Three Friends by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of unrequited love and the consequences of repressing one's emotions. The narrator reflects on a past relationship with a friend who was deeply in love with them, but they did not reciprocate their feelings. Instead, they married someone else, leaving their friend heartbroken.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1909 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Inspirational · 279 words
First lines
Of all the blessings which my life has known, / I value most, and most praise God for three: / Want, Loneliness, and Pain, those comrades true,
Who masqueraded in the garb of foes / For many a year, and filled my heart with dread. / Yet fickle joys, like false, pretentious friends, / Have proved less worthy than this trio. First,
Want taught me labour, led me up the steep / And toilsome paths to hills of pure delight, / Trod only by the feet that know fatigue, / And yet press on until the heights appear.
Then loneliness and hunger of the heart / Sent me upreaching to the realms of space, / Till all the silences grew eloquent, / And all their loving forces hailed me friend.
Similar titles
- You Never Can Tell by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Too Late by Edith Nesbit
- Two Men by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Penalty by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Guerdon by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- The Hunter by Ellen Glasgow
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Philosophical — The themes explore deep existential concepts such as the value of suffering and the nature of true blessings.
- Inspirational — The narrative focuses on finding strength and enlightenment through adversity, aiming to inspire readers.
- Spiritual — The text delves into spiritual growth and communion with a higher power through life's challenges.
Tags
Friendship · Romance · Drama · Tragedy · Love Triangle · Social Class · Wealth · Poverty · Marriage · Infidelity · Deception · Loyalty
What this Textopian page supports
Three Friends is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1909 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: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical, Inspirational, Spiritual, Autobiographical
- Length: 279 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Three Friends 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