Sir Copp: A poem for the times, in six cantos

** "Sir Copp: A poem for the times, in six cantos" by Thomas Clarke, is a mid-19th-century poetic reflection on a nation grappling with civil war, where the poem becomes a mirror reflecting the era's turmoil, dissecting loyalty, patriotism, and the betrayal of core values. It uses the character of "Sir Copp" to embody the deceitful "Copperheads," those Northern dissenters who undermined the Union war effort, setting them against the backdrop of true patriotic sacrifice. The poem begins by calling out the widespread hypocrisy and treachery of the time, particularly in the shadow of the Civil War and Lincoln's death, casting "Sir Copp" as a symbol of those who feigned allegiance while secretly working against the country; through the dialogues between characters like Sir Copp and Scalpel, the poem shows the decline and the heavy cost of abandoning one's duty to moral and national principles, as the preface makes it clear that the poem is supposed to be a reminder of the importance of virtue over the risks of letting evil grow, urging the country to think seriously and change its ways in a time of crisis. **