Arraignment Of The Men Poem by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Arraignment Of The Men

Rating: 2.9


Males perverse, schooled to condemn
Women by your witless laws,
Though forsooth you are prime cause
Of that which you blame in them:

If with unexampled care
You solicit their disdain,
Will your fair words ease their pain,
When you ruthless set the snare?

Their resistance you impugn,
Then maintain with gravity
That it was mere levity
Made you dare to importune.

What more elevating sight
Than of man with logic crass,
Who with hot breath fogs the glass,
Then laments it is not bright!

Scorn and favor, favor, scorn,
What you will, result the same,
Treat you ill, and earn your blame,
Love you well, be left forlorn.

Scant regard will she possess
Who with caution wends her way,—
Is held thankless for her “nay,”
And as wanton for her “yes.”

What must be the rare caprice
Of the quarry you engage:
If she flees, she wakes your rage,
If she yields, her charms surcease.

Who shall bear the heavier blame,
When remorse the twain enthralls,
She, who for the asking, falls,
He who, asking, brings to shame?

Whose the guilt, where to begin,
Though both yield to passion's sway,
She who weakly sins for pay,
He who, strong, yet pays for Sin?

Then why stare ye, if we prove
That the guilt lies at your gate?
Either love those you create,
Or create those you can love.

To solicitation truce,—
Then, sire, with some show of right
You may mock the hapless plight
Or the creatures of your use!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Unnikrishnan E S 16 July 2017

Extraordinary insight; great poem peeping into the discrimination against women, meted out by the male homosapiens for centuries, without rhyme or reason. Most relevant even today, about 350 years after it was written.

3 1 Reply
Bernard F. Asuncion 16 July 2017

Superb composition..: : Thanks for posting....

1 0 Reply
Fabrizio Frosini 17 November 2015

Males perverse, schooled to condemn Women by your witless laws, Though forsooth you are prime cause Of that which you blame in them: - ITALIAN: Maschi perversi, educati a condannare le Donne con le vostre ottuse leggi, Anche se, in verità, proprio le donne sono all'origine Di ciò che ai maschi viene rimproverato:

10 0 Reply
* Sunprincess * 03 October 2015

.........incredible poem and great rhyming scheme ★

1 0 Reply
Fabrizio Frosini 12 July 2015

amazing.. as it was written in the second half of 1600..!

10 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
1 / 9
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

San Miguel Nepantla / Mexico
Close
Error Success