SONNET 29

GEORGE SANTAYANA

What riches have you that you deem

me poor,
Or what large comfort that you call
me sad?
Tell me what makes you so
exceeding glad:
Is your earth happy or your heaven
sure?
I hope for heaven, since the stars
endure

First off, he is asking

the person to define
the true meaning of
riches and explain
why he or she
believes they are rich

In reality, being
considered rich is a
subjective state.
One persons
richness is another
persons poverty.

For example, an individual who

has had a harsh, deprived life,
and who suddenly acquires a
modest influx of funds to be
able to purchase a very used
car may consider themselves
now rich and blessed. To an
affluent observer however, this
person is poor and in a

Likewise, the narrator does not

consider himself sad and again
demands of the questioner why he or
she feels he or she is happy while
believing the narrator is sad. Again,
sadness is a subjective state. A
person can be very sad and even
become depressed if he or she
has received a lay-off notice at

Another person may roll

with punches and look at
the lay-off as an impetus
to explore a new and more
rewarding career path. Its
all about peoples
respective personality

The narrator of this poem

challenges the questioner to
reveal why he or she is
exceeding glad. He asks Is
your earth happy or your heaven
sure? In other words, what
guarantee does the questioner
have that he or she will remain in
this happy state, and what

The narrator is at peace with

himself, and therefore rich
and happy (as he defines
richness and happiness)
because he hopes for heaven.
He does not subscribe to other
peoples definitions of what
constitutes wealth/security

He is secure and confident in his

own views concerning these two
states. As a result, he is not
afraid to defend his positions
regarding these two things and
demand of others to explain why
they believe he is lacking in
these two areas.

To me the faiths of old are daily bread;

I bless their hope, I bless their will to
save,
And my deep heart still meaneth what
they said.
It makes me happy that the soul is brave,
And, being so much kinsman to the dead,
I walk contented to the peopled grave.

In addition, the narrator finds riches and

happiness in the traditions and former
instruction of his ancestors. This is
revealed in this line:
To me the faiths of old are daily bread;
I bless their hope, I bless their will to
save,
The narrator says that he will go content to
his grave at death. He is happy with his
choices in life and it is obvious he has no
regrets that haunt him. Therefore, he is

He does not compare himself

to others and does not
measure what he believes is
success against what others
believe. The narrator is an
independent thinker who
believes in himself and how
he has handled his life and he

 1.What does the opening line of the poem

mean?

There are better things than becoming

rich. The pursuit of riches is based on a
faulty premise. It is based on the incorrect
rationale that the presence of money is
always goodthat it always brings benefit
into our lives. This is not always the case.

2. Who is being addressed by the

poet?
The poet addresses the poem to
wealthy people who consider wealth
as an indispensable thing and use
them to overrule poor people.

3. Why does the poet consider the faiths of old

his daily bread?

Faiths of old means important

constituent elements of the
teachings of the old. The poet
consider these teachings as daily
bread because these are real-life
situations that pertains to biblical
scripture which help gain a deeper

4. What makes the persona

happy?

The old teachings from his

elders make him happy because
he gained a better
understanding on the things that
can give people true happiness.

5. How do you view the personas

circumstance?

He will die contented

and happy.