Memory's Mansion
The poem explores the idea that memories shape our identity and are a vital part of who we are. The speaker describes Memory's Mansion as a grand, labyrinthine structure filled with rooms, corridors, and chambers, each containing a distinct memory from their past. These memories are personified as tangible objects, such as "ghostly pictures" and "forgotten melodies," that the speaker can revisit and relive at will.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1895 · Genre: Poetry, Reflective, Philosophical · 366 words
First lines
In Memory's Mansion are wonderful rooms, And I wander about them at will; And I pause at the casements, where boxes of blooms Are sending sweet scents o'er the sill. I lean from a window that looks on a lawn: From a turret that looks on the wave. But I draw down the shade, when I see on some glade, A stone standing guard, by a grave.
To Memory's attic I clambered one day, When the roof was resounding with rain. And there, among relics long hidden away, I rummaged with heart-ache and pain. A hope long surrendered and covered with dust, A pastime, out-grown, and forgot, And a fragment of love, all corroded with rust, Were lying heaped up in one spot.
What this Textopian page supports
Memory's Mansion is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1895 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: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Reflective, Philosophical, Romantic, Psychological
- Length: 366 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Memory's Mansion by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Reflective — The themes revolve around introspection and contemplation of past experiences.
- Philosophical — The text explores abstract concepts like memory, time, and the nature of human emotions.
- Romantic — There are elements of love and passion, albeit in a reflective and sometimes melancholic manner.
Tags
Poetry · Autobiographical · Memoir · Personal Reflections · Philosophical · Spiritual · Inspirational · Motivational · Psychological Insight · Self-Discovery · Introspection · Emotional Journey