The Pageant Of Summer
The Pageant of Summer is a novel by Richard Jefferies, first published in 1887. It is set in the English countryside and follows the lives of two young people, John and Mary, as they grow up in a rural village. John and Mary are childhood friends who have grown up together in the village of Little Hintock. As they grow older, they become increasingly aware of the beauty of the natural world around them, and of the changing seasons. They also become aware of the changes in their own lives, as they move from childhood to adulthood. The novel follows John and Mary as they experience the joys and sorrows of life in the countryside. They experience the beauty of the changing seasons, the joy of friendship, and the pain of loss. They also experience the joy of love, as they fall in love with each other. The novel is a celebration of the beauty of nature and of the joys of life in the countryside. It is a timeless story of love, friendship, and the changing of the seasons.
By Richard Jefferies · First published 1887 · Genre: Nature Writing, Romanticism, Realism · 2 chapters · 7,212 words
First lines
Green rushes, long and thick, standing up above the edge of the ditch, told the hour of the year as distinctly as the shadow on the dial the hour of the day. Green and thick and sappy to the touch, they felt like summer, soft and elastic, as if full of life, mere rushes though they were. On the fingers they left a green scent; rushes have a separate scent of green, so, too, have ferns, very different from that of grass or leaves. Rising from brown sheaths, the tall stems enlarged a little in the middle, like classical columns, and heavy with their sap and freshness, leaned against the hawthorn sprays. From the earth they had drawn its moisture, and made the ditch dry; some of the sweetness of the air had entered into their fibres, and the rushes--the common rushes--were full of beautiful summer. The white pollen of early grasses growing on the edge was dusted from them each time the hawthorn boughs were shaken by a thrush. These lower sprays came down in among the grass, and leaves and grass-blades touched. Smooth round stems of angelica, big as a gun- barrel, hollow and strong, stood on the slope of the mound, their tiers of well-balanced branches rising like those of a tree. Such a sturdy growth pushed back the ranks of hedge parsley in full white flower, which blocked every avenue and winding bird's-path of the bank. But the "gix," or wild parsnip, reached already high above both, and would rear its fluted stalk, joint on joint, till it could face a man. Trees they were to the lesser birds, not even bending if perched on; but though so stout, the birds did not place their nests on or against them. Something in the odour of these umbelliferous plants, perhaps, is not quite liked; if brushed or bruised they give out a bitter greenish scent. Under their cover, well shaded and hidden, birds build, but not against or on the stems, though they will affix their nests to much less certain supports. With the grasses that overhung the edge, with the rushes in the ditch itself, and these great plants on the mound, the whole hedge was wrapped and thickened. No cunning of glance could see through it; it would have needed a ladder to help any one look over.
What this Textopian page supports
The Pageant Of Summer is listed on Textopian as a novella by Richard Jefferies, dated 1887 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Richard Jefferies
- Date: 1887 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Nature Writing, Romanticism, Realism, Fiction
- Length: 7,212 words
- Structure: 2 chapters, 194 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Pageant Of Summer by Richard Jefferies
- 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Pageant Of Summer?
- How does this novella by Richard Jefferies fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Nature Writing first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Nature Writing — The Pageant of Summer is a nature writing book by Richard Jefferies, which follows the seasonal changes of the English countryside and the wildlife that inhabits it.
- Romanticism — The Pageant of Summer is a romantic book, as it celebrates the beauty of nature and the joy of living in harmony with it.
- Realism — The Pageant of Summer is a realistic book, as it portrays the natural world in a realistic and detailed manner.
- Fiction — The Pageant of Summer is a work of fiction, as it is a narrative that is not based on real events.
Tags
nature · summer · landscape · rural · nostalgia · beauty · seasons · tranquility · reflection · impressionism · pastoral · wildlife