A CHAUCERIAN PARAPHRASE OF HORACE by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem playfully imitates Chaucer's medieval English and is written by Eugene Field.
The poem
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.
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.
Line-by-line
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.
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
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.
It's a theatrical imitation, not authentic Middle English. Field includes familiar Chaucerian elements like "ben" for "is/are," "y-hiding" for "hiding," "sothly" for "truly," and the -en verb endings to create a medieval sound. A true Middle English expert would quickly notice the inconsistencies, but for a 19th-century reader, it was amusingly convincing. It's more like a literary costume than a serious scholarly reconstruction.
Chloe is the name Horace chooses in his original Latin ode for a young woman who stays near her mother to avoid suitors. She’s a fictional character, not someone who actually exists. Field keeps the name to signal to readers familiar with Horace which poem he’s reworking. By addressing her directly as "you, Chloe," it feels like a personal lecture, enhancing the comic tone.
Yes, this belief is rooted in medieval and Renaissance folklore. It suggested that women who passed away without marrying were doomed to lead an ape — a representation of foolishness and a life wasted — through Hades in the afterlife. Shakespeare nods to this in *Much Ado About Nothing* when Beatrice makes a joke about it. Field employs this idea as a comedic threat to Chloe, with the ridiculousness of the image adding to the humor.
The speaker urges Chloe to stop relying on her mother as a shield and to get married. The reasoning is clear: you're making bachelors unhappy, your mother is okay but can't replace a partner, unmarried women have a tough future, and married women are favored by the saints. It humorously escalates from light-hearted teasing to a mock-theological ultimatum.
No. The entire poem is a clever literary joke — a showcase of Field's familiarity with Horace and Chaucer aimed at eliciting laughter. The "advice" comes through in a phony medieval dialect, courtesy of a 19th-century newspaper humorist. The mock-serious conclusion, suggesting that marrying a good man grants you a spot among the saints, serves as a punchline rather than a sincere moral stance.
Horace's *Odes* I.23 is directed towards a girl named Chloe, who clings to her mother like a fawn fearful of the woods. Horace reassures her that the deer's mother isn't searching for a lion or a wolf — she's simply anxious — and suggests that Chloe is now old enough to stop hiding and seek a husband. Field retains the name, the deer imagery, the mother-clinging behavior, and the marriage theme, but replaces Horace's refined style with a comedic medieval dress-up approach.
"Sickerly" is Field's playful, medieval twist on "surely" or "certainly." It originates from the Middle English term *sikerly*, which means without doubt. In this context, the last line suggests that women who marry good men go to the saints *for certain* when they die. This line delivers a final, mock-serious tone, and the slightly clumsy rhyme between "quickylye" and "sickerly" enhances the poem's comedic effect.