The Way of Love by Edith Nesbit
A poetic exploration of love and desire, contrasting the gentle, selfless devotion of the butterfly with the selfish, fleeting passion of the bee. The butterfly's tender whispers are rebuffed by the rose, who instead succumbs to the bee's arrogant advances, only to be abandoned and left to die.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1909 · Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Adventure · 153 words
First lines
THE butterfly loves the rose, He flutters around her bed, Till the soft curled leaves unclose, And she raises her darling head.
He whispers of dawn and of dew, Of love, and the heart of love, Of worship, timid and true, And she takes no joy thereof.
But when, through the noon's blind heat, The arrogant bee flaunts by, She yields him her heart's hid sweet, And he leaves her alone, to die.
The depth of her dying bliss Her grief-white butterfly knows: And the bee laughs low in the kiss Of another, a redder rose.
What this Textopian page supports
The Way of Love is listed on Textopian as a short story 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: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama
- Length: 153 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Way of Love by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Way of Love?
- How does this short story by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romance first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Romance — The narrative primarily revolves around the romantic relationships of the characters.
- Historical Fiction — The story is set in a specific historical period and includes references to real historical events.
- Adventure — The plot involves the characters embarking on a journey or quest.
- Drama — The narrative focuses on the emotional and relational development of the characters.
Tags
Romance · Fiction · Classic · Literature · Novel · Love Story · Relationships · Marriage · Family · Social Class · Society · Women's Rights