"Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after."
The speaker starts by suggesting the goal sought by the tyrant. One can extrapolate that the tyrant which stimulated this verse was Adolf Hitler. The leader of the Nazis claimed to be pursuing his dream of a pure race. This idea of purity meant one not corrupted and polluted by inferior genetic impurities. While this assertion does apply to Hitler, this poem remains relevant because so many have followed in those absurd footsteps.
"And the poetry he invented was easy to understand."
The most obvious interpretation of this line is that it is a reference to Hitler's infamous autobiography. Another interpretation is that "poetry" seems to be a swipe at the propaganda of tyrants. The language used by such bullies to gain a following is dependent upon dumbing down ideas to the simplest of terms. The poetry being alluded to in this quote could be anything from complaints about "the Jewish Problem" to promises to make a nation "great again." The speaker is not so much swiping at the tyrant in this line as he is the gullible masses who are so easily swayed by simplistic slogans.
"When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter."
The irony that is causing the laughter in this quote is easily overlooked. Senator is a government position that is historically and exclusively associated with democracy. The poet is insinuating that tyrants do not come to power through brute force. They come to power by exploiting the weaknesses of democratic processes.
