You pay for favors that you’ll never get.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Perish the ancient custom of the gift,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Founded in terror and maintained in thrift!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "What men of honor need to aid their weal",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They purchase, or, occasion serving, steal.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Go celebrate the day with turkeys, pies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sermons and psalms and, for the children, lies.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Let Santa Claus descend again the flue;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If Baby doubt it, swear that it is true.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“A lie well stuck to is as good as truth,”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And God’s too old to legislate for youth.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Hail Christmas! On my knees and fowl I fall;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For greater grace and better gravy call.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Vive l’Humbug!⁠—that’s to say, God bless us all!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}