Yet a Little While
The speaker contrasts earlier dreaming with present seeking and unrewarded work, describing weakness, deceptive appearances, and sleepless care over loss and possible dangers. Regarding hope as fear seen from its brighter side, the speaker turns away from worldly rewards and continues to wait.
By Christina Georgina Rossetti · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Meditative Poetry · 161 words
First lines
I dreamed and did not seek: to-day I seek / Who can no longer dream; / But now am all behindhand, waxen weak, / And dazed amid so many things that gleam / Yet are not what they seem.
I dreamed and did not work: to-day I work / Kept wide awake by care / And loss, and perils dimly guessed to lurk; / I work and reap not, while my life goes bare / And void in wintry air.
I hope indeed; but hope itself is fear / Viewed on the sunny side; / I hope, and disregard the world that's here, / The prizes drawn, the sweet things that betide; / I hope, and I abide.
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — Three rhymed stanzas give a first-person account of disappointed effort, weakness, and persistent hope.
- Meditative Poetry — The speaker weighs past dreaming against present effort and considers how hope can also be fear.
Tags
disillusionment · unrewarded work · hope · fear · waiting
What this Textopian page supports
Yet a Little While is listed on Textopian as a poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Christina Georgina Rossetti
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Meditative Poetry
- Length: 161 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Yet a Little While by Christina Georgina Rossetti
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph