Analysis of Are Women Fair?

Francis Davison 1919 ( London, United Kingdom) – 1984



"Are women fair?" Ay, wondrous fair to see, too.
    "Are women sweet?" Yea, passing sweet they be, too.
    Most fair and sweet to them that only love them;
    Chaste and discreet to all save them that prove them.

"Are women wise?" Not wise, but they be witty;
    "Are women witty?" Yea, the more the pity;
    They are so witty, and in wit so wily,
    Though ye be ne'er so wise, they will beguile ye.

"Are women fools?" Not fools, but fondlings many;
    "Can women fond be faithful unto any?"
    When snow-white swans do turn to colour sable,
    Then women fond will be both firm and stable.

"Are women saints?" No saints, nor yet no devils;
    "Are women good?" Not good, but needful evils.
    So Angel-like, that devils I do not doubt them,
    So needful evils that few can live without them.

"Are women proud?" Ay! passing proud, an praise them.
    "Are women kind?" Ay! wondrous kind, an please them.
    Or so imperious, no man can endure them,
    Or so kind-hearted, any may procure them.


Scheme AABB CCCC CCDD EEBB BBBB
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11011101111 11011101111 11011111011 10011111111 11011111110 11010101010 11110001110 11111111011 1101111110 11011101010 1111111110 11011111010 11011111110 11011111010 110111011111 110101111011 11011101111 11011101111 110100111011 11110101011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,105
Words 194
Sentences 22
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 39
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 157
Words per stanza (avg) 35
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Submitted by halel on July 15, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

58 sec read
2

Francis Davison

Francis Davison (1919–1984) was a British visual artist and painter. His later work, starting shortly after his marriage to Margaret Mellis in 1948, is characterised by the use of collage: coloured printed paper layered and mounted on board. Davison remained in relative obscurity until finding recognition in the late 1970s and early 80s. He died in 1984.  more…

All Francis Davison poems | Francis Davison Books

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