The Appeal by Edith Nesbit (1911)
The poem is a lamentation of lost love. The speaker recalls how they once praised Love as a king and god, believing it to be all-powerful and self-sufficient. However, now that summer has ended, Love is left homeless and heartbroken. The speaker takes back their previous words, acknowledging the pain and despair that Love is experiencing. The poem ends with the speaker imagining finding Love on their doorstep, pale and quiet, only to discover it has died.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1911 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic, Drama · 231 words
First lines
All summer-time you said: "Love has no need of shelter nor of kindness, For all the flowers take pity on his blindness, And lead him to his scented rose-soft bed."
"He is a king," you said. "That I bow not the knee will never grieve him, For all the summer-palaces receive him. " But now Love has not where to lay his head.
"He is a god," you said. "His altars are wherever roses blossom. " And summer made his altar of her bosom, But now the altar is ungarlanded.
Take back the words you said: Out in the rain he shivers broken-hearted; Summer who bore him has with tears departed, And o'er her grave he weeps uncomforted.
What this Textopian page supports
The Appeal is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1911 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: 1911 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romantic, Drama
- Length: 231 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Common Lot by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Guilo by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Lippo by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Autumn Song by Edith Nesbit
- The Betrothal by Edith Nesbit
- The Way Of Love by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in stanzas with a rhythmic and rhyming scheme, characteristic of poetry.
- Romantic — The work explores themes of love, heartbreak, and longing, typical of the romantic genre.
- Drama — The work presents a dramatic narrative, with emotional intensity and conflict.
Tags
Classic · Fiction · Novel · Family · Relationships · Marriage · Social Class · Society · England · 1900s · Historical Fiction · Romance