If I Could Only Weep
The poem explores the theme of unrequited love and the longing for emotional expression. The speaker describes their inability to weep, which symbolizes their suppressed emotions. They yearn for the release that tears would bring, but it eludes them. The poem conveys a sense of desperation, sadness, and frustration, emphasizing the intense emotional pain of loving someone who does not return their affection.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1893 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Melancholy · 171 words
First lines
If I could only weep, I think sweet help with my salt tears would come, To ease the cruel pain that is so dumb, And will not let me sleep.
Down in my heart, down deep A poisoned arrow burns. It would fall out And tears would wash the wound, I have no doubt, If I could only weep.
Maybe my pulse would leap, And bring one thrill back, of a vanished day, Instead of throbbing in this dull, dead way, If I could only weep.
O silent Fates who steep Nectar or gall for us through all the years, Take what thou wilt, but give me back my tears, And let me weep and weep.
What this Textopian page supports
If I Could Only Weep is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1893 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: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Melancholy, Romanticism, Psychological
- Length: 171 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Melancholy — The themes of sorrow, pain, and longing are central to the work.
- Romanticism — The focus on intense emotion and individual experience aligns with Romantic literary traditions.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Romantic Era · Emotional Turmoil · Longing · Sorrow · Melancholy · Heartbreak · Love Lost · Despair · Tears · Grief