Go Back by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The speaker implores their beloved to return to them, recalling memories of their time together and expressing deep emotional pain at their separation. Through vivid imagery and metaphor, the poet conveys the intensity of their desire for reunion.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1885 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Romanticism · 281 words
First lines
When winds of March by the springtime bidden Over the great earth race and shout, Forth from my breast where it long hath hidden My same old sorrow comes creeping out.
I think each winter -- its life is ended, For it makes no stir while the snows lie deep. I say to myself, 'Its soul has blended Into the past where it lay asleep.'
But as soon as the sun, like some fond lover, Smiles and kisses the earth's round cheeks, This sad, sad sorrow throws off its cover, And out of the depths of its anguish, speaks.
In every bud by the wayside springing It finds a sword for its half-healed wounds; In every note that the thrush is singing It hears the saddest of minor sounds.
What this Textopian page supports
Go Back is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1885 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: 1885 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Romanticism, Melancholy, Nature
- Length: 281 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme, meter, and imagery.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and feelings, particularly sorrow and longing.
- Romanticism — The themes of nature, emotion, and individual experience are central to the work.
- Melancholy — The tone and content focus on sadness and sorrow, reflecting a melancholic mood.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Romanticism · Love · Longing · Nostalgia · Regret · Memory · Emotional · Introspective · Personal · Reflective