OH! RICH MAN, HEAR WHAT A. B. C. CAN SAY TO THEE.
AWAKE! Arouse! Arise!
Blest Britain’s bounties bear;
Cold care could cease could Cotton come –
Delight dispel despair.
Each Englishman engage,
From fear, from fainting free,
Give gratefully God’s gracious gifts;
Help hunger heartily.
Increasing indigence
Joint Justice justifies –
Kindness kens keenly knavish kin,
Love little loveth lies.
Methinks meek Misery
No niggard nothing needs.
Our onward-pressing op’ratives
Please pity – Pity pleads.
Quench quibbling – quarrels quench,
Reformers rock repose,
(So seldom such sleep silently,
‘Tis time to tie their toes.)
Undaunted, undismayed,
View Virtue’s victory
Where wrinkled Woe, where wretched Want
‘Xcels xerophagy.*Fasting among the early Christians.
Title:Oh! Rich Man, Hear What A. B. C. Can Say to Thee
Author:Alcæus
Publication:Rochdale Pilot
Published in:Rochdale
Date:Dec 5 1862
Keywords:charity, hunger, poverty
Commentary
This linguistically clever poem uses the alphabet through its twenty-six lines to appeal to the rich to help those impoverished by the Cotton Famine. Beyond its formal conceit is the implicit message that it would easy to solve the problems of poverty if those with the means only willed it – it would be like ABC. As with all exercises in this vein, the author struggles when it comes to the letters ‘x’ and ‘z’, but helpfully provides explanations of the obscure terms which are used by necessity. – SR