Methuselah by Eugene Field (1898)
The poem tells the story of a man who lives for 969 years, witnessing significant historical events and meeting famous people throughout his long life. The narrative explores themes of loneliness, wisdom, and the human experience.
By Eugene Field · First published 1898 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Philosophical Fiction · 3,738 words
First lines
The discussion now going on between our clergymen and certain / unbelievers touching the question of Cain and his wife will surely / result beneficially, for it will set everybody to reading his Bible / more diligently. Still, the biography of Cain is one that we could / never become particularly interested in; in short, of all the Old / Testament characters none other interests us so much as does / Methuselah, the man who lived 969 years. Would it be possible to find / in all history another life at once so grand and so pathetic? One can / get a faint idea of the awful magnitude of Methuselah's career by / pausing to recollect that 969 years represent 9.69 centuries, 96 / decades, 11,628 months, 50,388 weeks, 353,928 days, 8,494,272 hours, / 521,656,320 minutes, and 36,299,879,200 seconds!
What this Textopian page supports
Methuselah is listed on Textopian as a short story by Eugene Field, dated 1898 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Eugene Field
- Date: 1898 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Philosophical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire
- Length: 3,738 words
- Structure: 1 section, 31 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Methuselah by Eugene Field
- 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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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The narrative explores deep themes of life, mortality, and the human experience through the character of Methuselah.
- Biblical Fiction — The story is rooted in biblical lore, focusing on the life of Methuselah, a character from the Old Testament.
- Philosophical Fiction — The text delves into philosophical questions about existence, time, and the nature of life.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and characters are based on historical and mythological figures, providing a narrative that reflects on ancient times.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Humor · Satire · Whimsy · Fantasy · Mythology · Biblical Reference · Longevity · Immortality · Fable