{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/to-a-word-warrior",
 "title": "To a Word-Warrior",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "book_slug": "black-beetles-in-amber",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 66,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1892,
  "venue": "Black Beetles in Amber (1892)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier"
  ]
 },
 "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": 68,
  "n_stanzas": 17,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 47,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
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 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Frank Pixley, you, who kiss the hand",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That strove to cut the country’s throat,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Cannot forgive the hands that smote",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Applauding in a distant land⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Applauding carelessly, as one",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The weaker willing to befriend",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Until the quarrel’s at an end,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Then learn by whom it was begun.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When North was pitted against South",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Non-combatants on either side",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "In calculating fury vied,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And fought their foes by word of mouth.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "That mad logomachy you led",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With formidable feats of tongue.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Then on the battle’s rear you hung⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "With Samson’s weapon slew the dead!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So hot the ardor of your soul",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That every fierce civilian came",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "His torch to kindle at your flame,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Or have you blow his cooling coal.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Men prematurely left their beds",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And sought the gelid bath⁠—so great",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The heat and splendor of your hate",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of Englishmen and “Copperheads.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "King Liar of deceitful men,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For imposition doubly armed!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The patriots whom your speaking charmed",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "You stung to madness with your pen.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "There was a certain journal here,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Its English owner growing rich⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Your hand the treason wrote for which",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A mob cut short its curst career.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If, Pixley, you had not the brain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To know the true from false, or you",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To Truth had courage to be true,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And loyal to her perfect reign;",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If you had not your powers arrayed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To serve the wrong by tricksy speech,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor pushed yourself within the reach",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of retribution’s accolade,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "I had not had the will to go",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Outside the olive-bordered path",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of peace to cut the birch of wrath,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And strip your body for the blow.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Behold how dark the war-clouds rise",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "About the mother of our race!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The lightnings gild her tranquil face",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And glitter in her patient eyes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Her children throng the hither flood",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And lean intent above the beach.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Their beating hearts inhibit speech",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "With stifling tides of English blood.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Their skies, but not their hearts, they change",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who go in ships across the sea”⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Through all centuries to be",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The strange new land will still be strange.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The Island Mother holds in gage",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The souls of sons she never saw;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Superior to law, the law",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of sympathetic heritage.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Forgotten now the foolish reign",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of wrath which sundered trivial ties.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A soldier’s sabre vainly tries",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To cleave a spiritual chain.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The iron in our blood affines,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though fratricidal hands may spill.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Shall Hate be throned on Bunker Hill,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet Love abide in Seven Pines?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}