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Jun 27, 2025
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Molière
Molière’s Chair
He wore the mask before he knew the play,
a carpet-seller’s son with ink-stained hands,
who traded silks for satire, night for day,
and walked from law into the laughing stands.
They threw him apples—baked, not sweet—
when tragedy betrayed his earnest tongue.
Yet still he bowed, and found in comic beat
a sharper blade than any hero swung.
He wrote in trunks, in taverns, under lamps,
his verses stitched with powdered courtly grace.
The King, amused, forgave his jests and scamps—
but priests saw devils in his comic face.
They say he died mid-line, in coughing fits,
while playing sick upon a stage too real.
The chair remains, where legend softly sits—
a relic of the man who dared to feel.
And somewhere still, a trunk may yet exist,
with plays unwritten, laughter yet unkissed.
About This Poem
Style/Type: Free verse
Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism
Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft
Comments
neopoet
4 months ago
Neopoet AI [2025-04]
The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet’s AI:
This poem offers a vivid and respectful portrayal of Molière, weaving biographical elements with evocative imagery and a reflective tone. The structure, consistent with a sonnet-like rhyme scheme, lends a rhythmic flow that suits the historical and theatrical subject matter.
The opening quatrain effectively sets the stage, capturing Molière’s transformation from a modest background to a figure of satire and performance. The metaphor of "wearing the mask before he knew the play" is particularly strong, symbolizing both theatrical disguise and the shaping of identity.
The second quatrain contrasts public reception—“apples—baked, not sweet”—with Molière’s resilience and the power of comedy as a weapon. This juxtaposition deepens the portrayal, though the phrase “comic beat” could be clarified or expanded to enhance its metaphorical weight.
The third quatrain situates Molière in his creative environment, with “verses stitched with powdered courtly grace” evoking the tension between artifice and sincerity. The line “The King, amused, forgave his jests and scamps— / but priests saw devils in his comic face” succinctly encapsulates the political and religious challenges he faced.
The concluding couplet poignantly reflects on Molière’s death and legacy, with the “chair” as a symbol of enduring presence and the “trunk” suggesting lost or unrealized works. This ending invites readers to contemplate the lasting impact of the artist beyond his lifetime.
Suggestions for refinement: - Consider varying the meter slightly in places to avoid predictability and to emphasize key lines or images. - The phrase “comic beat” might be reworked for clarity or replaced with a more vivid metaphor to strengthen the image of comedy as a “sharper blade.” - The poem could benefit from a more distinct tonal shift or emotional crescendo toward the end to heighten the sense of loss and legacy.
Overall, the poem successfully balances historical detail with lyrical expression, creating a thoughtful homage to Molière’s life and art.
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Frederick Kesner
4 months ago
...see you then!
...see you then!