Mesalliance by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of a romantic relationship that has gone sour. The speaker describes how they were once deeply in love, but now feel trapped and suffocated by their partner's possessiveness and jealousy. They liken their relationship to a mesalliance, or a mismatched alliance, where two people are bound together despite being fundamentally incompatible. Throughout the poem, the speaker expresses a sense of desperation and longing for freedom from the toxic relationship.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1893 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Romantic · 367 words
First lines
I am troubled to-night with a curious pain; It is not of the flesh, it is not of the brain, Nor yet of a heart that is breaking: But down still deeper, and out of sight -- In the place where the soul and the body unite -- There lies the scat of the aching.
They have been lovers in days gone by; But the soul is fickle, and longs to fly From the fettering mesalliance: And she tears at the bonds which are binding her so, And pleads with the body to let her go, But he will not yield compliance.
What this Textopian page supports
Mesalliance 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, Philosophical, Romantic, Psychological, Metaphysical
- Length: 367 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Philosophical — The themes explore deep existential questions about the soul, body, and their relationship.
- Romantic — The narrative involves the concept of love and the struggle between the soul and body, akin to a romantic conflict.
- Psychological — The text delves into the internal conflict and emotional turmoil of the narrator.
Tags
Romance · Poetry · Love · Relationships · Marriage · Society · Class · Status · Wealth · Power · Inequality · Social Commentary