What is the poem's main message?

Money is the universal language. Regardless of how refined or class-conscious European society may seem, everyone—from a street vendor in Paris to a merchant in Germany to an aristocrat who’s struggling financially—answers the same question: what's the price? Culture and class are merely window dressing on a transaction.

Who is the "titled mate all run down at the heel"?

This refers to the real-life trend of European noblemen who hold grand titles but lack financial resources, marrying wealthy American women or finding other ways to receive American funds. The title can be bought — all you need to do is ask, "What's the price?"

What does "soulless shrine" mean in the final stanza?

Field uses religious language with irony. A shrine is meant to be a sacred place of worship, but he describes Europe's version as "soulless" because what people really worship there isn't God, beauty, or tradition — it's money. The "twin idols" refer to the two price-related questions.

Is this poem anti-European or anti-American?

Both, a little. Field pokes fun at European pretension — the slick Frenchman, the so-called stoic German, the faded aristocrat — while also suggesting that Americans abroad are driven by greed ("greedy eyes"). The satire critiques materialism as a whole, rather than targeting any specific nationality.

What is the poem's meter and form?

Each stanza consists of eight lines that alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter — a ballad-like pattern known as common meter. This structure lends the poem a lively, sing-song quality that matches its humorous tone and makes it ideal for newspaper publication, allowing readers to quickly absorb it while enjoying the rhythm.

What does "Parleyvoo" mean?

It's American slang for a French person, coming from the French phrase *parlez-vous* ("do you speak?"). This term was often used in 19th-century American English in a somewhat teasing way, portraying the Frenchman as a stereotype rather than a unique individual.

Why does Field call the phrases "twin idols"?

An idol is essentially a false god—something people revere that lacks true divinity. By referring to the two price-related questions as idols, Field suggests that money has turned into the genuine religion of European society, with these two phrases serving as the familiar prayers everyone knows by heart.

The Annotated Edition

TWIN IDOLS by Eugene Field

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~2 minOpen reading mode →

A traveler in Europe, the poem suggests, only needs two phrases to navigate: the French "Combien" ("How much?") and the German "Wie viel?" ("How much?").

Poet: Eugene Field
Themes: art, beauty, freedom

The PoemFull text

TWIN IDOLS

Eugene Field

There are two phrases, you must know, So potent (yet so small) That wheresoe'er a man may go He needs none else at all; No servile guide to lead the way Nor lackey at his heel, If he be learned enough to say "Comme bien" and "Wie viel." The sleek, pomaded Parleyvoo Will air his sweetest airs And quote the highest rates when you "Comme bien" for his wares; And, though the German stolid be, His so-called heart of steel Becomes as soft as wax when he Detects the words "Wie viel." Go, search the boulevards and rues From Havre to Marseilles-- You'll find all eloquence you use Except "Comme bien" fails; Or in the country auf der Rhine Essay a business deal And all your art is good fuhr nein Beyond the point--"Wie viel." It matters not what game or prey Attracts your greedy eyes-- You must pursue the good old way If you would win the prize; It is to get a titled mate All run down at the heel, If you inquire of stock effete, "Comme bien" or "Wie viel." So he is wise who envieth not A wealth of foreign speech, Since with two phrases may be got Whatever's in his reach; For Europe is a soulless shrine In which all classes kneel Before twin idols, deemed divine-- "Comme bien" and "Wie viel."

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A traveler in Europe, the poem suggests, only needs two phrases to navigate: the French "Combien" ("How much?") and the German "Wie viel?" ("How much?"). Field's argument is that money speaks more powerfully than any language barrier, and that European society — from street vendors to aristocrats — all pay homage to the same deity: price. It's a clever, satirical critique of the notion that culture and class are merely commerce in disguise.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

There are two phrases, you must know, / So potent (yet so small)
Editor's note
Field starts with a tongue-in-cheek statement, as if he's sharing a well-kept travel secret. The play between "potent" and "small" sets up the humor right away: the most effective tool for an American traveling internationally isn't fluency or cultural knowledge — it's just two little questions about price.
The sleek, pomaded Parleyvoo / Will air his sweetest airs
Editor's note
"Parleyvoo" is slang for a Frenchman (from *parlez-vous*, "do you speak"). Field depicts him as vain and dramatic — with "pomaded" hair and an air of charm — but all that flair falls apart when a customer asks "Combien?" (spelled here phonetically as "Comme bien"). Compliments are merely a setup for a deal.
Go, search the boulevards and rues / From Havre to Marseilles--
Editor's note
Field expands his focus to encompass all of France, stretching from the northern port of Le Havre to the southern city of Marseilles. The takeaway: regardless of where you go, no amount of eloquence, charm, or linguistic ability will be as dependable as simply asking for the price. He then shifts to Germany — "auf der Rhine" — to illustrate the same idea in a different context.
It matters not what game or prey / Attracts your greedy eyes--
Editor's note
Here, Field expands the satire beyond just shopping. Phrases like "Game or prey" and "greedy eyes" suggest a more predatory nature—specifically, the popular American trend of affluent families acquiring European aristocratic titles through marriage. The "titled mate / All run down at the heel" refers to a financially struggling nobleman ready to exchange his title for money. The underlying question remains unchanged: how much?
So he is wise who envieth not / A wealth of foreign speech
Editor's note
The closing stanza presents the poem's main idea with a touch of sarcasm. There's no need to master French or German; what's important is understanding the price question in both languages. Field wraps up by describing Europe as a "soulless shrine," where people from all classes — whether high or low — revere money. The "twin idols" are the two phrases, raised to the level of false deities.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is dry, comic, and slightly cynical — the voice of a savvy American traveler who finds European pretension more amusing than impressive. Field maintains a light touch throughout; this is satire delivered with a grin, not a scowl. There's a lively rhythm to the meter that ensures the mockery feels playful rather than mean-spirited.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

"Comme bien" and "Wie viel": The two price-questions are the poem's central symbols—Field refers to them as "twin idols," false gods that European society secretly venerates. They represent the pervasive influence of money that lies beneath every layer of culture, class, and language.
The soulless shrine: Europe is portrayed as a shrine, yet it feels soulless. The use of religious language is intentionally ironic: what appears to be a continent rich in culture and history is, in reality, just a marketplace where everyone bows to the same altar of commerce.
The titled mate run down at the heel: The impoverished European aristocrat reflects the emptiness of inherited privilege. His title can be bought, showing that class is merely another commodity that comes with a price.
The pomaded Parleyvoo: The stylized, perfumed Frenchman embodies the pretentiousness of the Old World. His elaborate social rituals vanish as soon as money comes up, revealing that his charm is just a sales tactic.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field wrote this poem in the 1880s, a time when wealthy Americans were flocking to Europe as tourists and social climbers. The "Dollar Princess" phenomenon—American heiresses marrying cash-strapped European noblemen—was a real cultural flashpoint, later captured by Henry James and Edith Wharton in their novels. Field, a journalist and humorist from Chicago, published poems like this in newspapers where readers would have recognized the characters he was poking fun at. The phonetic spellings of French and German words ("Comme bien" for *combien*, "Wie viel" for *wieviel*) add to the humor, mimicking how an American tourist might stumble through a foreign phrase from a guidebook. The poem fits neatly into the tradition of American comic verse that both critiques European snobbery and playfully pokes at American materialism.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

They are phonetic spellings of the French *combien* and the German *wieviel*, both translating to "how much?"—the question you ask when inquiring about a price. Field uses a spelling that mimics how an American tourist might pronounce them, adding to the humor.

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TWIN IDOLS by Eugene Field

TWIN IDOLS

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

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