Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE POMPADOUR'S FAN, by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Chicken skin, delicate, white Last Line: This was the pompadour's fan! Alternate Author Name(s): Dobson, Austin Variant Title(s): On A Fan That Belonged To The Marquise De Pompadour;ballade Of The Pompadour's Fan Subject(s): Fans; Pompadour, Marquise De (1721-1764) | ||||||||
Chicken-skin, delicate, white, Painted by Carlo Vanloo, Loves in a riot of light, Roses and vaporous blue; Hark to the dainty frou-frou! Picture above, if you can, Eyes that could melt as the dew,-- This was the Pompadour's fan! See how they rise at the sight, Thronging the OEil de Boeuf through, Courtiers as butterflies bright, Beauties that Fragonard drew, Talon-rouge, falaba, queue, Cardinal, duke, -- to a man, Eager to sigh or to sue,-- This was the Pompadour's fan! All, but things more than polite Hung on this toy, voyez-vous! Matters of state and of might, Things that great ministers do; Things that, maybe, overthrew Those in whose brains they began;-- Here was the sign and the cue,-- This was the Pompadour's fan! Where are the secrets it knew? Weavings of plot and of plan?-- But where is the Pompadour, too? This was the Pompadour's fan! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FANCY FROM FONTENELLE by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON A GAGE D'AMOUR by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON A GARDEN SONG by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON ARS VICTRIX (IMITATED FROM THEOPHILE GAUTIER) by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON BEFORE SEDAN by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON DORA VERSUS ROSE by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON GROWING GRAY by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW; IN MEMORIAM by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON IN AFTER DAYS; RONDEAU by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON THE BALLAD OF PROSE AND RHYME by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON |
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