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Poem
January 20, 1911
The Southern Herald
Liberty, Amite County, Mississippi
What is this article about?
A narrator describes idealizing four women—Maude, Violet, Isabelle, and Jennette—only to discover flaws: Maude sneezes ungracefully, Violet eats beans with a knife, Isabelle's hairpiece falls off, and Jennette is engaged to Bill Bromley. Despairing, he vows to retreat to a monastery.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
I thought Maude had a pretty face.
But now she doesn't please, because
(oh, horrors, that grimace!) I saw the
maiden sneeze.
Then Violet I used to
muse, would be a dainty wife; but one
sad day I saw
her
use, for eating
beans, her knife. And
Isabelle was true
and square, as
honest
as
the day, I
thought, until
her russet hair worked
loose and
blew
away.
But recently appeared Jennette,
in
whom I could descry no blemish.
and my hopes were set
In the most cloudless sky; but there
were
heartless
clouds
ahead.
Bill
Bromley
came
to
me.
"I
want to tell
you sir,"
he
said,
"Jeannette's
my
fiancée.
Despairing now, I seek re-
treat in monastery cell, where woman
I shall never meet, and in sweet peace
may dwell.
But now she doesn't please, because
(oh, horrors, that grimace!) I saw the
maiden sneeze.
Then Violet I used to
muse, would be a dainty wife; but one
sad day I saw
her
use, for eating
beans, her knife. And
Isabelle was true
and square, as
honest
as
the day, I
thought, until
her russet hair worked
loose and
blew
away.
But recently appeared Jennette,
in
whom I could descry no blemish.
and my hopes were set
In the most cloudless sky; but there
were
heartless
clouds
ahead.
Bill
Bromley
came
to
me.
"I
want to tell
you sir,"
he
said,
"Jeannette's
my
fiancée.
Despairing now, I seek re-
treat in monastery cell, where woman
I shall never meet, and in sweet peace
may dwell.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Epigram
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Courtship Disillusionment
Women Flaws
Monastic Retreat
Humorous Satire
Romantic Ideals
Poem Details
Form / Style
Rhymed Verse With Irregular Meter
Key Lines
(Oh, Horrors, That Grimace!) I Saw The Maiden Sneeze.
For Eating Beans, Her Knife.
Her Russet Hair Worked Loose And Blew Away.
"Jeannette's My Fiancée."
Despairing Now, I Seek Retreat In Monastery Cell