The poem explores the theme of love and mortality. An old man sits beside his sleeping young bride, contemplating their vast age difference and the inevitability of his own death. He acknowledges that he will soon leave her behind, but takes comfort in the knowledge that she will survive him and find happiness again. The poem conveys a sense of melancholy and resignation, as the old man accepts his fate and cherishes the fleeting moments they share together.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1887 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Drama