The World's Malicious
Ah, little one, the world's malicious!With mocking smiles thy beauty greeting.It says that in thy breast capriciousA watch, and not a heart, is beating.
Yet like the sea thy breast is swellingWith all the wild, tumultuous powerA tide of blood sends pulsing, welling,Beneath thy flesh in life's young hour.
Ah, little one, the world is spiteful!It says thy vivid eyes are fooling,And that they have their charm delightfulFrom faithful, diplomatic schooling.
Yet on thy lashes' shifting curtainAn iridescent tear-drop trembles,Like dew unbidden and uncertain,That no well-water's gleam resembles.
Ah, little one, the world reviles thee!It says thou hast no spirit's favour,That verse, which seemingly beguiles thee,Hath unto thee a Sanskrit savour.
Yet to thy crimson lips inviting,Intelligence's bee of laughter,At every flash of wit alighting,Allures and gleams, and lingers after.
Ah, little one, I know the trouble!Thou lovest me. The world, it guesses.Leave me, and hear its praises bubble:--"What heart, what spirit, she possesses!"
Words in this poem
- schooling n.
- Instruction in school; tuition; education in an institution of learning; act of teaching.
- unbidden a.
- Not bidden; not commanded.
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- seemingly adv.
- In appearance; in show; in semblance; apparently; ostensibly.
- savour v. t.
- To perceive by the smell or the taste; hence, to perceive; to note. B. Jonson.
- inviting a.
- Alluring; tempting; as, an inviting amusement or prospect.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The World's Malicious is in the public domain. This text is taken from Enamels and Cameos and Other Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #29521, the Agnes Lee translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Théophile Gautier, The World's Malicious, in Enamels and Cameos and Other Poems (1903), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #29521, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/gautier-enamels-cameos/the-world-s-malicious.html, id L27005.
Form and metre
The World's Malicious is 28 lines in 7 stanzas of 4 lines each. Every stanza rhymes ABAB. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 94%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB maliciousA · greetingB · capriciousA · beatingB
- 2 ABAB swellingA · powerB · wellingA · hourB
- 3 ABAB spitefulA · foolingB · delightfulA · schoolingB
- 4 ABAB curtainA · tremblesB · uncertainA · resemblesB
- 5 ABAB theeA · favourB · theeA · savourB
- 6 ABAB invitingA · laughterB · alightingA · afterB
- 7 ABAB troubleA · guessesB · bubbleA · possessesB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Ah, little one, the world's malicious! | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| With mocking smiles thy beauty greeting. | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| It says that in thy breast capricious | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| A watch, and not a heart, is beating. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Yet like the sea thy breast is swelling | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| With all the wild, tumultuous power | 8 | ·····/˘/ |
| A tide of blood sends pulsing, welling, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Beneath thy flesh in life's young hour. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Ah, little one, the world is spiteful! | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| It says thy vivid eyes are fooling, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| And that they have their charm delightful | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| From faithful, diplomatic schooling. | 9 | ·/˘·˘/˘/˘ |
| Yet on thy lashes' shifting curtain | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| An iridescent tear-drop trembles, | 9 | ··˘/˘··/˘ |
| Like dew unbidden and uncertain, | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| That no well-water's gleam resembles. | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| Ah, little one, the world reviles thee! | 9 | ·/˘···˘/· |
| It says thou hast no spirit's favour, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| That verse, which seemingly beguiles thee, | 8 | ···/˘˘/· |
| Hath unto thee a Sanskrit savour. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Yet to thy crimson lips inviting, | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| Intelligence's bee of laughter, | 9 | ˘/˘˘˘··/˘ |
| At every flash of wit alighting, | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| Allures and gleams, and lingers after. | 9 | ˘/···/˘·· |
| Ah, little one, I know the trouble! | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| Thou lovest me. The world, it guesses. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Leave me, and hear its praises bubble:-- | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| "What heart, what spirit, she possesses!" | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.