The Pendulum by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the idea that human life is a constant struggle between good and evil, with each person's soul oscillating like a pendulum between virtue and vice. The speaker describes how people are drawn to both positive and negative influences, and how they must constantly strive to maintain balance and make moral choices.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1906 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Allegory · 302 words
First lines
[In Edgar Allan Poe's story, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,' the victim is bound hand and foot, face upturned to a huge, knife-edged pendulum which swings back and forth across his body, the blade dropping closer to his heart at each swing.]
What this Textopian page supports
The Pendulum is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1906 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: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical, Allegory, Psychological, Social Commentary
- Length: 302 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Pendulum 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
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Pendulum?
- How does this poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Beyond by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Creation by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- The World Child by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- The Meeting Of The Centuries by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- The Structure by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Progression by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Philosophical — The themes explore deep existential and moral questions about virtue, vice, and human suffering.
- Allegory — The narrative uses symbolic figures and actions to convey broader moral and philosophical messages.
- Psychological — The text delves into the mental and emotional states of the narrator, reflecting on despair and hope.
Tags
Philosophy · Spirituality · Poetry · Free Verse · Mysticism · Esoteric · Occult · Karma · Reincarnation · Cosmology · Astral Plane · Higher Self