- description
- # Magnanimity Baffled.
## Overview
"Magnanimity Baffled." is a poetic segment extracted from the larger work, [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9). This segment, spanning lines 3238 to 3260, features a narrative poem about a victor attempting to reconcile with a defeated foe, only to discover the foe is dead.
## Context
This poem is part of [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9), a collection by Herman Melville, which is itself part of the broader [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The text was extracted from the digital file [battle_pieces_and_aspects_of_the_war.txt](arke:01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8). It immediately follows the poem "[The Apparition.](arke:01KG8AJPZVTC69YWY5168J4WK9)" and precedes "[On the Slain Collegians.](arke:01KG8AJPZRD7P3K0MVNK6STXQX)" within the collection.
## Contents
The poem depicts a post-battle scene where a victorious soldier extends a hand of friendship to his vanquished opponent. Despite the victor's earnest attempts to offer reconciliation and acknowledge the foe's bravery, the defeated soldier remains unresponsive. The poem culminates in the poignant discovery that the "stubborn hand" the victor tries to grasp belongs to a dead man, highlighting themes of the futility of post-conflict magnanimity in the face of ultimate loss.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:22.485Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Magnanimity Baffled.
- end_line
- 3260
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:35.910Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3238
- text
- Magnanimity Baffled.
“Sharp words we had before the fight;
But--now the fight is done--
Look, here’s my hand,” said the Victor bold,
“Take it--an honest one!
What, holding back? I mean you well;
Though worsted, you strove stoutly, man;
The odds were great; I honor you;
Man honors man.
“Still silent, friend? can grudges be?
Yet am I held a foe?--
Turned to the wall, on his cot he lies--
Never I’ll leave him so!
Brave one! I here implore your hand;
Dumb still? all fellowship fled?
Nay, then, I’ll have this stubborn hand”
He snatched it--it was dead.
- title
- Magnanimity Baffled.