Worn Out by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the theme of exhaustion and despair, describing a person who feels drained of energy and vitality. The speaker expresses feelings of hopelessness and desperation, longing for rest and relief from their emotional pain. The poem conveys a sense of being overwhelmed by life's struggles and feeling worn out physically, mentally, and emotionally.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1889 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic, Philosophical · 267 words
First lines
I saw a young heart in the grasp of pain; / With bruised breast, and broken, bleeding wing / Shipwrecked on hopeless love's tempestuous main, / Lay the poor tortured thing.
It pulsed with all the anguish of despair; / It ached with all a fond heart's awful power; / Yet I, who stood unhurt above it there, / Envied its lot that hour.
I, who have wasted all the sacred, deep / Emotions of my soul in spendthrift fashion, / Until no sorrow now can make me weep -- / No joy stir me with passion.
I, who have scattered here and there the gold / Of my heart's store, until I spent the whole; / Yet unto each so little gave to hold, / That I enriched no soul.
What this Textopian page supports
Worn Out is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1889 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: 1889 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romantic, Philosophical, Psychological, Tragedy
- Length: 267 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Worn Out by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse and employs poetic devices such as rhyme and meter.
- Romantic — The themes revolve around love, heartbreak, and emotional suffering.
- Philosophical — The work explores deep existential themes such as the nature of suffering and the human condition.
- Psychological — The narrative delves into the inner emotional and mental states of the characters.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Feminist Literature · Social Commentary · Marriage · Relationships · Women's Rights · Suffrage Movement · Early 20th Century · Domesticity · Gender Roles · Patriarchy