The Boating Party (poem) by Ruan Mills on AuthorsDen

The Boating Party
by Ruan Mills → (All Poetry by Ruan Mills)
Rated "G" by the Author.

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A Painting by the French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, painted in 1881. It is a scene of the triumphant bourgeoisie celebrating an appropriately commercialized version of the fęte champętre in a place that was once a playground of the aristocracy. By 1880, nearly a century after theRevolution, the French middle classes were comfortable enough to party like aristocrats, and in Renoir they found their Watteau.

We may be less than upper crust With men in state of uncouth dress And girls who flout the bounds of trust Whilst parents pall under duress But the Revolution’s history Our Founding Fathers gave us grace Their battles brought this age to bear And handed down this pride of place No longer shall the honoured few Indulge their sheer extravagance Gone are their glorious golden days When we’d be scorned for impudence Now freely flaunting French Bourgois Like predecessing French Fat Cats With gay abandon and with flair We’ll party like Aristocrats. Bourgeois = of, relating to, or characteristic of the social middle class

Reviewed by D. Vegas (Reader)

Reviewed on November 11, 2012

Ruan, A really enjoyable write!

Deborah

Reviewed by D Johnson

Reviewed on November 10, 2012

That must have been one outrageous time place in which to live. I would have given it a go.

Cheers on a good write,
Dan

Reviewed by Regis Auffray

You have brought the painting and the times to life, Ruan. Thank you. Love and best wishes,

Regis

Reviewed by Budd Nelson

a wondeful historic piece
budd

Reviewed by Mary Ann Biddinger

Ruan,
To delve into the Bourgeois and expend their gay abandon
with flair of golden days. Beautifully penned Ruan.

Lady Mary Ann

Reviewed by Lily of Lough Neagh C. Dennis-Woosley

Right off, thank you for a lovely history lesson
I am very interested in thoughts of others and the
why's we and they do what they do... You are a good
teacher :)

In a sorts I must agree with Jerry, however we all
deserve to have that gay abandon at times with our own
flair.

You write with excellent visions for us to enjoy and I
enjoyed this very much!

Love and Light
Lily

Reviewed by Jerry Bolton

Oh, I absolutely love this, Ruan. Scenes such as this (if only in spirit) seem to be global these days, the high and mighty being brought down to earth. You must be careful though what takes their places can be worse, very much worse.

Reviewed by Mr. Ed

Sounds like a marvelous party indeed.