
A young poet drifts between the bustling streets of Paris and the quiet fields of the Valois countryside, chasing a fleeting vision of an ideal love. He meets Sylvie, a lively peasant girl whose laughter and song seem to capture the very essence of spring, and he becomes enchanted by her simple, unguarded beauty. Their early encounters are painted with the glow of moonlit evenings, whispered ballads, and the scent of fresh wheat, creating a world where reality and dream intertwine.
Yet the narrator cannot escape the pull of his own restless heart, torn between the pastoral innocence of Sylvie and the sophisticated allure of city life. As he moves between these two realms, he grapples with memories that feel both vivid and elusive, questioning whether true happiness can ever be captured in a single moment. The story unfolds as a tender meditation on longing, the passage of time, and the way love can both illuminate and haunt the soul.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (96K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Marc D'Hooghe (From images generously made available by the Hathi Trust)
Release date
2012-08-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1808–1855
A dream-haunted poet, translator, and storyteller, he became one of the most distinctive voices of French Romanticism. His writing helped open the way to Symbolism and Surrealism, blending everyday life with memory, myth, and visions that still feel strangely modern.
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