Phyrne

Alexander Pope 1688 (London) – 1744 (Twickenham)



Phryne had talents for mankind,
Open she was, and unconfin'd,
Like some free port of trade:
Merchants unloaded here their freight,
And Agents from each foreign state,
Here first their entry made.

Her learning and good breeding such,
Whether th' Italian or the Dutch,
Spaniards or French came to her:
To all obliging she'd appear:

'Twas
Si Signior
, 'twas
Yaw Mynheer
,
'Twas
S'il vous plaist, Monsieur.

Obscure by birth, renown'd by crimes,
Still changing names, religions, climes,
At length she turns a Bride:
In di'monds, pearls, and rich brocades,
She shines the first of batter'd jades,
And flutters in her pride.

So have I known those Insects fair
(Which curious Germans hold so rare)
Still vary shapes and dyes;
Still gain new Titles with new forms;
First grubs obscene, then wriggling worms,
Then painted butterflies.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
74

Quick analysis:

Scheme aabccb ddex FeFe Fe gghiih jjkxxk
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 808
Words 137
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 4, 7, 6, 6

Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) is regarded as one of the greatest English poets, and the foremost poet of the early eighteenth century. He is best known for his satirical and discursive poetry, including The Rape of the Lock, The Dunciad, and An Essay on Criticism, as well as for his translation of Homer. more…

All Alexander Pope poems | Alexander Pope Books

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