Vers de société
Encyclopedia
Vers de société, a term for social or familiar poetry
, which was originally borrowed from the French
, and has now come to rank as an English expression.
The prince of such graceful triflers was the Abbé de Chaulieu
(1639–1720), of whom it was said that he made verses solely for the amusement of his friends, and without the smallest intention of seeing them in print. The best of his effusions have preserved a certain freshness because of the neatness with which they are turned, but it can scarcely be said that they have any pretension to be called poetry. They were inspired by incidents in the private life of the day, and were largely addressed to a few friends of exalted rank, who were hardly less witty than the author himself, such as the Duc de Nevers, the Marquis de Lassay, the Duchesse de Bouillon
and the Marquis de La Fare.
In the collections of Chaulieu's works, which were very often reprinted, side by side with his own pieces will be found petits vers de société indited by these great friends of his, and often quite as well-turned as his own. To write such verses, indeed, was almost an accomplishment of good breeding. An enormous collection of them was brought together by Titon du Tillet (1676–1762), in his Parnasse français, where those who are curious on the subject may observe to satiety how ingenious and artificial and trifling the vers de société of the French 18th century could be.
The fashion for them followed upon the decline of an interest in rondeaux, ballade
s and villanelle
s, and Chaulieu himself had not a little to do with throwing those ingenuities out of fashion, his attack on Benserade
, who went so far as to turn the whole of Ovid
's Metamorphoses
into rondeaux being, according to his editor of 1732, the first work which displayed the delicacy of the Abbé de Chaulieu's taste, and his talent for poetry. Of the writers of vers de société in France, J.-B. Rousseau
had the most poetical faculty; he was, in fact, a poet, and he wrote a Billet à Chaulieu which is a gem of delicate and playful charm. But, as a rule, the efforts of the French versifiers in les petits genres were not of much poetic value.
's Poems on Several Occasions, collected in 1709, presents us with some of the earliest entirely characteristic specimens of vers de société, and with some of the best. Here the poet consciously, and openly, relinquishes the pretension of high effort and an appeal to Parnassus. He is paying a visit at Burghley House
, where the conversation turns on the merits and adventures of Mr Fleetwood Shepherd; Prior
then and there throws off, in extremely graceful verse, a piece appropriate to the occasion. He addresses it, and he dates it to May 14, 1689; and this is a typical example of vers de société.
It will be seen that Prior, who learnt much from his residence in the heart of the French world of fashion between 1711 and 1715, treats very much the same subjects as Chaulieu and La Fare were treating, but he does so with more force of style and dignity of imagination. As the 18th century progressed, the example of Prior was often followed by English poets, without, however, any general recapture of his forcible grace. The vers de société tended to be merged in the epistle and in the epigram. Swift
, however, when he was neither coarse nor frigid, sometimes achieved genuine success, as in the admirable verses on his own death. The odes of Ambrose Philips
(1671–1749) addressed by name to various private persons, and, most happily, to children, were not understood in his own age, but possess some of the most fortunate characteristics of pure vers de société.
In his Welcome from Greece, a study in ottava rima
, Gay
produced a masterpiece in this delicate class, but most of his easy writings belong to a different category. Nothing of peculiar importance detains us until we reach Cowper
, whose poems for particular occasions, such as those on Mrs Throckmorton's Bullfinch and The Distressed Travellers, are models of the poetic use of actual circumstances treated with an agreeable levity, or an artful naïvety. In a later age, Byron, who excelled in so many departments of poetry, was an occasional writer of brilliant vers de société, such as the epistle Huzza, Hodgson
, but to find a direct successor to Prior it is necessary to pass Henry Luttrell and W. R. Spencer
, and to come down to W. M. Praed
. A certain character was given to English vers de société by Hood
and R. H. Barham, but the former was too much addicted to a play upon words, the latter was too boisterous, to be considered as direct continuers of the tradition of Prior.
That tradition, however, was revived by Frederick Locker-Lampson
, whose London Lyrics, first printed in 1857 and constantly modified until 1893, is in some respects the typical modern example of pure vers de société. He was a simple, clear and easy writer; he successfully avoided the least appearance of that effort which is fatal to this kind of verse. His Rotten Row, with its reminiscences of the early 1860s, "But where is now the courtly troop / That once rode laughing by? / I miss the curls of Cantelupe, / The laugh of Lady Di, / Touches of real portraiture"--is a perfect example of vers de société. Since the days of Locker, those who have attempted to strike the lighter lyre in English have been very numerous. Almost immeasurably superior to the rest was Austin Dobson
, who is, however, something more than a writer of vers de société.
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, which was originally borrowed from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and has now come to rank as an English expression.
In France
The use of the phrase as an English one is first met with at the opening of the 19th century. It is to be observed that it has come to bear a meaning which is not wholly equivalent to that of the French original. It was said of the blind philosopher, Charles de Pougens (1755–1833), that his petits vers de société procured great success for him in the salons of Paris, and several of the rhymesters of the early 18th century were prominent for their adroitness in composing petits vers sur des sujets legers.The prince of such graceful triflers was the Abbé de Chaulieu
Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu
Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu , French poet and wit, was born at Fontenay, Normandy.His father, maître des comptes of Rouen, sent him to study at the Collège de Navarre. Guillaume early showed the wit that was to distinguish him, and gained the favor of the duke of Vendôme, who procured for him the...
(1639–1720), of whom it was said that he made verses solely for the amusement of his friends, and without the smallest intention of seeing them in print. The best of his effusions have preserved a certain freshness because of the neatness with which they are turned, but it can scarcely be said that they have any pretension to be called poetry. They were inspired by incidents in the private life of the day, and were largely addressed to a few friends of exalted rank, who were hardly less witty than the author himself, such as the Duc de Nevers, the Marquis de Lassay, the Duchesse de Bouillon
Marie Anne Mancini
Marie Anne Mancini, duchesse de Bouillon , was the youngest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes because their uncle was the king's chief minister, Cardinal...
and the Marquis de La Fare.
In the collections of Chaulieu's works, which were very often reprinted, side by side with his own pieces will be found petits vers de société indited by these great friends of his, and often quite as well-turned as his own. To write such verses, indeed, was almost an accomplishment of good breeding. An enormous collection of them was brought together by Titon du Tillet (1676–1762), in his Parnasse français, where those who are curious on the subject may observe to satiety how ingenious and artificial and trifling the vers de société of the French 18th century could be.
The fashion for them followed upon the decline of an interest in rondeaux, ballade
Ballade
The ballade is a form of French poetry. It was one of the three formes fixes and one of the verse forms in France most commonly set to music between the late 13th and the 15th centuries....
s and villanelle
Villanelle
A villanelle is a poetic form that entered English-language poetry in the 19th century from the imitation of French models. The word derives from the Italian villanella from Latin villanus . A villanelle has only two rhyme sounds...
s, and Chaulieu himself had not a little to do with throwing those ingenuities out of fashion, his attack on Benserade
Isaac de Benserade
Isaac de Benserade was a French poet.Born in Lyons-la-Forêt in the Province of Normandy, his family appears to have been connected with Richelieu, who bestowed on him a pension of 600 livres. He began his literary career with the tragedy of Cléopâtre , which was followed by four other pieces...
, who went so far as to turn the whole of Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses (poem)
Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem in fifteen books by the Roman poet Ovid describing the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework. Completed in AD 8, it is recognized as a masterpiece of Golden Age Latin literature...
into rondeaux being, according to his editor of 1732, the first work which displayed the delicacy of the Abbé de Chaulieu's taste, and his talent for poetry. Of the writers of vers de société in France, J.-B. Rousseau
Jean-Baptiste Rousseau
Jean-Baptiste Rousseau was a French poet.-Biography:Rousseau was born in Paris, the son of a shoemaker, and was well educated. As a young man, he gained favour with Boileau, who encouraged him to write. Rousseau began with the theatre, for which he had no aptitude...
had the most poetical faculty; he was, in fact, a poet, and he wrote a Billet à Chaulieu which is a gem of delicate and playful charm. But, as a rule, the efforts of the French versifiers in les petits genres were not of much poetic value.
In England
If in England the expression vers de société carries with it more literary dignity, this is mainly due to the genius of one man, Matthew Prior. PriorMatthew Prior
Matthew Prior was an English poet and diplomat.Prior was the son of a Nonconformist joiner at Wimborne Minster, East Dorset. His father moved to London, and sent him to Westminster School, under Dr. Busby. On his father's death, he left school, and was cared for by his uncle, a vintner in Channel...
's Poems on Several Occasions, collected in 1709, presents us with some of the earliest entirely characteristic specimens of vers de société, and with some of the best. Here the poet consciously, and openly, relinquishes the pretension of high effort and an appeal to Parnassus. He is paying a visit at Burghley House
Burghley House
Burghley House is a grand 16th-century country house near the town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England...
, where the conversation turns on the merits and adventures of Mr Fleetwood Shepherd; Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
then and there throws off, in extremely graceful verse, a piece appropriate to the occasion. He addresses it, and he dates it to May 14, 1689; and this is a typical example of vers de société.
It will be seen that Prior, who learnt much from his residence in the heart of the French world of fashion between 1711 and 1715, treats very much the same subjects as Chaulieu and La Fare were treating, but he does so with more force of style and dignity of imagination. As the 18th century progressed, the example of Prior was often followed by English poets, without, however, any general recapture of his forcible grace. The vers de société tended to be merged in the epistle and in the epigram. Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, however, when he was neither coarse nor frigid, sometimes achieved genuine success, as in the admirable verses on his own death. The odes of Ambrose Philips
Ambrose Philips
-Life:He was born in Shropshire of a Leicestershire family. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and St John's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1699. He seems to have lived chiefly at Cambridge until he resigned his fellowship in 1708, and his pastorals were probably written in...
(1671–1749) addressed by name to various private persons, and, most happily, to children, were not understood in his own age, but possess some of the most fortunate characteristics of pure vers de société.
In his Welcome from Greece, a study in ottava rima
Ottava rima
Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio....
, Gay
John Gay
John Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
produced a masterpiece in this delicate class, but most of his easy writings belong to a different category. Nothing of peculiar importance detains us until we reach Cowper
William Cowper
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry...
, whose poems for particular occasions, such as those on Mrs Throckmorton's Bullfinch and The Distressed Travellers, are models of the poetic use of actual circumstances treated with an agreeable levity, or an artful naïvety. In a later age, Byron, who excelled in so many departments of poetry, was an occasional writer of brilliant vers de société, such as the epistle Huzza, Hodgson
Ralph Hodgson
Ralph Hodgson , Order of the Rising Sun ,was an English poet, very popular in his lifetime on the strength of a small number of anthology pieces, such as The Bull. He was one of the more 'pastoral' of the Georgian poets...
, but to find a direct successor to Prior it is necessary to pass Henry Luttrell and W. R. Spencer
William Robert Spencer
William Robert Spencer , English poet and wit, was the younger son of Lord Charles Spencer and his wife Mary Beauclerk. He was the grandson of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough on his father's side and Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere on his mother's...
, and to come down to W. M. Praed
Winthrop Mackworth Praed
Winthrop Mackworth Praed was an English politician and poet.-Early life:He was born in London. The family name of Praed was derived from the marriage of the poet's great-grandfather to a Cornish heiress. Winthrop's father, William Mackworth Praed, was a serjeant-at-law. His mother belonged to the...
. A certain character was given to English vers de société by Hood
Thomas Hood
Thomas Hood was a British humorist and poet. His son, Tom Hood, became a well known playwright and editor.-Early life:...
and R. H. Barham, but the former was too much addicted to a play upon words, the latter was too boisterous, to be considered as direct continuers of the tradition of Prior.
That tradition, however, was revived by Frederick Locker-Lampson
Frederick Locker-Lampson
[File:Frederick Locker .jpg|thumb|right|[File:Frederick Locker .jpg|thumb|right|[File:Frederick Locker .jpg|thumb|right|[[File:Frederick Locker .jpg|thumb|right|...
, whose London Lyrics, first printed in 1857 and constantly modified until 1893, is in some respects the typical modern example of pure vers de société. He was a simple, clear and easy writer; he successfully avoided the least appearance of that effort which is fatal to this kind of verse. His Rotten Row, with its reminiscences of the early 1860s, "But where is now the courtly troop / That once rode laughing by? / I miss the curls of Cantelupe, / The laugh of Lady Di, / Touches of real portraiture"--is a perfect example of vers de société. Since the days of Locker, those who have attempted to strike the lighter lyre in English have been very numerous. Almost immeasurably superior to the rest was Austin Dobson
Henry Austin Dobson
Henry Austin Dobson , commonly Austin Dobson, was an English poet and essayist.-Life:He was born at Plymouth, the eldest son of George Clarisse Dobson, a civil engineer, of French descent. When he was about eight, the family moved to Holyhead, and his first school was at Beaumaris in Anglesey...
, who is, however, something more than a writer of vers de société.