Philomel and Progne by Jean de La Fontaine

Name: Philomel and Progne
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

Progne, transformed into a swallow, leaves home and the city to visit her sister Philomel in a wooded retreat where Philomel sings. Progne laments that they have not seen each other for a thousand years, since the time of Thrace, and urges Philomel to leave her secluded dwelling. She argues that Philomel wastes her beautiful voice on beasts and occasional rustics, and should instead become the pride of the city. Progne also says that the woods should remind Philomel of the harm Tereus did to her there. Philomel replies that the memory of that cruel wrong makes her prefer solitude through every age, because the sight of human beings revives her suffering.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Mythological Poetry, Narrative Poetry · 333 words

First lines

From home and city spires, one day, / The swallow Progne flew away, / And sought the bosky dell / Where sang poor Philomel.[1] / 'My sister,' Progne said, 'how do you do? / 'Tis now a thousand years since you / Have been conceal'd from human view; / I'm sure I have not seen your face / Once since the times of Thrace. / Pray, will you never quit this dull retreat? ' / 'Where could I find,' said Philomel, 'so sweet? ' / 'What! sweet? ' cried Progne -- 'sweet to waste / Such tones on beasts devoid of taste, / Or on some rustic, at the most! / Should you by deserts be engross'd? / Come, be the city's pride and boast. / Besides, the woods remind of harms / That Tereus in them did your charms. ' / 'Alas! ' replied the bird of song, / 'The thought of that so cruel wrong / Makes me, from age to age, / Prefer this hermitage; / For nothing like the sight of men / Can call up what I suffer'd then. '[2]

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Genres

Fable — The poem is a concise moralizing animal tale attributed to the Aesopic tradition, using speaking birds to convey a reflection on trauma, memory, and withdrawal from society.
Mythological Poetry — It draws directly on the Greek myth of Procne, Philomela, and Tereus, after the sisters' transformations into a swallow and a nightingale.
Narrative Poetry — Written in verse, the work presents a brief dramatic encounter and conversation that advances a self-contained narrative.
Allegory — The birds' dialogue functions allegorically: Philomel's secluded song represents the enduring effects of violence and the desire to escape reminders of human cruelty.

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Philomel and Progne is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

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Work type: Fable
Author: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Mythological Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Allegory, Animal Tale
Length: 333 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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