The Romance of Rostand
The Romance of Rostand is a collection of essays by G.K. Chesterton on the French poet and playwright Edmond Rostand. The book includes discussions of Rostand's life, works, and influence on literature.
By G.K. Chesterton · First published 1920 · Genre: Literary Criticism, Biography, Cultural Commentary · 1,267 words
First lines
Rostand, the romantic dramatist of France, and a very national poet, died almost on the day of the great national triumph. He had lived, to use his own imaginative heraldry, to see the golden eagles of Gaul and Rome drive back the black eagles of Prussia and Austria. He was too much of an earlier generation to take the precise part of Pequy or Claudel in the process which banished the birds of barbaric night from the land of the Eagles of the sun. But the part he had played in that earlier time might well merit the use of a kindred metaphor, drawn from his own fairyland of ornithology. He had a special claim to use as one of his titles the noble medieval name of Chantecler. He might well be called the Gallic cock in that earlier twilight of vultures and bats. The end of the nineteenth century was a time of pessimism for Europe, and especially of pessimism for France; for pessimism was the shadow of Prussianism. Rostand was really a cock that crowed before the coming of sunrise.
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The Romance of Rostand is listed on Textopian as a short story by G.K. Chesterton, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: G.K. Chesterton
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Criticism, Biography, Cultural Commentary, Philosophy, History
- Length: 1,267 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Literary Criticism — The work analyzes the themes, style, and impact of Rostand's plays, focusing on his wit and poetic expression.
- Biography — The text provides insights into Rostand's life, his role in French literature, and his influence on national identity.
- Cultural Commentary — The book discusses the cultural and historical context of Rostand's work, particularly in relation to French and European sentiments.
- Philosophy — The narrative explores philosophical ideas about clarity, wit, and the nature of wisdom versus verbosity.
Tags
romance · drama · theater · poetry · French literature · heroism · love · tragedy · comedy · historical · adventure · character study