In Armand Garnet Ruffo’s “Poem for Duncan Campbell Scott”, Ruffo uses a religious allusion to portray Duncan Campbell Scott as vain and egotistical. Near the end of the first stanza Ruffo writes “[Scott] looks as if he could walk on water” (line 9), alluding to the biblical story of Jesus Christ, who walks across a sea to save a ship trapped in a windstorm. By comparing Scott to Christ, Ruffo suggests that Scott acts as if he saw himself as god-like. In other words, Scott was arrogant and conceited. Additionally, the next two lines-- “And for our benefit would, / if he could.” (10-11)--further establish Scott as vain. Continuing from the biblical allusion, these lines imply that Scott has a hero complex, and felt obligated to ‘help’ the
