A Challenge.

By Walter R. Cassels

Dialogue
    What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     My heart is true as steel,     Steady still in woe and weal,     Strong to bear, though quick to feel--     Take my hand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     Only my own ease seek I,     I am deaf to Pity's cry,     If men hunger, let them die--     Traitor! stand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     I've a kiss for maiden fair,     I've a blow for who may dare,     I've a song to banish care--     Take my hand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     I'm your servant whilst you're great,     As you sink, my cares abate,     When you're poor you have my hate,--     Traitor! stand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     If you trust me, I'll be true,     If you slight me, I'll slight you,     If you wrong me, you shall rue--     Take my hand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     I can work with any tools--     Clothe myself by stripping fools--     Bend the knee whoever rules--     Traitor! stand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     I've a heart that hates all wrong,     Aids the weak against the strong,     Loves the Truth, and seeks it long--     Take my hand!     What art thou--friend or foe?     Stand! stand!     I forgive no woman's sin,     Hunt her with self-righteous mien,     Never take her, mourning, in     From the desert of her sin--     Traitor! stand!     What art thou--friend or foe!     Stand! stand!     I've a heart that melts at sorrow,     I've a store the poor may borrow     I'm the same to-day, to-morrow--     Take my hand!

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem explores the complexities of human nature through the voice of a deeply conflicted individual. The speaker oscillates between stark pronouncements of self-interest and surprising displays of empathy, creating a sense of moral dissonance. The poem's structure, with its repetitive refrain What art thou friend or foe? and the insistent command Stand! stand!, underscores this internal struggle. The speaker's voice is both direct and self-contradictory, shifting abruptly between pronouncements of indifference (If men hunger, let them die) and expressions of compassion (I've a heart that melts at sorrow). This internal conflict is further emphasized by the imagery of duality: the speaker offers both a kiss for maiden fair and a blow for who may dare, highlighting the simultaneous presence of both love and aggression. The poem's volta occurs in the final stanza, where the speaker's earlier pronouncements of self-interest are replaced by a surprising declaration of constancy and generosity. Ultimately, the poem leaves the reader questioning the speaker's true nature, unsure whether their words are a mask or a sincere reflection of their complex inner world. The poem's exploration of moral ambiguity suggests a deep understanding of the human condition.