Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE METAMORPHOSIS, by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON


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First Line: This shepherdess dorine adored
Last Line: Next time 'twill be my turn to play.
Alternate Author Name(s): Dobson, Austin


'On s'enrichit quand on dort.'

SCENE. -- A high stone Seat in an Alley of clipped Lime-trees.

THE ABBE TIRILI. MONSIEUR L'ETOILE

THE ABBE (writing).

'THIS shepherdess Dorine adored -- '
What rhyme is next? Implored? -- ignored?
Poured? -- soared? -- afford? That facile Dunce,
L'ETOILE, would cap the line at once.
'Twill come in time. Meanwhile, suppose
We take a meditative doze.
(Sleeps. By and by his paper falls.)

M. L'ETOILE (approaching from the back).

Some one before me. What! 'tis you,
Monsieur the Scholar? Sleeping too!
(Picks up the fluttering paper.)
More 'Tales', of course. One can't refuse
To chase so fugitive a Muse!
Verses are public, too, that fly
'Cum privilegio' -- Zephyri!
(Reads.)
'CLITANDER AND DORINE.' Insane!
He fancies he's a LA FONTAINE!
'In early Days, the gods, we find,
Paid private Visits to Mankind; --
At least, authentic Records say so
In Publius Ovidius Naso.'
(Three names for one. This passes all.
'Tis 'furiously' classical!)
'No doubt their Purpose oft would be
Some 'Nodus dignus Vindice';
'On dit,' not less, these earthward Tours
Were mostly Matters of Amours.
And Woe to him whose luckless Flame
Impeded that Olympic Game;
Ere he could say an 'Ave' o'er,
They changed him -- like a Louis-d'or.'
('Aves,' and current coinage? O! --
O shade of NICOLAS BOILEAU!)
'Bird, Beast, or River he became:
With Women it was much the same.
In Ovid Case to Case succeeds;
But Names the Reader never reads.'
(That is, Monsieur the Abbe feels
His quantities are out at heels!)
'Suffice it that, for this our Tale,
There dwelt in a Thessalian Vale,
Of Tales like this the frequent Scene,
A Shepherdess, by name Dorine.
Trim Waist, ripe Lips, bright Eyes, had she; --
In short, -- the whole Artillery.
Her Beauty made some local Stir; --
Men marked it. So did Jupiter.
This Shepherdess Dorine adored....'
Implored, ignored, and soared, and poured --
(He's scrawled them here!) We'll sum in brief
His fable on his second leaf.
(Writes.)
There, they shall know who 'twas that wrote: --
'L'ETOILE'S is but a mock-bird's note.' [Exit.

THE ABBE (waking).

Implored's the word, I think. But where, --
Where is my paper? Ah! 'tis there!
Eh! what?

(Reads.)

THE METAMORPHOSIS

(not in Ovid).

The Shepherdess Dorine adored
The Shepherd-Boy Clitander;
But Jove himself, Olympus' Lord,
The Shepherdess Dorine adored.
Our Abbe's Aid the Pair Implored; --
And changed to Goose and Gander;
The Shepherdess Dorine adored
The Shepherd-Boy Clitander!'

L'ETOILE, -- by all the Muses!
Peste!
He's off, post-haste, to tell the rest.
No matter. Laugh, Sir Dunce, to-day;
Next time 'twill be my turn to play.





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