Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Vanity of Human Wishes is a poem by Samuel Johnson that was first published in 1749. It is a 368-line long poem composed in 25 stanzas of varying length. All the lines are written in rhyming heroic couplets. It was Johnson’s second long poem after London and it was the first that he published under his name. The poem talks about the futility of human desires and ambitions and how political power, financial power, intellectual power, and even sexual power can offer no satisfaction or solace to anyone. The poet suggests that the only means to attain some worth is through the means of praying to God and that the antidote to vain human wishes is non-vain spiritual wishes. Johnson’s previous poem ‘London’ was the imitation of Juvenal’s Third satire and this poem is an imitation of Juvenal’s Tenth satire. The subtitle of The Vanity of Human Wishes is “The Tenth Satire of Juvenal Imitated”.
Juvenal satirized and mocked the victorious ways of the great General Hannibal in his satire while emphasizing that all his victories will go in vain. Samuel Johnson satirizes Charles XII of Sweden who too was a great warrior.
Sir Walter Scott, T. S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett, and many other authors of later periods stated that though they liked Samuel Johnson’s previous poem London, they absolutely loved The Vanity of Human Wishes and termed it as the greatest poem of Samuel Johnson.
Summary of The Vanity of Human Desires:
Stanza 1 Lines 1-20
The poem begins as the poet offers a wide view from China to Peru, as if extensively observing the whole world, and says that the observation is distressing. He sees that the whole of mankind is driven by "hope and fear, desire and hate,” while they hardly pay any attention to reason. He observes that these irrational emotions often lead people astray. The poet uses simile and says that people are often driven by pride, which misguides him like a "treacherous" phantom, or ghost, in the mist. He uses metaphor and describes fate as a ‘clouded maze.’ The poet says that entire nations fall and are destroyed because of schemes and decisions of power-hungry fools who are guided by their vengeance.
Stanza 2 Lines 21-28
The poet offers an example of gold to support his statement regarding the vanity of human wishes.
All human beings love gold, but gold is a ‘wide wasting pest’. It destroys everyone. The judge destroys the law to collect the gold, and people undertake crimes to collect the same gold. It is because of gold, criminals' record increases. The poet then says that no matter how rich we are, we can't buy truth or safety. On the contrary: more wealth brings with it more danger.
Stanza 3 Lines 29-36
The poet says that history teaches us that a vassal or a lowly person, or a hind has always cherished life in a better manner than a ‘lord’ because the lords are often busy while fighting with the ‘rival kings’ to increase or maintain power. The one who wins the power then twists the laws as per his wishes. While a lowly vassal is beneath the power, a rich traitor who strives for power, often reaches the ‘Tow’r’ (London’s Tower, the famous prison). A lowly person on the other hand sleeps peacefully in his small cottage even though the greedy vultures can confiscate whatever little the hind have.
Stanza 4 Lines 37-44
The poet then describes a poor happy-go-lucky traveler who has nothing to lose. He spends his time singing and cherishing the wilderness. The poet personifies ‘Envy’ and says that if envy seizes him he loses all his happiness because then, his only worry is how to gather more money. If his wealth increases, his peace gets destroyed. He no longer can sleep peacefully as he worries about being robbed. Even rustling leaves startles him and he is scared of shadows. He is afraid of the dark as it hides the thieves and he is afraid of light too because light shows what has been stolen from him.
Stanza 5 Lines 45-48
The poet says that everyone knows the ill-effect of wealth yet, people wish for more money. Everyone strives for gaining more money and power. They hardly realize the worries of a statesman or a politician who has to worry about his scheming rivals and who will inherit his title.
Stanza 6 Lines 49-68
Johnson invokes Democritus and says that during his time in Ancient Greece, the lack of worldly goods meant that people weren't so greedy. People were used to doing hard work that crushed their arrogance. He asks Democritus to observe and mock the current life in Britain where everyone is greedy, money-hungry, and arrogant. The poet continues to mock British society where fake debates are held with no constructive result. Mayors and statesmen are elected and inaugurated in their office with too many rituals and fanfare. The British society is so corrupt that the statesmen change laws as per their liking and the courts judge a case before hearing all the evidence. The poet says that if Democritus sees all that is happening in Britain, he will attack British society with his wits and criticism. He will teach that pleasure and pain, joys and sorrows are just toys that must not affect a human too much. The ‘robes of pleasure’ and ‘veils of woe’ are meaningless to Democritus.
Stanza 7 Lines 69-72
In these lines, the poet observes that even during ancient times, Democritus was full of scorn for people and humankind in general, and his scorn was justified. If we observe what people desire and wish for, we would see they deserve scorn.
Stanza 8 Lines 73-90
In this stanza, the poet continues to criticize people as he feels that they are too much concerned about wealth and power. However, troublemakers and enemies continue to hound them and they never feel safe. The powerful people are hated because of their corruption and when then they lose everything, they are mocked and insulted. Powerful people get their portraits hanged on palladiums and walls but people’s hatred becomes the reason for the fall of that wall.
Stanza 9 Lines 91-98
The poet wonders if Britain as a society wake up to his call and vanquish its enemies, those who are greedy and power-hungry? Or will Britain support and safeguard those corrupt favorites? The poet observes that those British who pretend to be the defender of freedom, never talk of the corruption of nobles, kings, and politicians. They are weak-willed and unable to stand against corrupt ways.
Stanza 10 Lines 99-120
In this stanza, Samuel Johnson begins to give examples of historical figures as a way of providing evidence for his views. He begins with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey to justify the vanity of human wishes. He wanted to acquire power after power so that everyone submits in front of his will. But once he reached the power everyone hates him. He did not get any followers nor did he get any warmth and affection from people. The desire for absolute power leads him to public hatred and dislike. Then Wolsey is oppressed by age and worries and illness, and so he seeks to recover by leading a monastic life. But his grief makes his illness worse. The memory of all his mistakes stings him. And with his last breath, he reproaches (criticizes) treacherous kings. It's not a good way to go out.
Stanza 11 Lines 121-128
The poet questions the reader directly and asks if they would prefer Wosley’s power and wealth that resulted in his certain downfall and pitiful death?
Stanza 12 Lines Lines 129-134
In this stanza, the poet remembers other historical figures who were power-hungry and greedy and mentions how they faced their downfall. Villiers ended up killed by an assassin. Harley died of disease. Wentworth ended up murdered. Hyde was exiled. All of these political figures ended their lives in misfortune because their desire for great power was indulged, even though these men were protected by kings and allied to them.
Stanza 13 Lines 135-164
Samuel Johnson discusses the life of academics, writers, and scholars in this stanza. He recounts his own experiences. When a student is first enrolled in college, he leaves his easy life in search of scholarly fame. The student tries to fill the Bodleian Library at Oxford University with his works. He pursues to surpass the talent of Sir Roger Bacon, the famous philosopher. The poet mentions the popular belief that the Bridge made in the name of Roger Bacon will collapse when a scholar greater than Bacon makes his way under it. The poet hopes that the students will lead a virtuous life and explore the truth. However, the poet says that the student faces a lot of troubles, temptations, and obstacles in their pursuit of knowledge. Bad delights, praise, difficulties, and laziness often slow them down. The poet says that a student’s heart must be hopeful but often they fall in grief and danger. He says that students must accept the truth that just like others, they cannot evade the doom that is destined for mankind. Once the students accept that misfortune and grief are a part of life, they can become fully wise. A scholar’s life is full of dangers including too much hard work, envy, failure, patrons, and jail. The poet says that a scholar must be open to any such difficulties. A scholar must not delude himself from praise and if he is too hopeful, he must remember Lydial's life and Galileo's death.
Stanza 14 Lines 165-174
In these lines, the poet says that even if a scholar succeeds in his scholarly struggles, he must not forget that his enemies and haters will also gain success and will gain equal prestige and fame. Johnson gives an example of William Laud, a learned man who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633-45. He was executed in 1645 by his enemies—the Parliamentarians. The poet says that those with ‘meaner minds’ get minor punishment but the geniuses like William Laud suffer harsher punishments.
Stanza 15 Lines 175-190
In this stanza, the poet talks about Brave people and mentions Alexander the Great as “rapid Greek.” He mentions the great victories of the Romans and British rulers. Then he says that the actions of ‘Brave’ men were not guided by virtues and goodness, but they were eager and greedy for fame and power, they didn’t care about being good. The poet personifies ‘Reason’ and says that when Reason observes these ‘brave men’ he frowns upon them because, for their personal grandiose and fame, they brought whole nations to poverty and debt. While the wreaths for celebrating their victories at war decay soon, the pile of debt that they accumulate to be paid by the poor people of their nation doesn’t disappear so soon.
Stanza 16 Lines 191-222
The poet supports the vanity of human wishes with the example of Charles XII, the Swedish king who wanted to conquer the whole world. He had the desire to accumulate all the properties of the world. But having conquered the world he had to end up in the barren land. His desire for power and property leads him to death.
Stanza 17 Lines 223-240
In these lines, the poet confirms his statement about warlords by criticizing the warriors from the past. He mentions Persia's tyrant" (Xerxes) and "Bavaria's lord" the Roman king. The poet criticizes Xerexes as hostile and barbaric who was too greedy for power over others and got mad about it. At last, the Greeks confronted him and ridiculed his show of power.
Stanza 18 Lines 241-254
The poet ridicules Charles Albert, or Charles VII, the "bold Bavarian" who tried to get the throne of Austria. A woman named Maria Theresa raised an army of Croatian fighters and Hungarian horsemen to defeat him badly. Charles Albert was then ridiculed by his enemies and criticized by his own people. He died in ignominy and shame.
Stanza 19 Lines 256-282
In this stanza, the poet criticizes those who desire long lives. They do not realize that a longer life means more misery. The poet says that "Life protracted is protracted woe" because Time is the problem that destroys everything and takes away all possibilities of happiness. With time, even food and wine become tasteless and no luxury could soothe us. Even music cannot heal the troubles of time as old people fail to hear anything even if Orpheus the great Greek musician comes and play music for them. With age, the ability to reason also diminishes, and older people become senile and reach insanity.
Stanza 20 Lines 283-290
The poet says that with time, our body ages and becomes weaker. Many illnesses invade an old man’s body making him incapable but his greed to live more never ceases. He continues to lose everything he had accumulated and then dies penniless.
Stanza 21 Lines 291-298
In this stanza, the poet says that a moderate, healthy, and active life would be better than a long, unhealthy, sick life. He says that one should wish for a life in which he is free from scorn and crime. A person living moderate life enjoys better sleep and a clear conscience. The poet says that everyone would like to live a peaceful and happy life and no one would like to have an end to it.
Stanza 22 Lines 299-310
In this stanza, the poet says that even in a moderate life, things will continue to deteriorate. Even this peaceful life is plagued by misfortune. With each new day, there's a new sorrow: a sister might get sick or a daughter might be sad. A person living a peaceful life will also suffer the fear of death. Gradually, all joy of a moderate life also evaporates because nature brings changes and our viewpoints too change with them.
Stanza 23 Lines 311-318
In this stanza, the poet mentions some people from the past who lead a peaceful moderate life but suffered misery and troubles during the latter half of their life. He mentions "Lydia's monarch" (Croesus) who was visited by the Athenian wise man Solon. He mentions the Duke of Marlborough, who lead a good moderate life but then suffered strokes in his old age and was paralyzed later in his life until he died. Johnson also mentions the writer Jonathan Swift, who suffered ill health toward the end of his life.
Stanza 24 Lines 319-341
In this stanza, the poet describes the vanity of feminine beauty that appears to bring pride and happiness. He says that every mother wishes her child to be beautiful as beauty will bring happiness to her. However, the poet mentions the example of Lady Vane who became a mistress to King George II's son, Frederick. She was very beautiful but her beauty only brought troubles to her. Similarly, he mentions Catherine Sedley who became the mistress of King James II because she was very beautiful. But she had to suffer the anger and curse of her father Sir Charles Sidley who didn’t like King James II. The poet then criticizes young ladies who pursue luxuries and romance while ignoring knowledge and wisdom. He says that these ladies are vain, and they smile to manipulate and are interested in the latest romantic fashions. They ignore the voice of virtue and goodness, and they throw pride and prudence to the wind. Soon they find themselves the subject of scandals, gossip, and rumors.
Stanza 25 Lines 342-368
After criticizing all possible ways a man may try to look for satisfaction and happiness, the poet questions what is the correct way of finding satisfaction? In the concluding part of the poem, Johnson suggests developing the right frame of mind. We should not complain about anything. We should control our passion and will and be loving and mindful of mankind and that is sufficient for our happiness. The only way to get happiness is through God. The poet says that we can raise our voices to ask for good, but we have to leave it to Heaven to work things out for us. The poet ends the poem with the message that only true happiness is possible through prayers.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.
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