Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SONG OF THE INGENUES, by PAUL VERLAINE



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SONG OF THE INGENUES, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: We are the ingenues
Last Line: Of libertines.
Subject(s): Hearts; Ingenuity; Singing & Singers


We are the ingénues—
Blue eyes, long hair, sweet looks—
Who live with rainbow dews
In seldom read books.

We set forth intertwined,
And the day no purer seems
Than the depths of our mind
And our azure dreams;

And we romp through the fields,
Where our happy calls rise
Till day to dusk yields—
Chasing butterflies.

And a shepherdess' bonnet
Screens our face from strong light,
And our gown—lace upon it—
Is immaculate white.

Cavaliers of romances
Who capture the skies
Shower their glances,
Greetings, and sighs,

But in vain their romantic
Stir, their fine flirts—
Before the gigantic
Guardian, our skirts.

And our free laughter falls
At the imagination
Of these cling-to-the-walls—
Though at times a sensation

Stirs the frock that covers
Our heart that preens
To know we're the future lovers
Of libertines.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net