New Year's Day by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of lost love and nostalgia on New Year's Day. The speaker reflects on past memories with a former lover, now gone, and contrasts their current loneliness with the joy and festivities surrounding them. The poem expresses a sense of longing and melancholy, as the speaker struggles to come to terms with the loss.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1889 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Inspirational · 366 words
First lines
When with clanging and with ringing / Comes the year's initial day, / I can feel the rhythmic swinging / Of the world upon its way; / And though Right still wears a fetter, / And though Justice still is blind, / Time's beyond is always better / Than the paths he leaves behind.
In our eons of existence, / As we circle through the night, / We annihilate the distance / 'Twixt the darkness and the light. / From beginnings crude and lowly, / Round and round our souls have trod / Through the circles, winding slowly / Up to knowledge and to God.
What this Textopian page supports
New Year's Day is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1889 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: 1889 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical, Inspirational, Religious, Historical
- Length: 366 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for New Year's Day by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form with a rhythmic and lyrical quality.
- Philosophical — The themes explore deep questions about existence, progress, and the human condition.
- Inspirational — The content aims to uplift and inspire hope in the reader.
- Religious — References to God and spiritual progress are present throughout the text.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Early 20th Century · New Year's Day · Reflection · Hope · Renewal · Love · Loss · Grief · Mourning · Memories