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Poem July 13, 1759

The New Hampshire Gazette

Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire

What is this article about?

A satirical poem instructing a painter to depict a fashionable young woman, emphasizing her elaborate dress and accessories as the true measure of beauty over features or sense.

Clipping

OCR Quality

98% Excellent

Full Text

The FASHIONABLE MISS.

Best of Painters, shew thy Art,
Draw the Charmer of my Heart,
Draw her as she shines away
At the Rout, or at the Play;
Carefully each Mode express:
Woman's better Part is Dress.
Let her Cap be mighty small,
Bigger just than none at all;
Pretty, like her Sense, and little,
Like her Beauty, frail and brittle.
Be her shining Locks confin'd
In a threefold Braid behind;
Let an artificial Flow'r
Set the Frizzure off before;
Here and there, weave Ribbon put in,
Ribbon of the finest Sattin.
Circling round her Ivory Neck.
Frizzle out the neat Vandike:
Like the Ruffs that heretofore
Good Queen Bess's Maidens wore;
Happy Maidens, as we read,
Maids of Honour, Maids indeed.
Let her Breast look rich and bold,
With a Stomacher of Gold;
Let it keep her Bosom warm,
Amply stretch'd from Arm to Arm;
Whimsically travers'd o'er,
Here a Knot and there a Flow'r,
Like her little Heart that dances,
Full of Maggots, full of Fancies.
Flowing loosely down her Back,
Draw with Art the graceful Sack;
Ornament it well with Gimping,
Flounces, Furbelows, and Crimping;
Let off Ruffles many a Row
Guard her Elbows white as Snow;
Knots below and Knots above,
Emblems of the Ties of Love.
Let her Hoop, extended wide,
Shew what Petticoats should hide;
Garters of the softest Silk,
Stockings whiter than the Milk,
Charming Part of Female Dress,
Did it shew us more or less.
Let a Pair of Velvet Shoes
Gently press her petty Toes;
Gently press, and softly squeeze;
Tott'ring like the fair Chinese;
Mounted high, and buckled low,
Tott'ring ev'ry Step they go.
Take these Hints and do thy duty,
Fashions are the Tests of Beauty;
Features vary and perplex,
Mode's the Woman and the Sex.

What sub-type of article is it?

Satire

What themes does it cover?

Satire Society

What keywords are associated?

Fashionable Miss Women's Dress Satire On Fashion Beauty And Mode Female Attire

Poem Details

Title

The Fashionable Miss.

Subject

Description Of Fashionable Female Attire

Form / Style

Rhymed Couplets

Key Lines

Woman's Better Part Is Dress. Fashions Are The Tests Of Beauty; Features Vary And Perplex, Mode's The Woman And The Sex. Like Her Sense, And Little,

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