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You Know Where You Did Despise by Alexander Pope

Analysis

This poem was written about a young woman who jested about his small size. In a letter to Cromwell, he states, "some days after, to be reveng'd on her, I presented her amongst other Company the following Rondeau on that occasion..." In "You Know Where You Did Despise" Pope pokes fun at the woman, telling her that he knows he isn't big and that he is considered small. He also knows that she is incredibly beautiful and that since he small, he understands why she doesn't want him, because she wants a man bigger in a certain area. The poem is written in AABBC with the C line being the same in both stanzas.

Poem

You Know Where You Did Despise
By 

Also known as "Rondeau"

You know where you did despise
(Tother day) my little Eyes,
Little Legs, and little Thighs,
And some things, of little Size,
You know where.

You, tis true, have fine black eyes,
Taper legs, and tempting Thighs,
Yet what more than all we prize
Is a Thing of little Size,
You know where.

A praphrase of Voiture's "Ou vous scavez tromper bien finement".

Written 1710 and published
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