An out-Worn Sappho by James Whitcomb Riley
The poem explores the theme of nostalgia and longing for a past love that has faded with time. The speaker reflects on a lost passion, now worn out like an old garment, and laments its loss. The poem's tone is melancholic and introspective, with a focus on the transience of human emotions and relationships.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Elegy · 1,170 words
First lines
How tired I am! I sink down all alone / Here by the wayside of the Present. Lo, / Even as a child I hide my face and moan -- / A little girl that may no farther go; / The path above me only seems to grow / More rugged, climbing still, and ever briered / With keener thorns of pain than these below; / And O the bleeding feet that falter so / And are so very tired!
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and feelings, focusing on the speaker's inner experiences.
- Elegy — The themes of weariness, loss, and contemplation of death align with the traditional elements of an elegy.
- Romanticism — The emphasis on individual emotion, nature, and introspection reflects Romantic literary themes.
Tags
Poetry · Romance · Classics · Literary Fiction · 19th Century Literature · American Literature · Free Verse · Symbolism · Imagery · Nature Imagery · Love Poetry · Sapphic Tradition
What this Textopian page supports
An out-Worn Sappho is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1883 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: James Whitcomb Riley
- Date: 1883 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Elegy, Romanticism, Symbolism
- Length: 1,170 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for An out-Worn Sappho by James Whitcomb Riley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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More by James Whitcomb Riley
- Uncle Mart's Poem. the Old Snow-Man (1883)
- A Lounger (1887)
- Prior to Miss Belle's Appearance (1883)
- To the Quiet Observer. Erasmus Wilson, after his Long Silence (1883)
- The Old-Fashioned Bible (1883)
- An Old Sweetheart. (Sweet-Knot and Galamus) (1888)
- To the Boy with a Country. Dan Wallingford (1883)
- After the Frost (1880)
- All works by James Whitcomb Riley