If I Should Die
The poem explores the theme of mortality and the speaker's desire to be remembered by their loved one after they are gone. The speaker implores their beloved to remember them fondly, to cherish the memories they shared, and to mourn their passing. They express a deep longing for eternal love and connection, even in death.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1884 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Reflective · 175 words
First lines
RONDEAU.
If I should die, how kind you all would grow! In that strange hour I would not have one foe. There are no words too beautiful to say Of one who goes forevermore away Across that ebbing tide which has no flow.
With what new lustre my good deeds would glow! If faults were mine, no one would call them so, Or speak of me in aught but praise that day, If I should die.
Ah, friends! before my listening ear lies low, While I can hear and understand, bestow That gentle treatment and fond love, I pray, The lustre of whose late though radiant way Would gild my grave with mocking light, I know, If I should die.
What this Textopian page supports
If I Should Die is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1884 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: 1884 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical, Reflective, Literary
- Length: 175 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for If I Should Die by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured as a poem with a clear rhyme scheme and meter.
- Philosophical — The themes explore existential questions about life, death, and human behavior.
- Reflective — The content is introspective, focusing on the author's thoughts and feelings about mortality and relationships.
- Literary — The writing style is sophisticated and employs literary devices such as metaphor and imagery.
Tags
Poetry · Death · Mortality · Love · Loss · Grief · Sorrow · Melancholy · Reflection · Contemplation · Philosophy · Spirituality