BY CLEMENT MAROT by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem delivers a biting and humorous critique of a corrupt friar named Lubin, who excels at all the wrong pursuits—like theft, seduction, and hypocrisy—while being utterly inept at anything virtuous.
The poem
To gallop off to town post-haste, So oft, the times I cannot tell; To do vile deed, nor feel disgraced,-- Friar Lubin will do it well. But a sober life to lead, To honor virtue, and pursue it, That's a pious, Christian deed,-- Friar Lubin can not do it. To mingle, with a knowing smile, The goods of others with his own, And leave you without cross or pile, Friar Lubin stands alone. To say 't is yours is all in vain, If once he lays his finger to it; For as to giving back again, Friar Lubin cannot do it. With flattering words and gentle tone, To woo and win some guileless maid, Cunning pander need you none,-- Friar Lubin knows the trade. Loud preacheth he sobriety, But as for water, doth eschew it; Your dog may drink it,--but not he; Friar Lubin cannot do it.
This poem delivers a biting and humorous critique of a corrupt friar named Lubin, who excels at all the wrong pursuits—like theft, seduction, and hypocrisy—while being utterly inept at anything virtuous. Each stanza details Lubin's misdeeds with skill, then transitions to reveal what he "cannot do" when it comes to good actions. It's a satirical depiction that relies on repetition and irony to drive the message home more powerfully with each instance.
Line-by-line
To gallop off to town post-haste, / So oft, the times I cannot tell;
To mingle, with a knowing smile, / The goods of others with his own,
With flattering words and gentle tone, / To woo and win some guileless maid,
Tone & mood
The tone is sardonic and playful, almost gleeful. Longfellow (translating Marot) maintains a light, bouncy rhythm that makes the content — theft, seduction, hypocrisy — feel more like a roast than a sermon. There’s no real anger, just the cool, confident mockery of someone who finds the subject more absurd than threatening. The repetition of the refrain gives it the vibe of a drinking song or a joke with a dependable punchline.
Symbols & metaphors
- Friar Lubin — Lubin isn't merely a bad clergyman; he's a symbol of the hypocrisy found within religious institutions. By portraying him as a friar—someone who has vowed to live in poverty, chastity, and obedience—the poem amplifies every vice he embodies. He highlights the disparity between the Church's teachings and the actions of some of its followers.
- Water — Water symbolizes sobriety, purity, and self-denial—qualities that a friar is meant to embody. Lubin's refusal to drink it, despite preaching sobriety to others, serves as the poem's most striking depiction of hypocrisy. Even a dog, lacking any moral code, will drink water; Lubin refuses.
- Cross or pile — A coin flip phrase that refers to heads or tails — essentially, not a single penny. It’s a vivid, relatable image that anchors the satire in the day-to-day world of finance. Lubin doesn’t just take abstractly; he wipes people out entirely.
- The refrain ("Friar Lubin cannot do it") — The repeated line serves as both punchline and verdict. Each time it comes up, it shuts down any chance of redemption for Lubin. This repetition echoes the way a legal charge is read out loud or how a congregation might respond in unison, adding an ironic twist considering the religious context.
Historical context
Clément Marot (1496–1544) was a French Renaissance poet celebrated for his sharp wit, satirical tone, and his frequent clashes with Church authorities. This poem is one of his epigrams aimed at clerical corruption, a hot topic in a time when the Catholic Church's moral authority was being seriously challenged — the Protestant Reformation was happening during Marot's lifetime, and he had Lutheran sympathies that often led to his exile. Longfellow translated some of Marot's works as part of his effort to introduce European poetry to American audiences. His translation maintains Marot's lively, song-like rhythm and the ironic refrain structure, which makes the satire feel more entertaining than just a critique. By publishing it under the title "By Clement Marot," Longfellow indicated that he viewed himself as a faithful conduit rather than an original creator.
FAQ
Both, in a way. Clément Marot, a French poet from the 16th century, penned the original work. Longfellow translated it into English in the 19th century. The title "By Clement Marot" reflects Longfellow's acknowledgment of the source. The concepts and structure belong to Marot; the English phrasing comes from Longfellow.
The poem portrays Friar Lubin as a hypocrite — adept at every vice yet unable to embrace any virtue. On a larger scale, it's a satirical critique of corrupt clergy who preach one thing but practice another. The core message is that hypocrisy in a religious leader is particularly egregious because they exploit a moral authority that they genuinely lack.
It's an old saying that refers to the two sides of a coin — heads (cross) and tails (pile). When someone says a person is left "without cross or pile," it means they've been left with nothing at all, not a single coin. It's a striking way to express that Lubin wipes people out entirely.
The refrain "Friar Lubin cannot do it" / "Friar Lubin will do it well" establishes a catchy call-and-response rhythm reminiscent of a song or a joke with a solid punchline. Each stanza adds to a growing list of Lubin's talents for mischief, while the refrain delivers the ironic twist. This repetition enhances the satire, and by the third stanza, the conclusion feels definitive.
No. "Friar Lubin" is a fictional character created by Marot to represent a type—a mix of corrupt clergy instead of a particular person. The name "Lubin" in French culture is linked to someone simple or foolish, which adds to the mockery: this character isn't a clever villain, just a greedy, self-indulgent hypocrite.
Irony drives the piece. The poem lauds Lubin's vices as if they are talents, while highlighting his failure to be virtuous as a shortcoming. By portraying wickedness as a form of skill and goodness as something he simply can't achieve, the poem renders his corruption absurd rather than merely evil.
It's the poem's sharpest insult. A dog lacks a moral code, no vows, and no pretensions to virtue — yet even a dog will drink water (a symbol of sobriety and purity). Lubin, who has taken religious vows and preaches sobriety, refuses to. This comparison positions him morally beneath an animal, which is as low as satire can get.
Marot penned his work during the early Reformation, a time when criticizing the Catholic Church's corruption was both common and perilous. Mocking corrupt friars was a popular literary tactic—Chaucer had done it two centuries prior, and Erasmus was actively doing the same around the same time as Marot. With Protestant sympathies himself, Marot faced exile twice due to his religious beliefs, making this type of poem a significant personal risk.