I Asked No Other Thing
poem 621
existence
lyric poem
bitter
I asked no other thing No other was denied I offered Being for it The Mighty Merchant sneered Brazil? He twirled a Button Without a glance my way But Madam is there nothing else That We can show Today?
I Asked No Other Thing - meaning Summary
Desire Rebuffed by Power
The speaker says she asked for nothing but 'Being'—a simple, existential request—but is dismissed by a worldly figure called the 'Mighty Merchant.' He trivializes her desire, twirling a button and offering mundane goods like Brazil, implying material wealth cannot satisfy or take seriously a plea for being. The poem contrasts inner spiritual need with commercial indifference and exposes the gap between essence and market value.
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