have in this work along with the form adopted or created by the poet an
orderly presentation of all the speech-forms of the _langue d'oc_ as
they really exist in the mouths of the people.




PART SECOND


THE POETICAL WORKS OF MISTRAL




CHAPTER I

THE FOUR LONGER POEMS


I. MIRÈIO (MIREILLE)

The publication of this poem in 1859 is an event of capital importance
in the history of modern Provençal literature. Recognized immediately as
a master-work, it fired the ambitions of the Félibres, enlarged the
horizon of possibilities for the new speech, and earned for its author
the admiration of critics in and out of France. Original in language and
in conception, full of the charm of rustic life, containing a pathetic
tale of love, a sweet human interest, and glowing with pictures of the
strange and lovely landscapes of Provence, the poem charmed all readers,