When Baby Souls Sail Out
The poem explores the idea that when a person dies, their soul sails out to an unknown realm, carrying with it the memories and experiences of its life on earth. The speaker describes the souls as "baby souls” to emphasize their innocence and purity. The poem suggests that even in death, there is a sense of freedom and liberation, as the soul escapes the confines of the physical body and sets sail into the unknown.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1887 · Genre: Poetry, Spiritual, Philosophical · 357 words
First lines
When from our mortal vision Grown men and women go To sail strange fields Elysian And know what spirits know, I think of them as tourists, In some sun-gilded clime, 'Mong happy sights and dear delights We all shall find, in time.
But when a child goes yonder And leaves its mother here, Its little feet must wander, It seems to me, in fear. What paths of Eden beauty, What scenes of peace and rest, Can bring content to one who went Forth from a mother's breast?
What this Textopian page supports
When Baby Souls Sail Out 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, Spiritual, Philosophical, Emotional, Reflective
- Length: 357 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse with a rhythmic and lyrical quality.
- Spiritual — The themes revolve around the afterlife, angels, and spiritual journeys.
- Philosophical — The work contemplates deep questions about life, death, and the soul.
- Emotional — The text evokes strong feelings of loss, longing, and maternal love.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Spirituality · Mortality · Infant Death · Grief · Loss · Sorrow · Melancholy · Reflection · Contemplation