After by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1888)
The poem explores the idea that a person's soul continues to exist after death and seeks revenge against those who wronged them in life. The speaker describes how their spirit will haunt their former lover, who had rejected them, and make them suffer as they once made the speaker suffer. The poem builds up to a climax where the speaker's ghost appears to the former lover, causing them immense fear and guilt.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1888 · Genre: Poetry, Elegy, Lyric · 313 words
First lines
After the end that is drawing near Comes, and I no more see your face Worn with suffering, lying here, What shall I do with the empty place?
You are so weary, that if I could I would not hinder, I would not keep The great Creator of all things good, From giving his own beloved sleep.
What this Textopian page supports
After is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1888 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: 1888 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy, Lyric, Romantic, Philosophical
- Length: 313 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Elegy — The themes revolve around mourning and loss, typical of elegiac poetry.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Romantic — The focus on deep personal feelings and the beauty of the beloved aligns with Romantic themes.
Tags
Poetry · Romance · Love · Death · Grief · Loss · Mourning · Sorrow · Longing · Yearning · Nostalgia · Melancholy