Aridity by Ellen Glasgow (1910)
The novel explores the decline of aristocracy and the rise of industrialism in post-Civil War Virginia. It revolves around five generations of the Timberlake family, focusing on their struggles with poverty, moral decay, and the loss of traditional values. The narrative spans from the 1850s to the 1890s, portraying the transformation of the rural South into an industrial society.
By Ellen Glasgow · First published 1910 · Genre: Poetry, Symbolism, Modernism · 106 words
First lines
She looked unto the east and saw / A pallid stretch of sickly sea; / Unto the west she turned and met / The land's aridity.
A bloodless wave of rising sun / Was flung across her open door; / It smote her like a slimy thing, / And crawled along the floor.
Her hands took up the weary round -- / A colourless and common part. / Her stillborn hopes were buried in / The desert of her heart.
What this Textopian page supports
Aridity is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ellen Glasgow, dated 1910 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ellen Glasgow
- Date: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Symbolism, Modernism, Psychological, Naturalism
- Length: 106 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Aridity by Ellen Glasgow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
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- Death In Life by Ellen Glasgow
- The Sage by Ellen Glasgow
- Resurrection by Ellen Glasgow
- A Suppliant by Ellen Glasgow
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured as a poem with a clear use of verse and rhyme.
- Symbolism — The poem uses symbolic imagery such as 'sickly sea' and 'desert of her heart' to convey deeper meanings.
- Modernism — The themes of existential despair and the stark, unembellished style are characteristic of modernist literature.
- Psychological — The poem delves into the internal emotional state and mental landscape of the protagonist.
Tags
Southern Gothic · Family Drama · Romance · Tragedy · Social Class · Wealth Disparity · Rural Life · Virginia Setting · Early 20th Century · American Literature · Feminist Themes · Women's Roles