Amaryllis by Edwin Arlington Robinson
A wanderer in the woods is approached by an old man, who asks him to see the grave he has made for Amaryllis. Moved by the old man’s grieving voice, the wanderer follows him and looks upon the burial place of an ancient woman reduced by age to skin and bone. Beyond the forest, the noises of progress, commerce, and the world’s triumph continue loudly, but they only deepen the wanderer’s sadness as he reflects that Amaryllis, despite the world’s forward movement, had grown old.
By Edwin Arlington Robinson · First published 1916 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Elegy, Narrative Poetry · 143 words
First lines
ONCE, when I wandered in the woods alone, / An old man tottered up to me and said, / "Come, friend, and see the grave that I have made
For Amaryllis. " There was in the tone
Of his complaint such quaver and such moan
That I took pity on him and obeyed, / And long stood looking where his hands had laid
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Amaryllis is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, dated 1916 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson
- Date: 1916 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Elegy, Narrative Poetry, Pastoral Poetry, Meditative Poetry
- Length: 143 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Amaryllis by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — A concise, emotionally concentrated first-person poem that develops its meaning through imagery, sound, reflection, and a single elegiac encounter rather than extended plot.
- Elegy — The poem mourns Amaryllis through the old man's grief, her grave, and the speaker's saddened meditation on her age and death.
- Narrative Poetry — It contains a brief narrative: the speaker meets an old man, is led to a grave, observes the burial site, and reflects on its meaning.
- Pastoral Poetry — Its woodland setting, the name Amaryllis, and its contrast between rural mortality and the distant noise of modern commerce invoke and complicate pastoral tradition.
Tags
poetry · American literature · early twentieth century · lyric poetry · love · longing · beauty · melancholy · solitude · symbolism · classical allusion · nature imagery