The final line depicts the persistent contrast between the monk's inner and outer lives. Externally, he is -- or believes he is -- piety itself. His inner world however seethes with a bitterness that is utterly unchristian. In this, Browning depicts him as the worst of religious hypocrites: he believes he is righteous, and remains completely unaware of his own shortcomings, while condemning others for their significantly smaller sins.

The same unawareness is manifest in the female speaker depicted by Betjeman's poem.

Her external and internal worlds also contrast, but much less clearly than that of Browning's monk. From the beginning, it is clear that she highly values status and leadership. For her, Westminster Abbey is significant not only for its purpose as a place of worship, but also for its use as a final resting place for "England's statesmen." The importance of this idea is indicated both by its...
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