Accolon of Gaul, with Other Poems

In Short

This collection presents a suite of narrative and lyrical poetry published at the close of the nineteenth century. The volume centers on a reimagining of Arthurian lore, specifically the tale of Accolon of Gaul, alongside a varied arrangement of shorter poems exploring themes of transience, beauty, and the natural world. Marked by an ornate, sensory-rich vocabulary and a preoccupation with the "old romance," the work serves as an atmospheric bridge between Victorian sensibilities and the more inward-looking, nature-focused aesthetic that defined the author's later career.

The Story

The titular narrative, "Accolon of Gaul," draws its inspiration from the Morte d’Arthur, following the complex machinations of Morgane le Fay. The story hinges on a treacherous plot: Morgane, desiring the throne for her lover, Accolon, attempts to orchestrate the downfall of her half-brother, King Arthur. Through sorcery, she secures a fake Excalibur, hoping to leave the King defenseless in a prearranged judicial combat. The plot unfolds with a lush, almost hallucinatory intensity, moving through mist-laden forests and the halls of Chariot, Morgane’s domain.

As the narrative progresses, the focus shifts to the psychological and physical toll of this betrayal. The King, unaware of the deception, is thrust into battle against Accolon. The encounter is described with a fierce, armored clarity, where the clashing of steel serves as a backdrop for the deeper, darker currents of fate and sibling malice. The confrontation concludes with the death of Accolon, leaving Arthur to reckon with the moral failures of his kin and the burdens of his royal oath. The aftermath is marked by the King’s weary retreat to Glastonbury and his subsequent clearing of the land of the corrupt Lord Damas, a minor tyrant whose presence adds a grim, worldly texture to the mythic proceedings.

The broader collection then diverges from this singular arc, transitioning into a series of meditations and shorter tales. We encounter the story of Kuno, a forest-keeper whose marksmanship is tested by a dark Duke, and the tragic romance of Hortense of Clare, whose love for a Clifford is thwarted by the harsh, seasonal cruelty of a forced marriage. These stories are punctuated by evocations of seasonal shifts—the "late October" harvest, the arrival of a "Duchess, Spring," and the melancholy of decaying woods. The book concludes with a series of "Chords," lyrical fragments that function as musical movements, shifting between the intensity of carnal desire, the silence of the forest, and the fleeting nature of memory. Throughout, the prose maintains a consistent focus on the "disenchantment of death" and the enduring, if often painful, persistence of love across the changing faces of the earth.

How It Unfolds

The dream-vision prologue The poet wanders through a floral, mythic landscape, establishing the atmosphere of "storied wells" and ancient legend that haunts the memory. The tone is set by the figure of Merlin, whose presence provides a bridge between the reader’s world and the "lost Baranton."

The intrigue of Morgane Morgane le Fay occupies the center of the stage, plotting against Arthur with a mix of sorcery and "adulterous lust." Her castle becomes a crucible where love and power are inextricably and violently linked.

The trial by combat Arthur and Accolon meet in the lists, equipped with mismatched blades. The description centers on the physical weight of their armor and the "vicious jewels" of the swords, creating a sensory experience of the impending, fated violence.

The king’s resolution Following the death of his challenger, Arthur dispenses justice with a weary, kingly finality. He clears the lands of the tyrant Damas, setting the stage for a period of monastic reflection at Glastonbury.

The shift to the natural world The narrative lens pulls back from the high-stakes politics of Camelot to the intimate, local history of foresters and lovers. The poems celebrate the "freckled August" and the "hairy hummer" of the fields, grounding the lofty themes in the physical reality of the countryside.

The final chords The collection closes with a series of short, musical reflections on the "vanishing visions" of the human experience. These final lines consolidate the themes of beauty and loss, leaving the reader with a sense of contemplative resolution.

The People

Morgane le Fay acts as the primary architect of the book’s drama. She is driven by a consuming, "adulterous lust" for Accolon and a cold, calculated desire for power. She is a "lovely devil" whose agency is absolute but ultimately destructive, leaving her isolated in her own machinations.

King Arthur appears not merely as a hero but as a man suffering under the weight of his office. He is "wound-distressed" and weary, seeking the peace of the monastery. His arc is defined by his confrontation with betrayal, transforming from a man of action to a judge who must reconcile his knightly oaths with the hard realities of human malice.

Accolon of Gaul is the instrument of Morgane’s ambition. He is "exultant" and proud, defined by his possession of the false blade. His journey is the shortest, ending in a realization of the King’s identity and a swift, clashing death at Arthur’s feet.

Kuno, appearing in the secondary narratives, represents the common man caught in the power games of the nobility. He is defined by his "reckless fire" and marksmanship, standing in contrast to the knights through his connection to the forest and the pragmatic, often brutal, laws of his era.

In Its Own Voice

The poet describes the haunting, ethereal nature of his own creative process, which draws heavily from the imagery of dreams and legend.

"Why, dreams from dreams in dreams remembered! naught / Save this, alas! that once it seemed I thought / I wandered dim with someone, but I knew / Not who; most beautiful and good and true."

The poet reflects on the enduring, cyclical nature of beauty and love through the changing seasons of the year.

"Will love grow less when Autumn sighing there / Broods with long frost streaks in her dark, dark hair; / Tears in grave eyes as in grave heavens above, / Deep lost in memories' melancholy, love, / Will love grow less?"

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an inquiry into the "tyranny that breeds despair"—the ways in which desire, whether for power or for another person, creates a cycle of suffering. It poses fundamental questions about whether beauty can exist independently of pain and whether the "old romance" of the past offers a sanctuary or a trap for the modern soul. There is a persistent argument that human life is defined by its transience, and that art serves as a "Lethe-nepenthes" or a form of forgetfulness that allows us to cope with the "Earth-agony." Ultimately, it treats the natural world as a mirror for human emotion, suggesting that our internal states are inextricably tied to the rhythms of the seasons.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the lush, rhythmic, and highly descriptive style of the Victorian era will find much to admire here. The language is intentionally ornate, filled with rare and compound words that reflect the author's deep fascination with the texture of the English language. This is a book for those who want to slow down and lose themselves in a thicket of imagery—someone who prefers the slow, atmospheric unfurling of a poem to the rapid pace of modern prose.

However, the reader should be prepared for the demands of the period. The archaic references and the dense, sometimes baroque syntax require a patient ear. There is a distinct, romanticized view of "primitive" life and a focus on "old romance" that reflects the attitudes of the late 1880s, which may feel distant or stylized to the contemporary reader. The book does not shy away from the darker elements of its source material—treachery, murder, and the "savage aching" of unfulfilled desire—but it filters them through a lens of high aestheticism. It stays with you not for its plot, but for its sensory command: the way it captures the "smoky topaz" of a rill or the "haggard company" of autumn trees. It is a work for those who find truth in the "hallelujah of Heaven" and the quiet, melancholic beauty of a world that is always, in some way, ending.