Abstract: Contrary to some readings, poem XIV of the erotic collection Hombres is not transgressive in its versification, nor is it a phallic image. It is, however, the only poem by Verlaine written in the traditional form of vers mêlé, embellished with variations in terms of the gender, number, and order of rhymes. Its refractory rhymes may simply be artifacts arising from a copy error and an incomplete manuscript.
