Why do Americans detest the French?
The answer is patently simple and plain:
but it gives U.S. national pride a wrench.
The French find senseless warfare inane,
teach their kids to think for themselves,
to study -- and never to drop out of school.
Faced with a problem, the Frenchman delves
to the bottom, isn't shown as a fool
by taking religious inanities to heart.
The Frenchman knows there's a world out there,
and never puts the horse before Descartes.
He's wily, tenacious, tough and aware.
Famed as a lover, he'll fight if he must,
but invades no one if his cause is not just.
Author notes
This is a Shakespearean or soit-dit English sonnet.
Today is the anniversary of Voltaire's return to Paris after 28 years of exile because of his opposition to religious tyranny.
Written February 11th, 2006
A contest entry
- Celebrate 14 July... by Vera Rich.
600 points, ended July 22, 2008, 13 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Shakespearean or like sonnet for Allpoetry #130 by Lyndon.
3700 points, ended October 17, 2008, 3 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 34 of 34
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Witty
This is very good Jim, and a poke to complacent countrymen. Congratulations for silver!
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and never puts the horse before Descartes.
A_Muse_Sing ... what about the Freedom Fries ?
That having been said the French are seldom as peerless (despite the Revolution) as you would have us believe, and, furthermore, the results of the BACcalaureat are fudged to ensure >80% pass.
However - given almost free University tuition and 35 hour working weeks with Government retirement and healthcare there is an advantage to residing in France
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Well done
This is very nicely put together. Most people would agree the French have things going well, and education is a high priority. I had a very pleasant holiday there. America is not SO bad, but needs to pay attention to basics. Congratulations for your new silver trophy!
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I am not so enamoured
but that matters little. This is a clever, witty and, at times, pointed poem.
Obviously, Napoleon had many causes.
Very adequate rhyme scheme and basic meter varied and interesting.
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If you go back ...
far enough in history, everyone's hands are dirty. America and Australia mistreated their indigenous peoples badly, but I don't feel that either country should be considered a "bad" country because of that. I feel that Napoleon was a "learning experience" for France. The poem refers to the present, not to the past.
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I like this sonnet a lot. Great last line - "invades no one if his cause is not just."
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Very Neat
92% of this is awesome. As a whole it's great, looks cool and flows well. Good stuff, thanks.
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I should have appreciated this MUCH more without the note! And I do not quite see how the final line can really be justified in view of certain rather well-known events in French history! However, we are celebrating at the moment - so let us forget the black spots!
LATER() I see you have now removed the note most of the note... Thank you!
I hope to have the competition judged by Friday - but as I am not feeling very well today, this may not be possible. So, please remember: you should wait until the results are announced before commenting on other people's entries - if you want to gain bonus points, that is!
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Go Jim Go!
At a loss to add anything new aside from the fact that I found the date you wrote it significant to the message. When I think of poets with a concionce I think of you. "Poetry as a hammer"
Aside from that, yeah, what they said!
Peace, Rob -
Actually, then we are both good Americans, not the sniveling, lying, backstabbing fools who are running this country right now.
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I am an American. And a proud American....proud that is, of what we're supposed to be, not what we are
Personally I don't quite understand the whole Americans not liking the French thing...although it goes both ways, and I spent an entire day trading stereotypes with a Frenchman once, it was quite fun.
Although this is slanted against my country and my countrymen, I have no aversion to it, because I have no pride in what we are. And I just have to add my typlically American props- you kick ass
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Fantastic!
GO FRENCH GO! I remember when retards started calling French fries Freedom fries! I would order some french fries and they would correct me "no darlin' these things here are freedom fries".... lol! I have nothing against the French and in studying their society and ways in history they really tend to stay out of war unless they see some profit in it for their country.... which is smart in many ways.
Fantastic write and looking forward to more!
KAY -
There is a period there.
I don't know why it didn't show up for you, but there is one. I changed "up" to "as" and I think your idea was better.
Thanks for reading and commenting. -
Solid piece
Why do Americans detest the French?
The answer is patently simple and plain:
but it gives U.S. national pride a wrench.
The French find senseless warfare inane, (I hear 'french-fries' and remember the whole stink about 'freedom-fries.' )
teach their kids to think for themselves,
to study -- and never to drop out of school.
Faced with a problem, the Frenchman delves
to the bottom, isn't shown up a fool (would 'as a fool' mess up your rhythm? It trips more readily off my tongue that way)
by taking religious inanities to heart.
The Frenchman knows there's a world out there,
and never puts the horse before Descartes. (This is fantastic. Very funny.)
He's wily, tenacious, tough and aware.
Famed as a lover, he'll fight if he must,
but invades no one if his cause is not just (should there be a period?)
Great piece. I don't know much about the form, so if my comments contradict it, chalk it up to ignorance.
I love the taste of this one: it reads well. I thoroughly enjoy the idea of reason versus passion that plays throughout. Very well done.
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You should be in politics my friend - you'd be tons better than the folk there right now! I love the way you've set out your stall here and I have taken on your comments about the Americans and the French. Of course, the French and the Brits is something else .... Write on!
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I really enjoyed this. Political poems are not normally my favorites (or poetry with any kind of political slant to it), but this one had a nice ring from the very beginning, and the meter was very nice. I'll admit my ignorance as concerns the form, as I'm unaware of all the technicalities involved, but this was a heck of a write regardless.
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A few more lines and you'd have a great poem.
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Excellent Writing
I think, therefore France exists
Its rich cultural legacy and big warm hearts
Would rather reason than speak with their fists
And think through things like Des Cartes
--Ellis -
Someone said to me that the comment about "religious inanities" is antireligious. That's not true. I'm talking about the insane things that happen, like Bush saying he invaded Iraq because "God told him to". That's worse than inane, of course. It's horrible that the leader of a country like ours can be insane and get away with doing insane things simply by scaring people with lies about why he does what he does.
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Great poem Jim. What you said about the French could be said about the Dutch people as well. They want to think for themselves too and also hate senseless wars (and the invading in Iraq). Our politicians however are telling the opposite, because they want to be praised by the USA & Great Brittain... and are too afraid too lose their position in society. Sick. I also liked your authors comment. You did a great job with this Miltonic sonnet without volta. lol. Good luck in the contest.
Anna.
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Thanks. Actually, if it weren't for France, there would be no United States of America. We'd still be British colonies. The English language is far more French than anything else, and Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. (However, there are many that come close). The prejudice against France is simply the Republicans being disgusting because France didn't believe we had any right to invade Iraq. What a pathetic excuse for being a bigot. Especially since time will prove them right and the U.S. and England wrong.
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As always, you state your case with strength. I do hear the prejudice concerning France and find it just as disturbing and ugly as all prejudice. I cannot say I am very knowledgeable about France as a political or cultural influence but I do agree with your observations on bigotry.
Edited on Feb 13, 2:18 p.m. because ''. -
This is really good. I love the Des Cartes allusion.
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This brilliant metaphor puts it all in perspective!
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The Frenchman knows there's a world out there,
and never puts the horse in front of Des Cartes.
Dude, this cracked me UP! The best pun I've read in a long time, and the subject of the sonnet had me noddin' and goin' 'Oh Yeah.' I totally agree, and although I am as American as the next Redneck out there, I have to admit that in regards to the war, I'm definitely French-ified... I think it's a sad statement of this world when asinine justifications and inane bravado overwhelmes the quieter voices of reason and prudent judgment...but then again, isn't that how the Nazis took power over a half century ago? I guess history is destined to repeat itself...
Really dug this.
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The more I think about it, the more I think you are right. Cheney does have an ego as big as the Milky Way, wheras Bush's isn't much over the size of the Solar System.
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your cheering squad has it nailed .... so shall i just say 'all in all, a good job' ! heh ... i loved it ... so funny if it werent so close to the truth ! ... nicely done again mister >>> GINA
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Cogito ergo sum
Boy are you going to piss some flag-wavers off with this sucker!
Slightly nationalistic, but cleverly worded, nonetheless.
I quite enjoyed "...never puts the horse in front of Descartes (there is no space)." As Descartes (to whom I tip my hat for being one of the most influential minds of the past 1000 years)
founded the school of thought which held that deduction trumps perception, it sounds like what you're saying is roughly, "The French do not shoot first, and ask questions later." Kind of ironic, considering that's a Yankee expression. Actually, I think "Don't put the horse in front of the cart" might be American, too. That line all alone makes this poem worth reading. Come to think of it, considering this is a sonnet, I'd kind of like to see it as one of the last two lines; it's easily the punchiest.
I have one humble suggestion:
I kind of felt that, "...isn't made into a fool" could be worded a little sexier.
I'm glad I read this. Thumbs up!
Edited on Feb 12 because ''. -
Doug, you are 100 per cent correct. Without France, we'd still be an English colony. I get really sick of those rightwing bums who denigrate France because she didn't want to join the U.S. in an illicit invasion which was going to cause a major clash of civilizations and possibly millions of lives before it's over. I think it's odd that people don't realize by now that we are in a clash of civilizations, and that it can only lead to an all out war between Islam and the West unless we get out of Iraq very soon.
Edited on Feb 11, 11:20 p.m. because ''. -
Ahhh, I must disagree. Cheney's ego is bigger than bush's, who is not smart enough to realize his ego.
Fun little rant here, Jim. I never quite got that "american fries" thing that tried to develop, and have always respected much of the french culture. Besides, without them it is unlikely we would have won our war with england.
peace
doug
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I agree with most of this, but I beg to differ on the subject of the French ability to fight. I'll tell you about a bully (he's too old to be one now, or he would still be a bully, I suspect). He tried to push a young French guy around, and the kid kicked the living daylights out of him. A lot of the French know la savate. I happen to have known a retired American airman who was rescued from the Nazis by the Free French, and I know of several who were saved from the Nazis by Frenchmen in the underground resistance. Besides, my Grandfather was French, and I'm probably about 1/4 French, as well as Scotch, American Indian and who knows what else.
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Oh,however now the adminastration is finding the French a bit more acceptable.Due to their support of Nato's stand against Iran's nuke build up.I must say I was a little taken aback by Putin's comment that our government can and I quote<"go to hell".If we don't like Russia's viewing Hamas as a legitament government.Great write on things braking down and why fores of strained relations between our country and France.But they have had an arrogance of ego bigger than the Emperor Bonaparte for years.I can't help but think as the value of our dollar keeps slipping lower so will their slams.~~~Suseann PS,SAVE US BACON BEFORE ANYONES IS MY OWN NEW CREDO.I'd certainly have to agree on Bushys ego.
Edited on Feb 12, 3:23 p.m. because ''. -
You don't like escargot? I do, only it's not something you find served in restaurants around here. I can't afford to go to France so I'll have to forego it. We both know that I don't think all Americans are like this, but you can only do so much with 14 lines.
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While escargot and brie are not my idea of decent food, croissants, champagne, and Des Cartes are neccessities, not luxuries in my world! I'll be a discontented non-conformist long after Bush is a bitter memory and the last US soldier is dismissed from combat duty in this farce of a war in Iraq. Thank you for the perspective, but I beg you not to lump us all together in Bush's incoherrent need to stick his nose and our sons & daughters where they don't belong. Well done!
Slyder
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