The Two Poets of Croisic by Robert Browning
Beside a winter fire, a speaker recounts the brief fame of two poets from Croisic. René Gentilhomme wins royal favor after predicting a Dauphin’s birth; Paul Desforges Maillard gains acclaim under a female identity devised by his sister, but his revelation ends his triumph. A closing speaker retells a singer’s rescue by a cricket and asks whether a poet will credit a girl’s loving help.
By Robert Browning · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Metapoetry · 3 chapters · 16,608 words
First lines
Such a starved bank of moss / Till, that May-morn, / Blue ran the flash across: / Violets were born!
Sky -- what a scowl of cloud / Till, near and far, / Ray on ray split the shroud: / Splendid, a star!
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed stanzas recount René’s prediction and royal reward, then Paul’s literary deception, journey to Paris, and return home.
- Satirical Poetry — Paul’s rejected verse wins extravagant praise when presented as a young woman’s work, exposing the gallantry and vanity behind literary judgments.
- Metapoetry — The fireside speaker weighs poetic fame and happiness, while the closing cricket tale asks how a poet should acknowledge loving assistance.
Tags
literary fame · royal patronage · prophecy · female pseudonyms · gender bias · poetic ambition · love
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The Two Poets of Croisic is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Browning, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Browning
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Narrative Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Metapoetry
- Length: 16,608 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 341 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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