Money Madness

D. H. Lawrence’s "Money Madness" is a sharp social critique of the modern world's preoccupation with wealth. The poet asserts that money is not just a personal obsession but a "vast collective madness" of the entire human race. He argues that since the multitude (the society) is mad, every individual inevitably carries a "grain of insanity" regarding money.

The poet describes the physical and emotional pain people feel when parting with money. He observes that almost no one can hand out a pound note without feeling a "pang" of regret, and handing out a ten-pound note causes a "real tremor." This reaction shows that money has gained a "fearful cruel power" over human beings. Instead of money serving humans, humans have begun to "quail" and "grovel" before it in "strange terror."

Society, contempt and a radical solution

Furthermore, the poet clarifies that we aren't just afraid of money itself, but of the "collective money-madness" of our fellow men. Society judges a person's worth based on their bank balance. The world asks, "How much is he worth?" If a man has no money, the world treats him with contempt, saying, "Let him eat dirt, and go cold." While society might give a penniless man a little bread to prevent him from dying, it makes him suffer the humiliation of "eating dirt" (experiencing extreme degradation) along with it.

The poet confesses that this fear of social humiliation is so intense it can become a "delirium." To save ourselves from this fate, we feel forced to have money. However, the poet argues that this entire system is "all wrong." He proposes a radical solution: essential life requirements, bread, shelter, and fire, should be free for everyone in the world. He concludes with a warning: humanity must "regain our sanity" about money before we begin "killing one another about it." We must choose between reclaiming our humanity or facing total destruction.