A Picture by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Name: A Picture
Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The poem explores the theme of unrequited love and heartbreak through a vivid description of a picture that serves as a catalyst for the speaker's emotional turmoil. The speaker describes the picture, which depicts a romantic scene, and how it evokes feelings of longing and sorrow in them.

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1889 · Genre: Poetry, Pastoral, Religious · 89 words

First lines

I strolled last eve across the lonely down; / One solitary picture struck my eye: / A distant ploughboy stood against the sky -- / How far he seemed above the noisy town!

Upon the bosom of a cloud the sod / Laid its bruised cheek as he moved slowly by, / And, watching him, I asked myself if I / In very truth stood half as near to God.

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Genres

Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
Pastoral — The imagery and themes focus on rural life and nature, typical of pastoral literature.
Religious — The text contemplates proximity to God, indicating a spiritual or religious theme.
Philosophical — The work reflects on existential questions and the human condition.

What this Textopian page supports

A Picture is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1889 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: 1889 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Pastoral, Religious, Philosophical
Length: 89 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs

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