AVEC UN PANIER DE VINS DIVERS by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A lively bunch of personified wines — each named after a well-known French wine region or variety — makes their way through the night for a tipsy Christmas visit to the esteemed Swiss-American naturalist Louis Agassiz.
The poem
L'Academie en respect, Nonobstant l'incorrection A la faveur du sujet, Ture-lure, N'y fera point de rature; Noël! ture-lure-lure. -- Gui Barozai Quand les astres de Noël Brillaient, palpitaient au ciel, Six gaillards, et chacun ivre, Chantaient gaiment dans le givre, "Bons amis, Allons donc chez Agassiz!" Ces illustres Pelerins D'Outre-Mer adroits et fins, Se donnant des airs de pretre, A l'envi se vantaient d'etre "Bons amis, De Jean Rudolphe Agassiz!" Oeil-de-Perdrix, grand farceur, Sans reproche et sans pudeur, Dans son patois de Bourgogne, Bredouillait comme un ivrogne, "Bons amis, J'ai danse chez Agassiz!" Verzenay le Champenois, Bon Francais, point New-Yorquois, Mais des environs d'Avize, Fredonne a mainte reprise, "Bons amis, J'ai chante chez Agassiz!" A cote marchait un vieux Hidalgo, mais non mousseux; Dans le temps de Charlemagne Fut son pere Grand d'Espagne! "Bons amis, J'ai dine chez Agassiz!" Derriere eux un Bordelais, Gascon, s'il en fut jamais, Parfume de poesie Riait, chantait, plein de vie, "Bons amis, J'ai soupe chez Agassiz!" Avec ce beau cadet roux, Bras dessus et bras dessous, Mine altiere et couleur terne, Vint le Sire de Sauterne; "Bons amis, J'ai couche chez Agassiz!" Mais le dernier de ces preux, Etait un pauvre Chartreux, Qui disait, d'un ton robuste, "Benedictions sur le Juste! Bons amis, Benissons Pere Agassiz!" Ils arrivent trois a trois, Montent l'escalier de bois Clopin-clopant! quel gendarme Peut permettre ce vacarme, Bons amis, A la porte d'Agassiz! "Ouvrer donc, mon bon Seigneur, Ouvrez vite et n'ayez peur; Ouvrez, ouvrez, car nous sommes Gens de bien et gentilshommes, Bons amis De la famille Agassiz!" Chut, ganaches! taisez-vous! C'en est trop de vos glouglous; Epargnez aux Philosophes Vos abominables strophes! Bons amis, Respectez mon Agassiz! **************
A lively bunch of personified wines — each named after a well-known French wine region or variety — makes their way through the night for a tipsy Christmas visit to the esteemed Swiss-American naturalist Louis Agassiz. Each wine boasts about its past ties to Agassiz, until one final voice calls out for everyone to quiet down and stop bothering the great man. This playful and affectionate poem is a lighthearted gift from Longfellow, sent alongside a real basket of wine to his friend Agassiz.
Line-by-line
L'Academie en respect, / Nonobstant l'incorrection
Quand les astres de Noël / Brillaient, palpitaient au ciel
Ces illustres Pelerins / D'Outre-Mer adroits et fins
Oeil-de-Perdrix, grand farceur, / Sans reproche et sans pudeur
Verzenay le Champenois, / Bon Francais, point New-Yorquois
A cote marchait un vieux / Hidalgo, mais non mousseux
Derriere eux un Bordelais, / Gascon, s'il en fut jamais
Avec ce beau cadet roux, / Bras dessus et bras dessous
Mais le dernier de ces preux, / Etait un pauvre Chartreux
Ils arrivent trois a trois, / Montent l'escalier de bois
"Ouvrer donc, mon bon Seigneur, / Ouvrez vite et n'ayez peur
Chut, ganaches! taisez-vous! / C'en est trop de vos glouglous
Tone & mood
Warm, lively, and playfully absurd. Longfellow writes in French with the spirited tone of a drinking song—quick refrains, humorous repetition, and mock-heroic titles for bottles of wine. Beneath the humor lies a sincere fondness for Louis Agassiz; the final stanza's pointed 'respect my Agassiz!' comes across as a genuine compliment disguised as a joke. The overall impression is of a clever and heartfelt gift from one friend to another.
Symbols & metaphors
- The basket of wines — The wines serve as both the actual gift Longfellow is offering and a group of amusing characters. Each bottle represents a region, a personality, and a style — turning the gift into a lively little gathering of French culture arriving at Agassiz's doorstep.
- The Christmas stars — The opening image of Christmas stars twinkling in the frost sets a cozy, celebratory tone for the poem. They add a soft, festive glow to the lively scene and remind the reader that this is a gift poem, intended to bring joy.
- The wooden staircase — The sound of bottles clattering up the wooden stairs is a playful image — wine bottles can't walk, after all — but it also anchors the poem in the familiar, cozy setting of Agassiz's home. The staircase serves as a boundary between the public realm and the intimacy of friendship.
- The Chartreuse monk — The Chartreuse liqueur, produced by monks, comes in at the end and blesses rather than boasts. It brings a different tone — one of reverence rather than revelry — and its prayer for Agassiz subtly lifts the poem's tribute from humorous to heartfelt.
- The boasts ('J'ai dansé / chanté / dîné...') — Each wine's claim of having danced, sung, dined, supped, or slept at Agassiz's house gives a vivid picture of a vibrant social life connected to the bottles. Together, they depict Agassiz as a warm, cultured, and welcoming host — someone truly worth visiting.
Historical context
Louis Agassiz (1807–1873) was a prominent American scientist during Longfellow's time—born in Switzerland, he was a naturalist and professor at Harvard, well-known for his studies on glaciers and his engaging public persona. Longfellow and Agassiz shared a close friendship and were both part of the Saturday Club, a literary and intellectual group in Boston. This poem was crafted as a companion to a gift basket filled with various French wines that Longfellow sent to Agassiz, likely around Christmas. Written entirely in French, the poem pays homage to the wines' origins while showcasing Longfellow's command of the language. The epigraph credited to 'Gui Barozai' is a playful invention—an anagram or pseudonym—reflecting the poem's clever and scholarly tone. It fits into the tradition of occasional verse, which consists of poems created for specific social events rather than for broader publication.
FAQ
The wines in the basket were all French, which is why Longfellow wrote the poem in French to match. It also served as a way to show off and make the joke hit harder, since the wines are talking in their own language. Longfellow spoke several languages fluently and taught modern languages at Harvard, so crafting a clever French drinking song was definitely in his wheelhouse.
Louis Agassiz was a Swiss-American naturalist and a professor at Harvard, recognized as one of the most prominent scientists in 19th-century America. He and Longfellow shared a genuine friendship and were both part of the Saturday Club in Boston. The poem served as a gift — it arrived with a basket of wine, and the poem acted as the card.
They all exist in reality. Oeil-de-Perdrix is a rosé from Burgundy, Verzenay is a village in Champagne, the 'vieux Hidalgo' refers to a Spanish wine, probably a Sherry or Rioja, the Bordelais is from Bordeaux, Sauterne is the well-known sweet white wine produced in Bordeaux, and Chartreuse is the herbal liqueur crafted by Carthusian monks. Longfellow selected each to reflect a specific personality.
It's a silly line from old French drinking songs and carols — like saying 'tra-la-la' or 'fa-la-la.' It immediately lets you know this is a cheerful, lighthearted poem, not something serious. The epigraph is almost like a tongue-in-cheek formal notice asking the Academy of Letters to overlook any grammatical mistakes because the topic deserves it.
Almost certainly a pseudonym created by Longfellow himself. Some scholars think it might be an anagram, although there's debate about the exact answer. It captures the poem's playful spirit — crafting a fictional authority to humorously grant official permission for the poem's silliness.
A voice — likely the poet's — suddenly yells at all the wines to be quiet. He calls them 'ganaches' (blockheads), complains that their 'glugging' is excessive, and demands they spare the Philosophers their awful verses. Then, without missing a beat, he exclaims, 'Good friends, respect my Agassiz!' The jab at the wines and the fondness for Agassiz arrive simultaneously, transforming the entire comic poem into a heartfelt compliment.
Occasional verse is poetry crafted for a particular event in the real world—like a birthday, wedding, gift, or public gathering—rather than existing solely as an artistic piece. This poem definitely qualifies: it was created to go along with a Christmas wine basket for a friend. That doesn’t diminish its value as poetry; in fact, some of the most delightful poems in our language are occasional verse.
Gascony is a region in southwest France, and in French culture, 'Gascon' refers to someone who is a braggart — a person known for boasting loudly and with great style. The most well-known literary Gascon is Cyrano de Bergerac. Referring to Bordeaux as a Gascon is a playful nod to how wine enthusiasts often rave about their Bordeaux: with extravagant and poetic enthusiasm.