Fontainebleau by Sara Teasdale
The poem evokes a sense of nostalgia and decay, set in a grand yet haunting landscape of palaces and gardens. It reflects on the remnants of a once-vibrant court life, where beautiful yet morally ambiguous women once graced the halls. The imagery of gilded stairs and high corridors suggests a former opulence, now overshadowed by the passage of time. The gardens, described as "desolately gay," juxtapose vibrant flowers with a sense of loss, symbolizing the fleeting nature of beauty and life. The dahlias, reminiscent of the ladies who once adorned the space, serve as a reminder of the past's allure. The mention of historical figures like Henry and Louis anchors the poem in a specific cultural context, emphasizing the weight of history. As the poem transitions into the forest, it captures the essence of autumn—a season of change and melancholy. The damp wind and ghostly kings hunting evoke a sense of eeriness, suggesting that the past lingers in the present. The sounds of hunting, once lively, are now muted, reflecting the inevitability of time's passage and the accumulation of memories. Overall, the work explores themes of nostalgia, the impermanence of beauty, and the haunting presence of history, creating a rich tapestry of imagery that invites reflection on the interplay between past and present.
By Sara Teasdale · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Imagism · 182 words
First lines
Interminable palaces front on the green parterres, / And ghosts of ladies lovely and immoral / Glide down the gilded stairs, / The high cold corridors are clicking with the heel taps / That long ago were theirs.
But in the sunshine, in the vague autumn sunshine, / The geometric gardens are desolately gay; / The crimson and scarlet and rose-red dahlias / Are painted like the ladies who used to pass this way / With a ringletted monarch, a Henry or a Louis / On a lost October day.
What this Textopian page supports
Fontainebleau is listed on Textopian as a poem by Sara Teasdale, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Sara Teasdale
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Imagism, Romanticism, Historical
- Length: 182 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Fontainebleau by Sara Teasdale
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
- Triolets by Sara Teasdale
- Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The City Revisited by Stephen Vincent Benet
- The Wanderer by Sara Teasdale
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing poetic devices and structure.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and reflections on beauty and loss.
- Imagism — The vivid imagery and focus on visual details align with Imagist principles.
- Romanticism — Themes of nature, nostalgia, and emotional depth reflect Romantic ideals.
Tags
nature · autumn · historical · palace · ghosts · beauty · melancholy · gardens · royalty · memory · time · loss