A Ballade of the Unborn Dead
The poem explores the theme of abortion and the consequences of terminating a pregnancy. It presents the perspective of the unborn child, who speaks from the womb, pleading with its mother to spare its life. The speaker argues that it has a right to exist and experience the world, and that its destruction would be a tragic loss.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1892 · Genre: Poetry, Gothic, Religious · 454 words
First lines
They walked the valley of the dead; / Lit by a weird half light; / No sound they made, no word they said; / And they were pale with fright. / Then suddenly from unseen places came / Loud laughter, that was like a whip of flame.
They looked, and saw, beyond, above, / A land where wronged souls wait; / (Those spirits called to earth by love, / And driven back by hate). / And each one stood in anguish dumb and wild, / As she beheld the phantom of her child.
What this Textopian page supports
A Ballade of the Unborn Dead is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1892 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Date: 1892 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Gothic, Religious, Psychological, Fantasy
- Length: 454 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Ballade of the Unborn Dead by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
- Spectres by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Ghosts by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- A Burial by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Ghosts by Emily Dickinson
- When I Hoped I Feared by Emily Dickinson
- The Hereafter by James Whitcomb Riley
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Gothic — The themes of death, the supernatural, and the eerie atmosphere are central to the narrative.
- Religious — The text references spiritual beings, the afterlife, and moral consequences, which are common in religious literature.
- Psychological — The work explores deep emotional and psychological states, particularly guilt and fear.
Tags
Death · Mortality · Afterlife · Spirituality · Philosophy · Poetry · Victorian Era · American Literature · 19th Century · Gothic · Dark Romanticism · Supernatural