To Promise Is One Thing To Keep It, Another Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCCCCDDEFGHGHDCDC CDCDIIJJDDDDDDKKDDDD LLMMNNDDDDDD| JOHN courts Perrette but all in vain | A |
| Love's sweetest oaths and tears and sighs | B |
| All potent spells her heart to gain | A |
| The ardent lover vainly tries | B |
| Fruitless his arts to make her waver | C |
| She will not grant the smallest favour | C |
| A ruse our youth resolved to try | C |
| The cruel air to mollify | C |
| Holding his fingers ten outspread | D |
| To Perrette's gaze and with no dread | D |
| So often said he can I prove | E |
| My sweet Perrette how warm my love | F |
| When lover's last avowals fail | G |
| To melt the maiden's coy suspicions | H |
| A lover's sign will oft prevail | G |
| To win the way to soft concessions | H |
| Half won she takes the tempting bait | D |
| Smiles on him draws her lover nearer | C |
| With heart no longer obdurate | D |
| She teaches him no more to fear her | C |
| A pinch a kiss a kindling eye | C |
| Her melting glances nothing said | D |
| John ceases not his suit to ply | C |
| Till his first finger's debt is paid | D |
| A second third and fourth he gains | I |
| Takes breath and e'en a fifth maintains | I |
| But who could long such contest wage | J |
| Not I although of fitting age | J |
| Nor John himself for here he stopped | D |
| And further effort sudden dropped | D |
| Perrette whose appetite increased | D |
| just as her lover's vigour ceased | D |
| In her fond reckoning defeated | D |
| Considered she was greatly cheated | D |
| If duty well discharged such blame | K |
| Deserve for many a highborn dame | K |
| Would be content with such deceit | D |
| But Perrette as already told | D |
| Out of her count began to scold | D |
| And call poor John an arrant cheat | D |
| For promising and not performing | L |
| John calmly listened to her storming | L |
| And well content with work well done | M |
| Thinking his laurels fairly won | M |
| Cooly replied on taking leave | N |
| No cause I see to fume and grieve | N |
| Or for such trifle to dispute | D |
| To promise and to execute | D |
| Are not the same be it confessed | D |
| Suffice it to have done one's best | D |
| With time I'll yet discharge what's due | D |
| Meanwhile my sweet Perrette adieu | D |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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