Chartres by Edith Wharton (1927)
The story revolves around a narrator who visits Chartres Cathedral and reflects on its beauty, history, and spiritual significance. The narrative is poetic and descriptive, focusing on the cathedral's architecture, stained glass windows, and sculptures. The narrator notes the contrast between the vibrant colors of the windows and the cold, grey stone of the building. The Virgin of the Pillar is depicted as a rigid figure with blank eyes, surrounded by a dwindling congregation. The overall atmosphere is one of solitude, with the cathedral seeming to withdraw from humanity's concerns and reconnect with nature.
By Edith Wharton · First published 1927 · Genre: Poetry, Gothic, Religious · 326 words
First lines
I
IMMENSE, august, like some Titanic bloom, / The mighty choir unfolds its lithic core, / Petalled with panes of azure, gules and or, / Splendidly lambent in the Gothic gloom, / And stamened with keen flamelets that illume / The pale high-altar. On the prayer-worn floor, / By worshippers innumerous thronged of yore, / A few brown crones, familiars of the tomb, / The stranded driftwood of Faith's ebbing sea -- / For these alone the finials fret the skies, / The topmost bosses shake their blossoms free, / While from the triple portals, with grave eyes, / Tranquil, and fixed upon eternity, / The cloud of witnesses still testifies.
What this Textopian page supports
Chartres is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Wharton, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Wharton
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Gothic, Religious, Historical
- Length: 326 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Chartres by Edith Wharton
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, with a rhythmic and rhyming structure, typical of poetry.
- Gothic — The text contains elements of the Gothic genre, such as the description of the 'Gothic gloom' and the 'mighty choir'.
- Religious — The work contains religious themes and imagery, such as references to the Virgin, the church, and faith.
- Historical — The work references historical elements, such as the 'prayer-worn floor' and 'worshippers innumerous thronged of yore'.
Tags
Travelogue · Non-fiction · Memoir · Autobiographical · French_history · Cathedral_town · Architecture · Gothic_style · Medieval_period · Historical_account · Personal_reflection · Literary_criticism