
The poem depicts an enchanting woodland scene where fairies engage in a perpetual dance, embodying a carefree existence. The imagery evokes a magical atmosphere, with fairies moving gracefully among mushrooms and trees, accompanied by woodland creatures like squirrels and moles. The moonlight enhances the ethereal quality of the setting, illuminating the fairies' movements and their romantic entanglements. The fairies are characterized by their lack of emotional turmoil; they do not experience heartbreak, regret, or the burdens of time. Their lives are devoid of sorrow, and they remain untouched by the darker aspects of human existence, such as despair or thoughts of self-harm. This portrayal contrasts the innocence and joy of the fairies with the complexities of human emotions, suggesting a longing for such simplicity. The poem ultimately reflects themes of escapism and the desire to transcend the pains of reality, inviting readers to contemplate the allure of a life unencumbered by grief and regret. The fairies symbolize an idealized state of being, where love exists without the accompanying heartache, and the natural world serves as a sanctuary from the harshness of life.
By Charles Pierre Baudelaire · First published 1857 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Symbolism · 140 words
There is a wood where the fairies dance All night long in a ring of mushrooms daintily, By each tree bole sits a squirrel or a mole, And the moon through the branches darts.
Light on the grass their slim limbs glance, Their shadows in the moonlight swing in quiet unison, And the moon discovers that they all have lovers, But they never break their hearts.
They never grieve at all for sands that run, They never know regret for a deed that's done, And they never think of going to a shed with a gun At the rising of the sun.
Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by Charles Pierre Baudelaire, dated 1857 CE.
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poetry · lyricism · romanticism · symbolism · nature · beauty · melancholy · love · art · emotion · transcendence · existentialism