We get it. Who doesn't love a little lapis lazuli every now and again? Our bishop is sure a fan, but he's really not prepared to stop there. He demands a tomb of basalt and jasper, a pithy epigraph, and an awesome frieze with half-naked nymphs. We're guessing this would all add up to a big, gaudy mess. If this guy were planning to customize a van, we guess it would look something like this. The obsessive nature of his rivalry drives him to demand a monument to himself that's more a testament to his own greed than his religious significance as a bishop.
Questions About Greed
- What details of the bishop's plan for his tomb strike you as greedy? Why?
- What other kinds of greed exist in this poem, apart from material (monetary) greed?
- How does the bishop's greed influence his interactions with his sons?
- Through his depiction of the bishop, what is Browning telling his readers about the nature of greed?
Chew on This
This poem teaches us that material wealth and religious piety are like oil and water. They just don't mix.
This poem teaches us that the greed for recognition is the most harmful greed of all (so log off of Facebook right now).