Women of adamant, fair neophytes— who thirst for such instruction as we give, attend, while i unfold a parable. the elephant is mightier than man, yet man subdues him. why? the elephant is elephantine everywhere but here (tapping her forehead) and man, whose brain is to the elephant’s as woman’s brain to man’s—(that’s rule of conquers the foolish giant of the woods, as woman, in her turn, shall conquer man. this excerpt is an example of heroic couplet. free verse. common meter. blank verse.