The poet Oliver Goldsmith gives a humorous study of the school master’s character but never loses his sympathy for him. He makes an analysis of the qualities and capabilities of the school master. He was a staunch disciplinarian who took his students to task if they played truant.

The poet, as a student, was very aware of this aspect of the school master but he appreciated his stand and came to love and respect him. The severe measures taken by the master had a soft and pious motive behind them as he wanted to see his pupils ‘turn into learned people’. The school master’s character is portrayed with many p

He is severe in manner but at the same time is jovial with a stock of seasoned jokes. He is supposed to be a great scholar though he can only read, write and solve simple sums of arithmetic. He is stem and yet kind. The school master is acknowledged as a great erudite person by the entire village and even the parson recognizes his skill in debate.

The rhetoric of the teacher leaves the rustics gazing in admiration. The poem ends on a note of humour. The teacher is not to be taken as a mere satirical sketch. Apart from his scholarly pretensions, he has been a remarkably kind and benevolent gentleman. The frown on his face often hides a heart overflowing with love and sympathy.

He has a smattering of useful information which he puts to good use with the illiterate and ignorant villagers. Thus he projects a larger-than-life image of himself before them. He has an opinion on every issue and loves to engage in debates particularly with the village priest. He knows that in the eyes of the villagers the outcome of the debate depends more on sound than on sense. Hence he continues arguing even after he has lost his point.