Haunted by Edith Nesbit (1902)
The narrator is haunted by ghosts that only appear to them. The ghosts seem to be warning the narrator about the potential torment they may face if they were to lose their child. When the child is asleep, the ghosts draw back the curtain of the narrator's bed, prompting the narrator to cling close to the child for comfort. The narrator hears sad voices on the wind, including those of poor mothers crying out for pity and remembering their lost children.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1902 · Genre: Ghost Story, Horror, Poetry · 193 words
First lines
The house is haunted; when the little feet Go pattering about it in their play, I tremble lest the little one should meet The ghosts that haunt the happy night and day.
And yet I think they only come to me; They come through night of ease and pleasant day To whisper of the torment that must be If I some day should be, alas! as they.
And when the child is lying warm asleep, The ghosts draw back the curtain of my bed, And past them through the dreadful dark I creep, Clasp close the child, and so am comforted.
Cling close, cling close, my darling, my delight, Sad voices on the wind come thin and wild, Ghosts of poor mothers crying in the night -- "Father, have pity -- once I had a child! "
What this Textopian page supports
Haunted is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Ghost Story, Horror, Poetry, Gothic
- Length: 193 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Haunted by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Haunted?
- How does this short story by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Ghost Story first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Fear by Edith Nesbit
- A Dirge In Gray by Edith Nesbit
- In Absence by Edith Nesbit
- Afterward by Edith Wharton
- A Dirge by Edith Nesbit
- Requiem by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Ghost Story — The narrative revolves around the presence of ghosts haunting a house, a common theme in ghost stories.
- Horror — The story creates a sense of fear and dread, typical of the horror genre.
- Poetry — The text is written in verse, indicating it belongs to the genre of poetry.
- Gothic — The story's focus on the supernatural and the macabre aligns with the gothic genre.
Tags
Gothic Fiction · Supernatural · Mystery · Horror · Classic Literature · Fantasy · Paranormal · Ghost Story · Haunted House · Suspense · Thriller · Victorian Era