Only a Line by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Name: Only a Line
Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The poem explores the idea that a single line can change one's life forever, and how a chance encounter with a stranger can lead to a lifetime of regret and longing.

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1889 · Genre: Poetry, Tragedy, Drama · 224 words

First lines

Only a line in the paper, / That somebody read aloud, / At a table of languid boarders, / To the dull indifferent crowd.

Markets and deaths -- and a marriage: / And the reader read them all. / How could he know a hope died then, / And was wrapped in a funeral pall.

Only a line in the paper, / Read in a casual way, / But the glow went out of one young life, / And left it cold and grey.

Colder than bleak December, / Greyer than walls of rock, / But the reader paused, and the room grew full / Of laughter and idle talk.

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What this Textopian page supports

Only a Line 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, Tragedy, Drama, Realism
Length: 224 words
Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Work identity for Only a Line by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs rhyme and meter.
Tragedy — The themes revolve around sorrow, loss, and desolation.
Drama — The narrative explores intense emotional experiences and personal conflict.
Realism — The content reflects everyday life and ordinary events with a focus on emotional impact.