Teint Neutre by Edith Nesbit (1902)
The story takes place on a gray and rainy day, evoking feelings of melancholy and nostalgia. The narrator reminisces about a past time of beauty and happiness, now lost, and wonders if it ever truly existed or was just a dream. The passage describes the desolate landscape, devoid of life and color, mirroring the narrator's emotional state.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1902 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic, Nature · 157 words
First lines
Wide downs all gray, with gray of clouds roofed over, / Chill fields stripped naked of their gown of grain, / Small fields of rain-wet grass and close-grown clover, / Wet, wind-blown trees -- and, over all, the rain.
Does memory lie? For Hope her missal closes / So far away the may and roses seem; / Ah! was there ever a garden red with roses? / Ah! were you ever mine save in a dream?
So long it is since Spring, the skylark waking / Heard her own praises in his perfect strain; / Low hang the clouds, the sad year's heart is breaking, / And mine, my heart -- and, over all, the rain.
Similar titles
- Entreaty by Edith Nesbit
- Justnowland by Edith Nesbit
- Chains Invisible by Edith Nesbit
- Evening Song by Edith Nesbit
- Silence by Edith Nesbit
- Faute De Mieux by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form, with a rhythmic structure and rhyme scheme, typical of poetry.
- Romantic — The text explores themes of longing, memory, and unfulfilled love, common in romantic literature.
- Nature — The text heavily features imagery of the natural world, such as fields, rain, and seasons, characteristic of nature literature.
Tags
Classic · Fantasy · Adventure · Children's Literature · Magic · Imagination · Quest · Friendship · Growing Up · Self-Discovery · Mystery · Supernatural
What this Textopian page supports
Teint Neutre is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romantic, Nature
- Length: 157 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Teint Neutre by Edith Nesbit
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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