The Words of Socrates by Jean de La Fontaine

Socrates builds a house that others criticize for its appearance and especially for its small rooms, judging them unworthy of so great a sage. He replies that he desires only enough space for true friends. The poem supports his view: many people will call themselves friends until a difficult or unpleasant test reveals them, for the name of friendship is common while genuine friendship is rare.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Poetry, Didactic Poetry · 166 words

First lines

A house was built by Socrates / That failed the public taste to please. / Some blamed the inside; some, the out; and all / Agreed that the apartments were too small. / Such rooms for him, the greatest sage of Greece! / 'I ask,' said he, 'no greater bliss / Than real friends to fill e'en this. ' / And reason had good Socrates / To think his house too large for these. / A crowd to be your friends will claim, / Till some unhandsome test you bring. / There's nothing plentier than the name; / There's nothing rarer than the thing.[1]

[1]: Phaedrus, III. 9.

• Open reader

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Genres

• Fable — A brief narrative centered on Socrates delivers a clear moral lesson: genuine friendship is rare despite the many who claim the title of friend.
• Moral Poetry — Written in verse, the work explicitly reflects on ethical conduct, sincerity, and the difference between appearances and true friendship.
• Didactic Poetry — Its compact story and concluding aphoristic statements are designed to instruct readers about the value and scarcity of real friends.
• Philosophical Poetry — By using Socrates as its central figure, the poem considers a philosophical question about friendship, social bonds, and authentic human character.

Tags

fable · verse narrative · moral poetry · classical Greece · ancient Athens · Socrates · philosopher · modest house · small rooms · public criticism · social judgment · true friendship

What this Textopian page supports

The Words of Socrates is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Fable
• Author: Jean de La Fontaine
• Date: 1668 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Moral Poetry, Didactic Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Allegory
• Length: 166 words
• Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs

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• Work identity for The Words of Socrates by Jean de La Fontaine
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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More by Jean de La Fontaine

• To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
• The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
• The Raven and the Fox (1668)
• The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
• The Two Mules (1668)
• The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
• The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
• The Wallet (1668)
• All works by Jean de La Fontaine