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A CHAUCERIAN PARAPHRASE OF HORACE by Eugene Field

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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This poem playfully imitates Chaucer's medieval English and is written by Eugene Field.

Poet
Eugene Field
Themes
growing-up, identity, love
The PoemFull text

A CHAUCERIAN PARAPHRASE OF HORACE

Eugene Field

Syn that you, Chloe, to your moder sticken, Maketh all ye yonge bacheloures full sicken; Like as a lyttel deere you ben y-hiding Whenas come lovers with theyre pityse chiding; Sothly it ben faire to give up your moder For to beare swete company with some oder; Your moder ben well enow so farre shee goeth, But that ben not farre enow, God knoweth; Wherefore it ben sayed that foolysh ladyes That marrye not shall leade an aype in Hadys; But all that do with gode men wed full quickylye When that they be on dead go to ye seints full sickerly.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This poem playfully imitates Chaucer's medieval English and is written by Eugene Field. It retells a classic idea from the Roman poet Horace about a young woman named Chloe who holds on too tightly to her mother and steers clear of suitors. The speaker gently teases her, suggesting she'd be better off tying the knot. The humor is tied to a medieval folk belief that unmarried women must escort an ape into Hades as punishment in the afterlife, while those who marry good men go directly to the saints. Overall, it’s a lighthearted, comic piece that pokes fun at both romantic shyness and old superstitions.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Syn that you, Chloe, to your moder sticken, / Maketh all ye yonge bacheloures full sicken;

    Editor's note

    The speaker begins by speaking directly to Chloe. "Syn that" translates to "since" — so: *since* you persist in holding on to your mother, all the young bachelors are left lovesick and frustrated. It’s a humorous exaggeration: her unwillingness to interact with potential suitors is causing distress among the entire male population.

  2. Like as a lyttel deere you ben y-hiding / Whenas come lovers with theyre pityse chiding;

    Editor's note

    Chloe is likened to a small deer that darts away to hide whenever lovers come near with their "piteous" pleas. This deer comparison originates from Horace's *Odes* (I.23), where a girl named Chloe is portrayed as shying away from suitors like a fawn frightened by the woods. Field retains the classical reference but wraps it in a faux-medieval style.

  3. Sothly it ben faire to give up your moder / For to beare swete company with some oder;

    Editor's note

    "Sothly" means "truly" — the speaker genuinely believes it's a fine and proper thing to leave your mother behind and enjoy sweet company with someone else (i.e., a husband). The tone shifts from playful teasing to gentle persuasion, suggesting that independence and partnership are both natural and beneficial.

  4. Your moder ben well enow so farre shee goeth, / But that ben not farre enow, God knoweth;

    Editor's note

    Your mother is fine in her own way—but she doesn't quite measure up, God knows. This is the poem's clever little joke: a mother's love and presence are recognized as genuine and valuable, but they just can't take the place of a romantic partner. The phrase "God knoweth" adds a touch of irony, creating a conspiratorial wink.

  5. Wherefore it ben sayed that foolysh ladyes / That marrye not shall leade an aype in Hadys;

    Editor's note

    Here, Field taps into a real medieval folk belief, also seen in Shakespeare, suggesting that women who die unmarried are doomed in the afterlife to guide an ape (which symbolizes foolishness) through Hades. This idea is presented humorously rather than with malice — the "foolish ladies" label is part of the humor — but it highlights how deeply marriage was ingrained in the social norms of the time Field is parodying.

  6. But all that do with gode men wed full quickylye / When that they be on dead go to ye seints full sickerly.

    Editor's note

    The closing couplet reveals the reward aspect of the deal: women who marry good men go directly to the saints after death — with "sickerly" meaning "surely" or "certainly." It serves as a mock-theological punchline that leaves the poem with a lighthearted touch. The reasoning is intentionally absurd: marry wisely, gain paradise. Field delivers it earnestly, which adds to the humor.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is humorously warm throughout. Field is playing dress-up with language — the faux-Chaucerian spelling and grammar are the main attraction — and the poem never takes itself too seriously. There's a fondness in the teasing, a gentle approach to what could be a condescending topic, and the mock-solemnity of the final theological couplet hits like a punchline instead of a sermon. Consider it a clever parlor piece: quick-witted, amusing, and meant to bring a smile rather than deep thought.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The little deer
The deer hiding in the forest, borrowed straight from Horace, represents Chloe's fearfulness and immaturity when it comes to love. A young deer is timid and relies on its mother—this is precisely the behavior the speaker is lightly poking fun at.
The ape in Hades
A genuine belief from medieval and Renaissance times (Shakespeare references it in *Much Ado About Nothing*) suggests that unmarried women guide apes—representing foolishness and lost opportunities—through the underworld after they die. Field employs this idea as a humorous threat rather than a serious moral caution.
The mother
Chloe's mother symbolizes the safety and comfort of childhood, which must be eventually outgrown. She isn’t portrayed as a villain — the poem acknowledges she is "well enow" — but she represents a phase of life that has to come to an end.
The saints
The saints anticipating well-married women in the afterlife represent a satirical take on religious rewards, transforming marriage into a means of gaining access to heaven. This image critiques how medieval and early modern culture cloaked social pressure in the guise of salvation.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet, famous for his children’s poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." However, he also had a keen sense of humor that shone through in his parodies and light verse. This particular poem mimics the spelling and syntax of Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century Middle English — think *The Canterbury Tales* — while retelling the argument from Horace's *Odes* I.23, composed around 23 BCE. In that ode, Horace speaks to a girl named Chloe, who clings to her mother like a fawn to its mother deer, encouraging her to grow up and find a husband. Field's humor lies in blending Roman classical poetry with an invented medieval English style, all crafted by a 19th-century American newspaper writer. The reference to the "ape in Hades" is a real piece of medieval folklore that also appears in Shakespeare's *Much Ado About Nothing*, which Field likely knew well. Essentially, the poem is a literary sleight of hand — showcasing knowledge of classical and medieval literature while keeping the tone light and amusing.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It means Field adapted an idea from the Roman poet Horace (specifically *Odes* I.23) and presented it in the style of Geoffrey Chaucer's medieval English. The term "paraphrase" indicates that it's a loose retelling rather than a direct translation, while "Chaucerian" points to the stylistic choice. The humor lies in the blend of two distinctly different literary worlds — ancient Rome and medieval England — brought together by a 19th-century American.

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Themes in this poem

Poems about growing-upPoems about identityPoems about lovePoems about mortality