Oliver Basselin by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
An ancient mill in the Valley of the Vire bears an inscription recalling Basselin, while a nearby castle stands ruined and a convent has disappeared. The speaker recalls the poet's contented life and convivial songs, sung in alehouses and inns. Though the knights and monks are forgotten, his songs and memory remain part of the valley.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Literary Tribute · 649 words
First lines
In the Valley of the Vire / Still is seen an ancient mill, / With its gables quaint and queer, / And beneath the window-sill, / On the stone, / These words alone: / "Oliver Basselin lived here."
Far above it, on the steep, / Ruined stands the old Chateau; / Nothing but the donjon-keep / Left for shelter or for show. / Its vacant eyes / Stare at the skies, / Stare at the valley green and deep.
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — Rhymed stanzas reflect on the mill, Basselin's songs, and the survival of his memory in the valley.
- Literary Tribute — The speaker commemorates Basselin by contrasting his remembered songs with the forgotten knights and monks.
Tags
song · poetic memory · mills · Normandy · conviviality · ruins
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Oliver Basselin is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Literary Tribute
- Length: 649 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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