In Absence by Edith Nesbit (1912)
The story revolves around a person who is separated from their loved one, yearning for their presence and comfort. The narrator describes the longing and loneliness, imagining the other person waking up in a strange place, sleeping alone in a lonely room, and dreaming of each other but never finding solace. The poem conveys a sense of desperation, sadness, and disconnection.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1912 · Genre: Romance, Drama, Historical Fiction · 216 words
First lines
WAKE, do you wake in the dark in the strange far place, / Window and door not set like the ones we knew, / Leaning your face through the dark for another face, / Stretching your arms to the arms that are far from you, / Even as I, through the depth of this darkness, do?
Sleep, do you sleep in the house in the lonely land? / In the lonely room do you hear no steps draw near? / Do you miss in the darkness the hand that implores your hand, / See through the darkness your last dream disappear, / And weep, as I weep, in the outer darkness here?
Dream, do you dream? Nay, never a dream will stay, / Never a phantom is fond, or a vision kind.
What this Textopian page supports
In Absence is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1912 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: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Drama, Historical Fiction
- Length: 216 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for In Absence by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
- Bridal Ballad by Edith Nesbit
- Fear by Edith Nesbit
- Portents by Egerton Castle
- Fair Rosamond by Bernard Capes
- A Dirge In Gray by Edith Nesbit
- Haunted by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Romance — The story revolves around the romantic relationship between the main characters.
- Drama — The narrative is filled with emotional conflicts and dramatic turns.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context of the story are historically accurate and significant.
Tags
Gothic Fiction · Mystery · Supernatural · Family Drama · Victorian Era · Haunted House · Ghost Story · Suspense · Thriller · Classic Literature · British Literature · Children's Fiction