They Ask but Our Delight
poem 868
lyric poem
austere
They ask but our Delight The Darlings of the Soil And grant us all their Countenance For a penurious smile.
They Ask but Our Delight - meaning Summary
Scarce, Grudging Approval
This short poem stages a complaint about stingy response to genuine joy. The speaker presents “our Delight” and the “Darlings of the Soil” as offerings or sources of value, yet others return only a limited, charitable expression — a "penurious smile." The tone registers quiet resentment: pleasures or small treasures are undervalued, acknowledged only with minimal, almost miserly courtesy rather than full recognition or warmth.
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