“Epitaph on a Tyrant" is a sarcastic poem about autocracy. The poem was set in 1939 in Europe during the era of totalitarianism. The poem is about an egotistic authoritarian who wants to impose his cruel vision of "perfection" throughout society. The tyrant takes advantage of society's ignorance and brainwashes them to believe he is their god. The soldiers shiver when the tyrant coughs and this symbolizes his power.
In lines 1-3, the speaker starts with the word "perfection" and how it is used to describe a tyrant leader. Tyrants want aptness in whatever they do and expect their subjects to do the same. However, the speaker's tone suggests that the tyrant's expectations are unrealistic. The poem's third line is idiomatic, showing how tyrants mistake what they see. The speaker says, "He knew human folly like the back of his hand." According to this line, the tyrant thinks he understands humanity, which is untrue.
Lines 4-6 describe the tyrant's notion that he is powerful and can influence armies outside his jurisdiction to follow his orders. This section of the poem alludes to Hitler's absolute power in German. Hitler believed that the world worshipped him, which was only a delusion. In the fifth line, the speaker shows how the tyrant's subjects make him feel powerful. For instance, senators' endless laughter suggests they are dedicated and passionate about their leader. However, the reader sees that the subjects do anything to please their leader and sustain their livelihoods. The poem's last line is a cliché that shows the tyrant's large-scale violence. The last line says, "And when he cried, the little children died in the streets." The reader knows that little children are innocent, but the tyrant does not spare anyone who comes his way.
The central theme in the poem is the undignified nature of supremacy. The tyrant is the most powerful man in his country and uses his power to impose tough and unrealistic societal rules. For instance, he wants to create an ideal society. However, the tactics employed by the tyrant are manipulative and demeaning. No individual in society can control the tyrant's power. Therefore, the tyrant is the most dangerous person because he forces society to follow his brutal ways of living. The poem's speaker wants people to raise their voices and stand for their rights.
The poem's speaker shows readers that totalitarianism is the most dangerous form of governance. Tyrants have absolute power and think they know everything about humanity. In addition, tyrants think that they can use their power to corrupt nature. However, the poem's message suggests that tyrants are mortal. Thus, they cannot control nature.
