Possession by Edith Nesbit (1900)
A poem about a mother's grief and anger towards the father who abandoned them. The speaker recounts how they cared for the child, protecting and nurturing it despite the father's rejection. However, during their final abandonment, the child died in the cold. The poem ends with the mother claiming the child as hers alone, suggesting that the father's only contributions were its birth and death.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1900 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Children's Literature · 214 words
First lines
THE child was yours and none of mine, / And yet you gave it me to keep, / And bade me sew it raiment fine, / And wrap my kisses round its sleep.
I carried it upon my breast, / I fed it in a world apart, / I wrapped my kisses round its rest, / I rocked its cradle with my heart.
When in mad nights of rain and storm / You turned us homeless from your door, / I wrapped it close, I kept it warm, / And brought it safe to you once more.
But the last time you drove us forth, / The snow was wrapped about its head, / That night the wind blew from the North, / And on my heart the child was dead.
What this Textopian page supports
Possession is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1900 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: 1900 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Children's Literature, Romance
- Length: 214 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Possession 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
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- Invocation by Edith Nesbit
- White Magic by Edith Nesbit
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Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative involves magical elements and supernatural events.
- Adventure — The plot includes a quest and exploration of unknown territories.
- Children's Literature — The story is written in a style and language suitable for children.
- Romance — The narrative includes elements of love and relationships.
Tags
Fantasy · Children's Literature · Classic · Mystery · Supernatural · Ghosts · Haunted House · Family Secrets · Inheritance · Wealth · Power Struggle · Good vs Evil