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Poem
July 4, 1766
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
A riddle poem titled 'The Gentleman's Aversion' describes a fickle, inconstant being likened to weather and animals, revealing it as an unreliable woman or coquette, with a satirical taunt at the end.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
The Gentleman's Aversion. A Riddle.
Here's a being in nature as light as a feather,
As fickle as wind, as inconstant as weather;
Now humble, then proud, now sweet, and then sour,
Never wears the same humour or conduct an hour:
Tis a lion, a lamb, an eagle, a dove,
All tameness, all fierceness, all hate, or all love;
It can wear and protect, but its oaths are so frail
That he who relies on't takes an eel by the tail.
Should a modern coquette unriddle my riddle,
She may toss up her nose and kiss my bumfiddle.
Here's a being in nature as light as a feather,
As fickle as wind, as inconstant as weather;
Now humble, then proud, now sweet, and then sour,
Never wears the same humour or conduct an hour:
Tis a lion, a lamb, an eagle, a dove,
All tameness, all fierceness, all hate, or all love;
It can wear and protect, but its oaths are so frail
That he who relies on't takes an eel by the tail.
Should a modern coquette unriddle my riddle,
She may toss up her nose and kiss my bumfiddle.
What sub-type of article is it?
Riddle
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Satire Society
Love Courtship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Riddle
Coquette
Fickle Woman
Satire
Gentleman
Aversion
Poem Details
Title
The Gentleman's Aversion. A Riddle.
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Should A Modern Coquette Unriddle My Riddle,
She May Toss Up Her Nose And Kiss My Bumfiddle.