A Grave by Edith Wharton (1901)
The poem is a lamentation of the speaker's loss and grief. They are presented with various opportunities for glory, wisdom, beauty, and love, but they decline each one, citing their obligation to mourn beside a grave. The speaker's heart is no longer brave, and they are consumed by sorrow, unable to respond to any summons or temptation. Their sole desire is to be reunited with the deceased, and they reject all other pursuits in favor of watching over the grave.
By Edith Wharton · First published 1901 · Genre: Poetry, Drama, Tragedy · 420 words
First lines
THOUGH life should come With all its marshalled honours, trump and drum, To proffer you the captaincy of some Resounding exploit, that shall fill Man's pulses with commemorative thrill, And be a banner to far battle days For truths unrisen upon untrod ways, What would your answer be, O heart once brave? _Seek otherwhere; for me,_ _I watch beside a grave._
Though to some shining festival of thought The sages call you from steep citadel Of bastioned argument, whose rampart gained Yields the pure vision passionately sought, In dreams known well, But never yet in wakefulness attained, How should you answer to their summons, save: _I watch beside a grave? _
What this Textopian page supports
A Grave is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Wharton, dated 1901 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Wharton
- Date: 1901 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Drama, Tragedy
- Length: 420 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Ballad Of The White Lady by Edith Nesbit
- Requiem by Edith Nesbit
- All Souls by Edith Wharton
- Haunted by Edith Nesbit
- Portents by Egerton Castle
- The Monk by Edith Nesbit
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, with a rhythmic and rhyming pattern, typical of poetry.
- Drama — The work contains dramatic elements, such as emotional intensity and conflict.
- Tragedy — The work revolves around themes of loss, grief, and death, which are characteristic of tragedy.
Tags
Gothic Fiction · Romance · Mystery · Supernatural · Ghost Story · Haunted House · American Literature · Classic Literature · Early 20th Century · Psychological Fiction · Atmospheric · Suspenseful