A Piteous Plaint by Eugene Field
The poem is a lamentation of the death of a child. The speaker describes the child's beauty and innocence, and mourns their loss. The poem explores themes of grief, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life.
By Eugene Field · First published 1899 · Genre: Poetry, Children's Literature, Romanticism · 435 words
First lines
I cannot eat my porridge, / I weary of my play; / No longer can I sleep at night, / No longer romp by day! / Though forty pounds was once my weight, / I'm shy of thirty now; / I pine, I wither and I fade / Through love of Martha Clow.
As she rolled by this morning / I heard the nurse girl say: / "She weighs just twenty-seven pounds / And she's one year old to-day. " / I threw a kiss that nestled / In the curls upon her brow, / But she never turned to thank me -- / That bouncing Martha Clow!
What this Textopian page supports
A Piteous Plaint is listed on Textopian as a poem by Eugene Field, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Eugene Field
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Children's Literature, Romanticism, Humor, Narrative
- Length: 435 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Piteous Plaint by Eugene Field
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Children's Literature — The themes and language are suitable for a young audience, focusing on childhood emotions and experiences.
- Romanticism — The poem expresses deep feelings of love and longing, typical of romantic literature.
- Humor — The exaggerated emotions and situations create a humorous tone, appealing to readers' sense of comedy.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Victorian Era · Melancholic · Nostalgic · Rural Life · Nature · Imagery · Symbolism · Allegory · Mortality