vers de société

[ ver duh saw-syey-tey; English ver duh soh-see-i-tey ]

noun

, French.

1. humorous light verse dealing with fashions and foibles of the time.

vers de société

/ vɛr də sɔsjete /

noun

1. light, witty, and polished verse

Word History and Origins

Origin of vers de société¹

literally: society verse

Example Sentences

It’s like weaponized vers de société.

From The New Yorker

Harold Pinter is all force delivering Philip Larkin’s “Vers de Sociéte.”

From Salon

Hence an attempt to bring together a collection of small—as it were—samples of the works of poets of the most varied description, ranging from the simple lyric to the definitely political or the mere vers de société, published in the cheapest possible manner that is consonant with a dignified appearance and a sufficient amount of advertisement to bring the venture before the notice of the Public.

From Project Gutenberg

This edition, however, contains less than half of her printed pieces which she acknowledged; and among those which are omitted are a tragedy, a comedy, a great number of piquant and ingenious vers de societe, and several sacred pieces, which strike us as among the best writings of their kind in our literature, which in this department, we may admit, is more distinguishable for the profusion than for the quality of its fruits.

From Project Gutenberg

It has been compared to what is termed vers de société, and as such, up to stanza xxiii., it may be fitly described; then comes Mr. Browning’s sudden uprising to his highest power.

From Project Gutenberg