Out of Hope by Edith Nesbit (1908)
The story revolves around a past relationship that has gone sour due to the partner's wrongdoing. The narrator is torn between shutting out their former lover due to past hurts and welcoming them back in spite of their mistakes. The poem explores the narrator's inner conflict, weighing their lingering love against the pain inflicted. Ultimately, the realization sets in that the opportunity for reconciliation has been lost forever.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1908 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Drama · 195 words
First lines
If through the rain and wind along the street, Where the wet stone reflects the flickering gas, Some weeping autumn night your wandering feet, Lost in a lonely world, should chance to pass; If, passing many doors that welcomed you When robes of good renown your dear name wore, Your feet again, as once they used to do, Paused at my door, --
Should I shut fast my heart for the old ill, The old wrong done, the sorrow and the sin? Or -- only knowing that I love you still -- Should I throw wide the door and let you in? Come -- with your sins -- my tears shall wash them all, The heart you broke still waits to be your home.
Yet if you came. Oh! lost beyond recall You never more will come.
What this Textopian page supports
Out of Hope is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romance, Drama
- Length: 195 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Out of Hope 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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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Heart Of Sadness by Edith Nesbit
- Their Son The Necklace by Eduardo Zamacois
- The Brothers by Louisa May Alcott
- The Moorland Cottage by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Coals Of Fire by Edith Nesbit
- When Papas Sick by Joseph C. Lincoln
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, with a rhythmic structure and rhyme scheme, typical of poetry.
- Romance — The text explores themes of love, heartbreak, and longing, common in the romance genre.
- Drama — The emotional intensity and conflict presented in the text align with characteristics of drama.
Tags
Victorian Era · Children's Literature · Family Drama · Social Class · Poverty · Struggle · Hopelessness · Resilience · Coming of Age · Growing Up · Friendship · Love