At La Chaudeau by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The speaker returns to La Chaudeau in old age, seeking memories of being twenty beside the meadows and river Seymouse. He finds comfort in remembrance and friendship, wonders whether staying might have preserved his youth, and asks his friends to remember him as he longs to sit in the old chateau again.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Nostalgic Poetry · 290 words
First lines
By Xavier Marmier
At La Chaudeau, -- 't is long since then: / I was young, -- my years twice ten; / All things smiled on the happy boy, / Dreams of love and songs of joy, / Azure of heaven and wave below, / At La Chaudeau.
At La Chaudeau I come back old: / My head is gray, my blood is cold; / Seeking along the meadow ooze, / Seeking beside the river Seymouse, / The days of my spring-time of long ago / At La Chaudeau.
At La Chaudeau nor heart nor brain / Ever grows old with grief and pain; / A sweet remembrance keeps off age; / A tender friendship doth still assuage / The burden of sorrow that one may know / At La Chaudeau.
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — Five rhymed stanzas repeat the place name while the speaker voices memories, sorrow, affection, and a wish to return.
- Nostalgic Poetry — The speaker contrasts his happy youth with his aged return and longs to sit in the old chateau again.
Tags
aging · homecoming · memory · friendship · longing
What this Textopian page supports
At La Chaudeau is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Nostalgic Poetry
- Length: 290 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for At La Chaudeau by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph