What is the main argument of the poem?

The grandfather argues that the young artist's democratic politics lack authenticity. He only appreciates the poor when they appear exotic or picturesque. In reality, he looks down on the everyday working person — the clerk, the housewife, the small tradesman. Genuine respect for ordinary people involves not mocking them for their political views or their preferences.

Why does the grandfather call the young man 'my Ulysses'?

It’s a sarcastic compliment. Ulysses is the legendary hero of classical literature, known for his cleverness and ambition. The grandfather uses this reference to poke fun at the young man's perception of himself as a daring, adventurous thinker—while also reminding him that even Ulysses had to contend with flags and nations.

What does 'Banal as truth' mean?

The grandfather is anticipating the artist's mockery. Sure, the clerk's patriotism is typical and unoriginal — 'banal.' But the truth itself can often be banal. This term turns the artist's own aesthetic snobbery on its head: if you only appreciate what's unusual or eye-catching, you'll overlook much of what genuinely reflects human life.

What is the significance of the Psalms being called 'free verse'?

Free verse—poetry that doesn’t follow a regular rhyme or meter—was the groundbreaking innovation that the young artist would have supported. By noting that the Psalms, which are thousands of years old, are already in free verse, the grandfather challenges the notion that this style is a radical new concept. He reads the Psalms every Sunday, and they carry a depth of power that surpasses anything the young man is creating.

Why does the grandfather compare the young man to the Kaiser?

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, often seen as the antagonist of the First World War, claimed to have a sympathy for socialist ideas even while he led an autocratic regime. This comparison is intentionally jarring: it highlights how a leader can profess concern for the populace while holding contempt for them, which isn’t a leftist principle but rather a brand of the same deceit that drove the most notorious political figures of that era.

Is the grandfather a conservative? Is the poem anti-progressive?

Not exactly. The grandfather clearly states that he has heard the Tories speak foolishly and seen the wealthy mimic conservative values just for social status. He isn’t targeting progressivism as a whole but rather the hypocrisy of those who use progressive language while looking down on ordinary people. The poem critiques a specific type of intellectual posturing, rather than defending the establishment.

What does 'kicking his mother round the scene' mean?

It presents a striking, intentionally rough image of how the intellectual artist interacts with the everyday world—the domestic, the familiar, the maternal—treating it as something to ridicule and manipulate for dramatic impact. The term 'the scene' emphasizes that the artist is staging rebellion rather than truly embracing it.

The Annotated Edition

WHAT GRANDFATHER SAID by Alfred Noyes

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

Read aloud in ~5 minOpen reading mode →

An older man pens a pointed letter to a young artist who professes to care about ordinary folks but actually looks down on them.

Poet: Alfred Noyes
Era: Modernist (1922)
Themes: art, identity, justice

The PoemFull text

WHAT GRANDFATHER SAID

Alfred Noyes, 1922

(_An epistle from a narrow-minded old gentleman to a young artist of superior intellect and intense realism._) Your thoughts are for the poor and weak? Ah, no, the picturesque's your passion! Your tongue is always in your cheek At poverty that's not in fashion. You like a ploughman's rugged face, Or painted eyes in Piccadilly; But bowler hats are commonplace, And thread-bare tradesmen simply silly. The clerk that sings "God save the King," And still believes his Tory paper,-- You hate the anaemic fool? I thought You loved the weak! Was that all vapour? Ah, when you sneer, dear democrat, At such a shiny-trousered Tory Because he doffs his poor old hat To what he thinks his country's glory, To you it's just a coloured rag. You hate the "patriots" that bawl so. Well, my Ulysses, there's a flag That lifts men in Republics also. No doubt his thoughts are cruder far; And, where those linen folds are shaking, Perhaps he sees a kind of star Because his eyes are tired and aching. Banal enough! Banal as truth! But I'm not thinking of his banners. I'm thinking of his pinched white youth And your disgusting "new art" manners. His meek submission stirs your hate? Better, my lad, if you're so fervent, Turn your cold steel against the State Instead of sneering at the servant. He does his job. He draws his pay. You sneer, and dine with those that pay him; And then you write a snobbish play For democrats, in which you play him. Ah, yes, you like simplicity That sucks its cheeks to make the dimple. But this domestic bourgeoisie You hate,--because it's all too simple. You hate the hearth, the wife, the child, You hate the heavens that bend above them. Your simple folk must all run wild Like jungle-beasts before you love them. You own a house in Cheyne Walk, (You say it costs three thousand fully) Where subtle snobs can talk and talk And play the intellectual bully. Yes. I say "snobs." Are names alone Free from all change? Your word "Victorian" Could bite and sting in ninety one But now--it's deader than the saurian. You think I live in yesterday, Because I think your way the wrong one; But I have hewed and ploughed my way, And--unlike yours--it's been a long one. I let Victoria toll her bell, And went with Strindberg for a ride, sir. I've fought through your own day as well, And come out on the other side, sir,-- The further side, the morning side, I read free verse (the Psalms) on Sunday. But I've decided (you'll decide) That there is room for song on Monday. I've seen the new snob on his way, The intellectual snob I mean, sir, The artist snob, in book and play, Kicking his mother round the scene, sir. I've heard the Tories talk like fools; And the rich fool that apes the Tory. I've seen the shopmen break your rules And die like Christ, in Christ's own glory. But, as for you, that liberal sneer Reminds me of the poor old Kaiser. He was a "socialist," my dear. Well, I'm your grandson. You'll grow wiser.

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

An older man pens a pointed letter to a young artist who professes to care about ordinary folks but actually looks down on them. The grandfather's message is straightforward: if you genuinely believe in democracy, you shouldn't mock the clerk waving a flag or the housewife tending to her home. The poem concludes with a calm assurance that the young man will eventually move past his intellectual elitism.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

Your thoughts are for the poor and weak? / Ah, no, the picturesque's your passion!
Editor's note
The grandfather starts by undermining the young artist's self-image. The artist believes he is a champion for the downtrodden, but the old man sees past this: he only appreciates poverty when it creates a good aesthetic in a painting or a play. The cheeky tone is established right from the beginning.
You like a ploughman's rugged face, / Or painted eyes in Piccadilly;
Editor's note
The artist idealizes extremes — the noble peasant and the glamorous street prostitute — but doesn’t care for the mundane middle: the office clerk in a bowler hat and the struggling shopkeeper. These are the individuals who represent most of real working life, and they simply do not interest him.
The clerk that sings 'God save the King,' / And still believes his Tory paper,--
Editor's note
Here, the grandfather presents his main exhibit: a conservative, patriotic, and somewhat dim clerk. The artist despises him. However, the grandfather highlights the contradiction—didn't the artist claim to love the weak? This man embodies weakness. The term 'vapour' undermines the artist's professed ideals, suggesting they are nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Ah, when you sneer, dear democrat, / At such a shiny-trousered Tory
Editor's note
The detail of 'shiny-trousered' is significant here—it points to a man who has worn the same suit until it shines, someone who is truly struggling financially. The grandfather's use of 'dear democrat' drips with irony: a real democrat wouldn't look down on a person for their political views or their worn-out clothes.
To you it's just a coloured rag. / You hate the 'patriots' that bawl so.
Editor's note
The artist brushes off the flag as just a piece of cloth and calls the patriots loud fools. In response, the grandfather refers to him as 'my Ulysses' — a clever jab at the artist's literary ambitions — and points out that flags can inspire people in republics as well, not just in the monarchies the artist scorns.
No doubt his thoughts are cruder far; / And, where those linen folds are shaking,
Editor's note
The grandfather acknowledges that the clerk's patriotism lacks depth. However, he views it with compassion: the man's eyes are 'tired and aching,' and the flag offers him something to hold onto. Having simple faith despite exhaustion is not something to look down on — it's a deeply human trait.
Banal enough! Banal as truth! / But I'm not thinking of his banners.
Editor's note
The grandfather beats the artist to the punch by labeling the clerk's beliefs as banal himself — but then quickly changes direction. It's not about banality. The focus is on the clerk's 'pinched white youth' and his physical deprivation, which the artist overlooks while pretending to care for the working class.
His meek submission stirs your hate? / Better, my lad, if you're so fervent,
Editor's note
If the artist truly seeks social change, the grandfather advises, focus your anger on the system, not on the individual who has been crushed by it. Mocking the servant instead of the state is both cowardly and cruel.
He does his job. He draws his pay. / You sneer, and dine with those that pay him;
Editor's note
This poem delivers its most cutting accusation. The artist mingles with the wealthy class that takes advantage of the clerk, only to create plays that ridicule the clerk for the amusement of that same elite. His so-called 'democratic' art is really just a commodity for the establishment.
Ah, yes, you like simplicity / That sucks its cheeks to make the dimple.
Editor's note
A striking image: the artist prefers a deliberate, self-aware simplicity — the type that seeks to make an impression. However, true domestic simplicity, like an everyday family gathered by the fire, puts him off because it lacks any aesthetic tension.
You hate the hearth, the wife, the child, / You hate the heavens that bend above them.
Editor's note
The artist's disdain encompasses the entirety of everyday domestic life. The grandfather's list — hearth, wife, child, sky — is intentionally straightforward and universal. The artist appreciates 'simple folk' only when they embody a wild and exotic spirit, not when they are just going about their daily lives.
You own a house in Cheyne Walk, / (You say it costs three thousand fully)
Editor's note
Cheyne Walk in Chelsea was a trendy spot for artists and thinkers during Noyes's time. The mention of the price adds a clever satirical angle: the artist brags about his pricey home while lecturing others about poverty.
Yes. I say 'snobs.' Are names alone / Free from all change?
Editor's note
The grandfather stands by his choice of the word 'snob' and counters the artist's attack with the artist's own words. While the artist tries to insult him by calling him 'Victorian,' the grandfather argues that the term has lost its impact — it's as irrelevant as a dinosaur. Fashionable insults fade away quicker than the values they aim to criticize.
You think I live in yesterday, / Because I think your way the wrong one;
Editor's note
The grandfather rejects the label of reactionary. Having lived through the same cultural upheavals as the young man — Strindberg, free verse, modernism — he has developed his own thoughtful perspectives. His conservatism stems from experience, not ignorance.
I let Victoria toll her bell, / And went with Strindberg for a ride, sir.
Editor's note
The grandfather insists he fully immersed himself in the radical art of his time, with Strindberg as the leading provocateur of late 19th-century theatre. He isn't someone who sat out the revolution; he experienced it and ended up somewhere unexpected, differing from what the young artist anticipates.
The further side, the morning side, / I read free verse (the Psalms) on Sunday.
Editor's note
A lovely twist: the grandfather mentions he reads free verse every Sunday — the Psalms. This quiet assertion hints that ancient, sacred poetry holds a deeper radicalism than the young man's trendy modernism. 'Morning side' evokes a sense of clarity and renewal, contrasting with the darkness of mere rebellion.
I've seen the new snob on his way, / The intellectual snob I mean, sir,
Editor's note
The grandfather accurately identifies the type: the intellectual snob, the artist snob. He has seen this character emerge in literature and theater, using working-class characters as mere props to showcase his own sense of superiority. The phrase 'kicking his mother round the scene' is harsh and intentional—it signifies a disdainful attitude towards the everyday world.
I've heard the Tories talk like fools; / And the rich fool that apes the Tory.
Editor's note
The grandfather makes it clear that he isn't just defending conservative views. He recognizes the folly of the Tories and the arrogance of the rich. Then he offers a counter-example: everyday shop workers who 'die like Christ, in Christ's own glory' — referring to the working-class soldiers of the First World War who died with a sense of quiet dignity.
But, as for you, that liberal sneer / Reminds me of the poor old Kaiser.
Editor's note
The final sting: the Kaiser, often viewed as the main villain of the recent war, also referred to himself as a socialist. This comparison is intentionally provocative, meant to jolt the young man into some serious thought. The grandfather concludes with, 'You'll grow wiser' — not out of anger, but with patience. He has walked the path the young man is on and understands where it ultimately leads.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone of the poem is dry, affectionate, and full of irony. The grandfather isn’t angry — he’s amused, and that’s what gives the poem its bite. He cleverly turns the young man's own words against him, using terms like 'democrat,' 'Ulysses,' and 'Victorian,' and he mimics the artist's pretentious style just enough to deflate it. Beneath the sharpness, there's a sense of warmth: the old man genuinely cares for the young man, making the final line, 'You'll grow wiser,' feel sincere rather than condescending. The poem flows at a lively, conversational pace, with its ballad-like quatrains keeping the mood light, even when the accusations get serious.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The shiny-trousered Tory clerk: He represents all the overlooked poor that artists tend to ignore — individuals whose poverty isn't appealing, whose politics aren't trendy, but whose lives are just as genuine and challenging as the romanticized image of the ploughman.
The flag / coloured rag: The flag symbolizes the difference in perspective between the artist and the clerk. For the artist, it’s just an empty symbol; for the clerk, it holds significance and provides comfort. The grandfather doesn’t claim the clerk is correct, but he argues that the clerk’s need for meaning should be respected.
Cheyne Walk: The trendy Chelsea location reflects the artist's social standing — affluent, urban, and disconnected from the poverty he professes to support. It serves as the strongest evidence in the poem questioning the artist's democratic values.
The Psalms as free verse: By labeling the Psalms as free verse, the grandfather takes ownership of the oldest and most lasting poetry. This challenges the young man's belief that formal innovation equates to true radicalism.
Strindberg: The Swedish playwright embodies the cutting-edge spirit of the grandfather's youth. By naming him, we see that the old man is not out of touch with radical art; rather, he has evolved past modernism.
The Kaiser: The poem's sharpest satirical weapon is the comparison of the artist's liberal sneer to the Kaiser's self-proclaimed socialism. It implies that talking about the people without truly respecting them can empower those in power just as much as any reactionary ideology.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Alfred Noyes wrote this poem in the early twentieth century, a time when the clash between Victorian values and modernist aesthetics was intense. The Bloomsbury Group and other intellectuals were openly rejecting middle-class life, giving rise to a new type of artist-intellectual who mixed radical politics with a disdain for the everyday beliefs and habits of working people. Noyes, a traditionalist poet who publicly disagreed with modernists like T.S. Eliot, keenly observed this contradiction. The poem's references—Cheyne Walk, a Chelsea address popular with artists; Strindberg, a provocateur in late Victorian theatre; and the 'shiny-trousered Tory' clerk—root it firmly in Edwardian and early Georgian London. The looming presence of the First World War, which claimed the lives of countless working-class men, adds significant weight to the line about shopmen dying 'like Christ.'

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

The subtitle describes a 'narrow-minded old gentleman' writing to a 'young artist of superior intellect and intense realism.' This self-description is ironic—Noyes aligns with the grandfather, and the so-called 'narrow-mindedness' reveals itself to be common sense. The grandfather represents Noyes's perspective on intellectual snobbery.

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WHAT GRANDFATHER SAID by Alfred Noyes

WHAT GRANDFATHER SAID

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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