The Last Act by Edith Nesbit (1909)
The poem's speaker reflects on their life, acknowledging that they will leave no legacy or mementos behind. There will be no tokens of love, no written records, and no farewell gestures. The speaker accepts their fate, seeking only to disappear quietly into the earth, with nothing remaining to tell the tale of their brief time in the spotlight.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1909 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Drama · 166 words
First lines
Never a ring or a lock of hair Or a letter stained with tears, No crown for the princely hour to wear, To be mocked of the rebel years.
Not a spoken vow, not a written page And never a rose or a rhyme To tell to the wintry ear of age The tale of the summer time.
Never a tear or a farewell kiss When the time is come to part; For the kiss would burn and the tear would hiss On the smouldering fire in my heart.
But let me creep to the kindly clay, And nothing be left to tell How I played in your play a year and a day, And died when the curtain fell!
What this Textopian page supports
The Last Act is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1909 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: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romance, Drama
- Length: 166 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Play by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Love And Life by Edith Nesbit
- Guinevere by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
- Discretion by Edith Nesbit
- Her Marriage Lines by Edith Nesbit
- The Voluptuary by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse form, with a rhythmic and rhyming structure typical of poetry.
- Romance — The themes of love, parting, and heartbreak are prevalent, indicating a romantic genre.
- Drama — The use of theatrical metaphors and the intense emotional content suggest elements of drama.
Tags
Drama · Family · Relationships · Marriage · Infidelity · Deception · Theatre · Acting · Performance · Secrets · Lies · Betrayal