Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BALLAD OF THE WOMEN OF PARIS, by FRANCOIS VILLON Poem Explanation Poet's Biography First Line: Albeit the venice girls get praise Last Line: But no good girl's lip out of paris. Alternate Author Name(s): Montcorbier, Francois De Subject(s): Love; Paris, France; Women | ||||||||
Albeit the Venice girls get praise For their sweet speech and tender air, And though the old women have wise ways Of chaffering for amorous ware, Yet at my peril dare I swear, Search Rome, where God's grace mainly tarries, Florence and Savoy, everywhere, There's no good girl's lip out of Paris. The Naples women, as folk prattle, Are sweetly spoken and subtle enough; German girls are good at tattle, And Prussians make their boast thereof; Take Egypt for the next remove, Or that waste land the Tartar harries, Spain or Greece, for the matter of love, There's no good girl's lip out of Paris. Breton and Swiss know nought of the matter, Gascony girls or girls of Toulouse; Two fishwomen with a half-hour's chatter Would shut them up by threes and twos; Calais, Lorraine, and all their crews, (Names enow the mad song marries,) England and Picardy, search them and choose, There's no good girl's lip out of Paris. Prince, give praise to our French ladies For the sweet sound their speaking carries; 'Twixt Rome and Cadiz many a maid is, But no good girl's lip out of Paris. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ARISTOTLE TO PHYLLIS by JOHN HOLLANDER A WOMAN'S DELUSION by SUSAN HOWE JULIA TUTWILER STATE PRISON FOR WOMEN by ANDREW HUDGINS THE WOMEN ON CYTHAERON by ROBINSON JEFFERS TOMORROW by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD LADIES FOR DINNER, SAIPAN by KENNETH KOCH GOODBYE TO TOLERANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV A DOUBLE BALLAD OF GOOD COUNSEL by FRANCOIS VILLON BALLAD MADE AT THE REQUEST OF HIS MOTHER .. PRAY TO OUR LADY by FRANCOIS VILLON |
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