Advertisement

By Thomas Moore

    [1]     Missing or lost, last Sunday night,         A Waterloo coin whereon was traced     The inscription, "Courage!" in letters bright,         Tho' a little by rust of years defaced.     The metal thereof is rough and hard,         And ('tis thought of late) mixt up with brass;     But it bears the stamp of Fame's award,         And thro' all Posterity's hands will pass.     How it was lost God only knows,         But certain City thieves, they say,     Broke in on the owner's evening doze,         And filched this "gift of gods" away!     One ne'er could, of course, the Cits suspect,         If we hadn't that evening chanced to see,     At the robbed man's door a Mare elect         With an ass to keep her company.     Whosoe'er of this lost treasure knows,         Is begged to state all facts about it,     As the owner can't well face his foes,         Nor even his friends just now without it.     And if Sir Clod will bring it back,         Like a trusty Baronet, wise and able,     He shall have a ride on the whitest hack[2]         That's left in old King George's stable.

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline


Share the Love of Poetry

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a fascinating narrative that weaves together themes of loss, valor, and a subtle critique of societal structures. The central motif is a lost Waterloo coin, inscribed with the word "Courage" - a direct link to the historical Battle of Waterloo. The coin's material composition and the inscription, somewhat tarnished by time, hint at an undercurrent of valor now faded, an echo of past glory.

The poem's tone oscillates between lamentation for a lost relic and a wry commentary on societal ills, underscored by the reference to "City thieves." There's a degree of irony in the theft of an item symbolizing courage. The final stanzas transform the poem into an appeal for the coin's return, offering a reward in a tone that combines earnestness with a touch of humor. This duality of tone is further echoed in the poem's structure, which alternates between direct statements and more figurative language, creating a balance between the tangible loss of the coin and the intangible loss of courage it represents.

The use of end rhyme and a consistent rhythm contribute to the poem's accessibility, and its narrative structure allows it to tell a complete story, inviting the reader into a world where courage can be physically stolen and then possibly returned. The poem is a clever exploration of heroism, memory, and societal values, using the symbol of the lost coin as a powerful metaphor for wider human experiences.

Understanding Satirical Poetry

Satirical poems use wit, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose folly—personal, social, or political. The aim isn’t just laughter: it’s critique that nudges readers toward insight or change.


Common characteristics of satirical poetry:

  • Targeted Critique: Focuses on specific behaviors, institutions, or ideas—often timely, sometimes timeless.
  • Tools of Irony: Uses sarcasm, parody, understatement, and hyperbole to sharpen the point.
  • Voice & Persona: Speakers may be unreliable or exaggerated to reveal contradictions and hypocrisy.
  • Form Flexibility: Appears in couplets, tercets, quatrains, blank verse, or free verse—music serves the mockery.
  • Moral Pressure: Beneath the humor lies ethical pressure—satire seeks reform, not merely amusement.
  • Public & Personal: Can lampoon public figures and trends or needle private vanities and everyday pretenses.

The best satire balances bite with craft: memorable lines that entertain while revealing the gap between how things are and how they ought to be.