An Imitation Of Anacreon

Jean de La Fontaine 1621 (Château-Thierry) – 1695 (Paris)



PAINTER in Paphos and Cythera famed
Depict, I pray, the absent Iris' face.
Thou hast not seen the lovely nymph I've named;
The better for thy peace. - Then will I trace
For thy instruction her transcendent grace.
Begin with lily white and blushing rose,
Take then the Loves and Graces... But what good
Words, idle words? for Beauty's Goddess could
By Iris be replaced, nor one suppose
The secret fraud - their grace so equal shows.
Thou at Cythera couldst, at Paphos too,
Of the same Iris Venus form anew.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

27 sec read
12

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABBCDDCCEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 494
Words 91
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

Jean de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine, (8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695) was a famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional languages. After a long period of royal suspicion, he was at last admitted to the French Academy and his reputation in France has never faded since. Evidence of this is found in the many pictures and statues of the writer, as well as later depictions on medals, coins and postage stamps. more…

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