Convince the Dauphin now, dear Joan, convince
Him now; forget the peasant business. Wage
Charm on him: boy-cut hair and virgin grace.
Assert his strength to raise the English siege.
The scene is mandatory, so the spell
Only awaits your touching. They are real
Your voices: stop to listen, Joan. They call
To battle Christ and lily shod in steel.
No, do not throw your arms about: your face
Is your chief weapon. See, he starts to waver—
Seduced somewhat. Press your advantage now,
Make him proclaim you France's spur and savior.
No hesitation now; depart in joy.
There will be space for sorrow at the stake
In Rouen, when the black Inquisitor
Finds your bright maidenhead too bright to break.
The Eternal Ingénue
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
As we enter into Holy Week, join America Media for a subscriber-only virtual event with James Martin, S.J., and ‘Jesuitical’ hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless.
“Having a sensory room in a place of worship is probably more important than anywhere else because everyone should feel welcome in their faith.”
Sports hasn't always been the most popular topic among America's editors and contributors—unless it was the Grand Old Game, baseball.
A joint Catholic-Evangelical report found that an overwhelming majority of people impacted by the Trump administration's mass deportations are Christian.