Analysis of The Dress-Maker

La Fontaine 1621 (Château-Thierry, Champagne) – 1695 (Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France)



A CLOISTERED nun had a lover
Dwelling in the neighb'ring town;
Both racked their brains to discover
How they best their love might crown.
The swain to pass the convent-door!--
No easy matter!--Thus they swore,
And wished it light.--I ne'er knew a nun
In such a pass to be outdone:--
In woman's clothes the youth must dress,
And gain admission. I confess
The ruse has oft been tried before,
But it succeeded as of yore.
Together in a close barred cell
The lovers were, and sewed all day,
Nor heeded how time flew away.--
"What's that I hear? Refection bell!
"'Tis time to part. Adieu!--Farewell!--
"How's this?" exclaimed the abbess, "why
"The last at table?"--"Madam, I
"Have had my dress-maker."--"The rent
"On which you've both been so intent
"Is hard to stop, for the whole day
"To sew and mend, you made her stay;
"Much work indeed you've had to do!
"--Madam, 't would last the whole night through,
"When in our task we find enjoyment
"There is no end of the employment."


Scheme ABABCCDDEECCFGGFFHHIIGGJJKK
Poetic Form
Metre 01011010 100011 11111010 1111111 01110101 11010111 011111101 01011111 01010111 01010101 01111101 11010111 01000111 01000111 11011101 111111 1111011 1101011 01110101 11111001 11111101 11111011 11011101 11011111 101110111 1010111010 111110010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 957
Words 186
Sentences 18
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 27
Lines Amount 27
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 722
Words per stanza (avg) 173
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

57 sec read
77

La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. more…

All La Fontaine poems | La Fontaine Books

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