The Lullaby by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of motherly love and its transformative power. It describes a mother's lullaby as a soothing balm that calms the child's fears and anxieties, replacing them with feelings of security and comfort. The poem also touches on the idea that a mother's love can overcome even death itself, suggesting that it is eternal and enduring.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1887 · Genre: Poetry, Tragedy, Lyrical · 309 words
First lines
When the long day leans to the twilight, When the Evening star climbs to the moon, With a heart that is silently breaking, I sit in the gloaming and croon. I croon a low song for my darling, My wee one, my baby, my own; Who, cradled in rosewood and velvet, Sleeps out in the churchyard alone.
Alone with no arms to enfold her, Alone with no pillowing breast, Alone with no hand on her cradle, To rock her to soundlier rest. But each day in the hush of the twilight, Is silenced my broken heart's cry; And I sit where I sat with my darling, And sing her the old lullaby.
What this Textopian page supports
The Lullaby is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1887 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: 1887 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Tragedy, Lyrical, Elegy, Sentimental
- Length: 309 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Similar titles
- To The Mother by James Whitcomb Riley
- My Mary by James Whitcomb Riley
- An Old Song by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Returned Birds by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- To A Little Lover Lass Dead by Langston Hughes
- Has She Forgotten by James Whitcomb Riley
Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Tragedy — The themes revolve around loss, grief, and mourning, which are central to tragic literature.
- Lyrical — The work expresses deep personal emotions and is written in a song-like manner.
- Elegy — The poem laments the death of a loved one, fitting the characteristics of an elegy.
Tags
Poetry · Motherhood · Love · Infancy · Nostalgia · Sentimental · Emotional · Intimate · Personal · Reflection · Melancholy · Longing