Analysis of At Fontainebleau

Arthur Symons 1865 (Milford Haven) – 1945



It was a day of sun and rain,  
 Uncertain as a child's swift moods;  
And I shall never spend again  
 So blithe a day among the woods.  

Was it because the Gods were pleased
 That they were awful in our eyes,  
Whom we in very deed appeased  
 With barley-cakes of sacrifice?  

The forest knew her and was glad,  
 And laughed for very joy to know
Her child was with her; then, grown sad,  
 She wept, because her child must go.  

And Alice, like a little Faun,  
Went leaping over rocks and ferns,  
Coursing the shadow-race from dawn
 Until the twilight-flock returns.  

And she would spy and she would capture  
 The shyest flower that lit the grass;  
The joy I had to watch her rapture  
 Was keen as even her rapture was.

The forest knew her and was glad,  
 And laughed and wept for joy and woe.  
This was the welcome that she had  
 Among the woods of Fontainebleau.


Scheme axxx bxbx Cdcd aexe fxfx Cdcd
Poetic Form Quatrain  (50%)
Metre 11011101 01010111 01110101 11010101 11010101 110100101 11010101 1101110 01010011 01110111 01110111 11010111 01010101 11010101 1001111 0101101 011101110 01101101 011111010 111100101 01010011 01011101 11010111 0101110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 870
Words 160
Sentences 8
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 108
Words per stanza (avg) 26
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

48 sec read
62

Arthur Symons

Arthur William Symons, was a British poet, critic and magazine editor. more…

All Arthur Symons poems | Arthur Symons Books

0 fans

Discuss this Arthur Symons poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "At Fontainebleau" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/3930/at-fontainebleau>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    28
    days
    6
    hours
    21
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which poetic form consists of fourteen lines, typically written in iambic pentameter and follows a specific rhyme scheme?
    A Free verse
    B Sonnet
    C Ballad
    D Haiku