Social Commentaries
In Gellam (26)
From Complete Poems, ed. Grosart (1876)
If Gella's beauty be examinèd,
She hath a dull, dead eye, a saddle nose,
And ill-shap't face, with morphew ouer-spread,
And rotten teeth, which she in laughing shows;
Briefly, she is the filthiest wench in towne,
Of all that doe the art of whoring use:
But when she hath put on her sattin gowne,
Her cut lawne apron, and her velvet shooes,
Her greene silke stockins and her petticoat
Of taffaty, with golden fringe a-round,
And is withall perfumed with civet hot,
Which doth her valiant stinking breath confound,--
Yet she with these additions is no more
Than a sweet, filthy, fine, ill-favoured whore.
Cite this poem
MLA
Davies, John. “In Gellam (26).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/davies/123/.
Chicago
Davies, John. “In Gellam (26).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/davies/123/.
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