Fragment Forty by Hilda Doolittle
The poem explores the speaker's emotional state after a breakup, describing feelings of numbness and disconnection from her surroundings. The speaker's emotions are fragmented, mirroring the disjointed nature of her thoughts. She struggles to reconcile her past love with her current isolation.
By Hilda Doolittle · First published 1916 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Modernist · 567 words
First lines
_Love. bitter-sweet._ SAPPHO
1. Keep love and he wings with his bow, up, mocking us, keep love and he taunts us and escapes.
What this Textopian page supports
Fragment Forty is listed on Textopian as a poem by Hilda Doolittle, dated 1916 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Hilda Doolittle
- Date: 1916 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Modernist, Romantic, Classical
- Length: 567 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Fragment Forty by Hilda Doolittle
- 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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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Fragment Forty?
- How does this poem by Hilda Doolittle fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Fragment Sixty Eight by Hilda Doolittle
- Metric Figure by William Carlos Williams
- Helen by Hilda Doolittle
- Postlude by William Carlos Williams
- Fragment Thirty Six by Hilda Doolittle
- Fragment Forty One by Hilda Doolittle
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse, utilizing poetic devices such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm.
- Lyric — The text expresses personal emotions and reflections on love, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Modernist — The style and themes reflect modernist tendencies, focusing on introspection and the complexity of emotions.
- Romantic — The central theme revolves around love and its dual nature, aligning with romantic literary traditions.
Tags
Modernist poetry · Experimental poetry · Free verse · Stream-of-consciousness · Imagism · Symbolic language · Inner monologue · Personal narrative · Autobiographical elements · Memory and nostalgia · Emotional intensity · Psychological insight