The Man of Taste

In Short

This verse satire presents a fictional narrator who claims to be the ultimate arbiter of style and taste. Through his own words, he reveals himself to be a hollow, pretentious figure who values ostentation over genuine substance. Written in the shadow of Alexander Pope’s work, the poem exposes the absurdity of the "new money" class that confused the possession of art and property with the possession of culture. Its enduring appeal lies in its biting, rhythmic mockery of those who try to buy their way into social and intellectual status.

The Story

The narrator introduces himself with a boastful account of his origins: he is the product of a "tragi-comical" union between a playwright and an orange-woman. Having avoided the "barbarous" influence of formal education, he prides himself on a purely "hereditary" taste—an innate sense of what is fashionable. He immediately sets himself apart from the "dull pedants" of universities, declaring that real life and the London stage provide the only necessary curriculum for a gentleman.

His narrative unfolds as a series of grand, misguided proclamations on every aspect of life. He sneers at classical architecture, preferring the heavy, expensive, and impractical structures that allow him to show off his wealth. When it comes to the arts, he rejects the "blank" poetry of his contemporaries in favor of rigid rhyme schemes, and he expresses a perverse joy in the "obscene" statues he collects, valuing them only for their cost. His musical preferences are equally jarring; he claims to adore the "grumbling" of bagpipes and finds the most profound artistic expression in the Italian operas that were the height of contemporary affectation.

As the speaker’s confidence grows, his ambitions become more desperate. He fantasizes about buying a British barony to bully the poor and evade his creditors, declaring that his status as a gentleman exempts him from the mundane necessity of paying bills. He imagines a lifestyle defined by gambling, association with common sharpers, and a total disregard for morality, all while maintaining a veneer of fashionable "politesse." He rejects the medical expertise of his day in favor of the dubious, anecdotal cures of old women, further highlighting his disdain for established knowledge.

In the final movement, the narrator attempts to cement his position as a leader of society. He calls for the abolition of universities, arguing that their influence is vastly inferior to the "education" provided by the theater and the masquerade. He presents himself as an enlightened politician who would punish the loyal service of others while reserving his own energy for the pursuit of luxury and the display of fine clothing. The poem concludes with a flourish of arrogance; he asserts that his vision of the world is the only correct one, and anyone who disagrees is simply a "blockhead" or a "fool." Through this performance, the speaker effectively condemns himself, revealing that his "taste" is nothing more than a chaotic, expensive, and soul-less grab for attention.

How It Unfolds

The claim to authority The narrator asserts his qualifications for defining taste by rejecting formal education and celebrating his accidental, "tragi-comical" upbringing. He positions his lack of academic training as an advantage, trusting in "mother wit" over the lessons taught by scholars.

The critique of architecture and art The speaker tours his own aesthetic preferences, dismissing classical beauty in favor of whatever is costly, new, or overtly shocking. He treats buildings, paintings, and statues as mere commodities designed to signify his wealth to the world.

The musical and theatrical obsession He shifts his attention to the stage and the opera, favoring the loud and the artificial over the subtle. He reveals his desire to see high art reduced to the level of common entertainment, provided it carries the right price tag.

The descent into financial fantasy The narrator imagines a life of total decadence where he holds a title that protects him from the law. He plans to ignore his creditors, gamble away his estates, and spend his remaining days in the company of low-born sharpers and social parasites.

The final proclamation He concludes by dismissing the value of traditional learning and urging the youth of England to prioritize fashion over wisdom. He leaves the reader with a final, blustering demand that his idiosyncratic, shallow lifestyle be accepted as the definitive standard of human behavior.

The People

The narrator is the poem’s sole focus, a character who embodies the "Man of Taste" as a grotesque caricature. He is driven by a desperate, insatiable need to be seen as a person of consequence. Because he lacks any real internal compass, he is entirely dependent on the fleeting trends of the day. His primary obstacle is reality itself—the fact that his bank accounts are not infinite and his aesthetic choices are often objectively hideous. He ends the poem exactly as he began: blinded by his own rhetoric, entirely unaware that he is the object of the reader's derision rather than their envy.

Supporting figures, such as the fictionalized "Sir Balaam" or the various doctors and tradesmen he mentions, serve as props for his ego. He uses them either as foils to highlight his own superiority or as necessary evils to be cheated or discarded. By the end, he remains a static, tragic figure whose only growth is the increasing intensity of his own self-delusion.

In Its Own Voice

"Nature's my guide, all Sciences I scorn, / Pains I abhor, I was a Poet born."

The narrator expresses his disdain for study and effort, believing his supposed natural genius renders formal education unnecessary.

"Sure wretched Wren was taught by bungling Jones, / To murder mortar, and disfigure stones!"

With aggressive, misplaced confidence, the narrator insults the work of legendary architects like Christopher Wren, revealing his own lack of genuine artistic appreciation.

"Does it not merit the beholder's praise, / What's high to sink? and what is low to raise?"

This couplet captures the narrator's obsession with novelty for its own sake, where the simple inversion of standard form is mistaken for creative genius.

What It's Really About

The poem is a sustained argument against the corruption of culture by wealth. It interrogates the assumption that money—and the power that comes with it—automatically confers the ability to appreciate beauty or understand moral worth. By presenting a narrator who equates the "correct" choice with whatever happens to be the most expensive or the most fashionable, the work exposes the emptiness at the center of a consumer-driven society. It asks whether taste can ever truly be "innate" if it is so easily manipulated by the marketplace, and it suggests that a culture which prioritizes the "stage" over the "school" is a society that has lost its grip on reality.

Why Read It Today

Reading this poem is an exercise in recognizing a very modern type of insecurity. While the specific references to 18th-century medical frauds, Italian opera singers, and architectural styles might require a quick glance at the provided notes, the narrator’s voice is startlingly familiar. He is the original influencer—someone who mistakes the act of buying and displaying for the act of living.

Readers who enjoy biting, cynical humor will find much to appreciate here. The poem does not ask for sympathy; it asks for a sharp eye. It captures the frantic energy of a person trying to convince the world of their worth, only to expose their own inner poverty with every sentence. The language is fast-paced and witty, though it does reflect the period’s penchant for sharp, often cruel social divisions. It remains a masterclass in the "unreliable narrator"—a device that allows the author to stand back and let the character destroy his own reputation. If you are interested in the history of how we define what is "classy" or "cool," or if you simply appreciate a well-crafted takedown of a blowhard, this poem offers a remarkably clear mirror held up to the vanities of human nature.