Sestina by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of unrequited love and longing through a series of six stanzas, each with a specific repeating pattern of end words. The speaker describes their deep emotional pain and yearning for a distant or absent loved one, conveying a sense of desperation and despair.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1893 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Romantic · 496 words
First lines
I wandered o'er the vast green plains of youth, / And searched for Pleasure. On a distant height / Fame's silhouette stood sharp against the skies. / Beyond vast crowds that thronged a broad high-way / I caught the glimmer of a golden goal, / While from a blooming bower smiled siren Love.
Straight gazing in her eyes, I laughed at Love, / With all the haughty insolence of youth, / As past her bower I strode to seek my goal. / "Now will I climb to glory's dizzy height," / I said, "for there above the common way / Doth pleasure dwell companioned by the skies."
What this Textopian page supports
Sestina 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, Allegory, Didactic
- Length: 496 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Sestina 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
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- Warning by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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- Let Them Go by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in a poetic form with a focus on meter and rhyme.
- Philosophical — The themes explore existential questions about the pursuit of pleasure, fame, and truth.
- Romantic — The narrative includes elements of love and emotional introspection.
- Allegory — The story uses symbolic figures and actions to convey deeper moral and philosophical meanings.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Romanticism · Love Poem · Nature Imagery · Seasonal Themes · Cycles of Life · Memory and Nostalgia · Emotional Intensity · Personal Reflection · Introspection