New and Old by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of nostalgia and the passing of time. It contrasts the beauty and vitality of youth with the decline and loss of old age. The speaker reflects on how things that were once new and exciting have become old and worn out, and how people who were once full of life are now frail and dying.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1885 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Gothic · 175 words
First lines
I and new love, in all its living bloom, Sat vis-a-vis, while tender twilight hours Went softly by us, treading as on flowers. Then suddenly I saw within the room The old love, long since lying in its tomb. It dropped the cerecloth from its fleshless face And smiled on me, with a remembered grace That, like the noontide, lit the gloaming's gloom.
Upon its shroud there hung the grave's green mould, About it hung the odor of the dead; Yet from its cavernous eyes such light was shed That all my life seemed gilded, as with gold; Unto the trembling new love "Go," I said "I do not need thee, for I have the old. "
What this Textopian page supports
New and Old 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, Romance, Gothic, Philosophical
- Length: 175 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for New and Old by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse, with a focus on rhythm, meter, and imagery.
- Romance — The themes revolve around love, both new and old, and the emotional experiences associated with them.
- Gothic — The presence of the old love as a ghostly figure and the imagery of the grave and decay contribute to a gothic atmosphere.
- Philosophical — The text explores deep themes of memory, the passage of time, and the nature of love.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Romanticism · Love Poems · Nature Poetry · Spirituality · Philosophy · Meditation · Contemplation · Self-Discovery · Inspirational · Motivational