Lisette and Eileen by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Lisette addresses the dead Eileen with bitterness over a word Eileen might have spoken while a man was alive. Eileen’s silence apparently protected or saved him, yet it also denied Lisette a possible place with him. Lisette imagines meeting him after death while Eileen remains dying and grows old in death, her black hair and eyes enduring as symbols of the beauty he liked. Feeling herself reduced to something nameless and worn out because the truth was never spoken, Lisette says she forgives Eileen, though she admits she might once have killed her.
By Edwin Arlington Robinson · First published 1897 · Genre: Dramatic Monologue, Lyric Poetry, Tragic Love Poetry · 360 words
First lines
"WHEN he was here alive, Eileen, / There was a word you might have said; / So never mind what I have been, / Or anything, - for you are dead.
"And after this when I am there
What this Textopian page supports
Lisette and Eileen is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, dated 1897 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: 1897 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Dramatic Monologue, Lyric Poetry, Tragic Love Poetry, Psychological Poetry, Elegy
- Length: 360 words
- Structure: 1 section, 25 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Lisette and Eileen by Edwin Arlington Robinson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Dramatic Monologue — The poem is voiced by a single speaker addressing the dead Eileen directly, revealing the speaker's jealousy, resentment, guilt, and obsession through an intensely personal speech.
- Lyric Poetry — Its primary force is emotional and musical rather than narrative, concentrating on grief, longing, anger, and the painful consequences of an unspoken word.
- Tragic Love Poetry — The poem centers on a destructive romantic triangle involving the speaker, Eileen, and an absent man, with silence, rivalry, loss, and irreversible emotional damage producing a tragic tone.
- Psychological Poetry — The speaker's fractured repetitions, contradictory forgiveness, and violent thoughts expose an unstable inner life shaped by envy, bereavement, and fixation.
Tags
poetry · narrative poem · lyric poetry · American literature · early twentieth century · romantic themes · human relationships · love · memory · emotional conflict · psychological insight · melancholy