The Dying of Francis Donne
The Dying of Francis Donne is a short story by Ernest Dowson, first published in 1898. It tells the story of Francis Donne, a young man who is dying of tuberculosis. He is surrounded by his family and friends, who are all trying to make his last days as comfortable as possible. The story follows Francis as he slowly succumbs to his illness, and the people around him as they come to terms with his impending death. Francis is a kind and gentle man, and his death is a tragedy for all who know him. As his death approaches, his family and friends come to terms with their own mortality, and the fragility of life. The story is a poignant exploration of death and grief, and the power of love and friendship in the face of tragedy. It is a powerful and moving story, and a reminder of the importance of cherishing the time we have with those we love.
By Ernest Dowson · First published 1900 · Genre: Tragedy, Romance, Literary Fiction · 5 chapters · 3,485 words
First lines
-"Memento homo, quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris".
HE had lived so long in the meditation of death, visited it so often in others, studied it with such persistency, with a sentiment in which horror and fascination mingled; but it had always been, as it were, an objective, alien fact, remote from himself and his own life. So that it was in a sudden flash, quite too stupefying to admit in the first instance of terror, that knowledge of his mortality dawned on him. There was absurdity in the idea too.
What this Textopian page supports
The Dying of Francis Donne is listed on Textopian as a novel by Ernest Dowson, dated 1900 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Ernest Dowson
- Date: 1900 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Tragedy, Romance, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
- Length: 3,485 words
- Structure: 5 chapters, 107 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Dying of Francis Donne by Ernest Dowson
- 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 Dying of Francis Donne?
- How does this novel by Ernest Dowson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Tragedy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- A Lament by Charles Kingsley
- The Double Chamber by Charles Pierre Baudelaire
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Genres
- Tragedy — The title of the book, 'The Dying of Francis Donne', implies a tragic story, and the plot follows the protagonist's struggles with death and mortality.
- Romance — The book follows the protagonist's love story with his beloved, and the themes of love and loss are explored throughout the narrative.
- Literary Fiction — The book is written in a poetic and lyrical style, and the themes explored are complex and thought-provoking.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the late 19th century, and the setting and characters are reflective of the time period.
Tags
poetry · decadence · death · loss · melancholy · romanticism · existentialism · identity · grief · art · literature · 19th century
Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5