On the Death of Little Mahala Ashcraft
The poem tells the story of a young girl's death and her family's grief. The speaker describes Mahala's life and death, emphasizing the beauty and fragility of childhood. The poem explores themes of mortality, loss, and the passing of time. It is written in a lyrical style with a focus on the emotional impact of Mahala's death on those who knew her.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1887 · Genre: Poetry, Elegy, Pastoral · 481 words
First lines
"Little Haly! Little Haly! " cheeps the robin in the tree; "Little Haly! " sighs the clover, "Little Haly! " moans the bee; "Little Haly! Little Haly! " calls the kill-deer at twilight; And the katydids and crickets hollers "Haly! " all the night.
The sunflowers and the hollyhawks droops over the garden fence; The old path down the gardenwalks still holds her footprints' dents; And the well-sweep's swingin' bucket seems to wait fer her to come And start it on its wortery errant down the old bee-gum.
What this Textopian page supports
On the Death of Little Mahala Ashcraft is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1887 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: 1887 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy, Pastoral, Sentimental
- Length: 481 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for On the Death of Little Mahala Ashcraft by James Whitcomb Riley
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Elegy — The poem mourns the death of a young girl, fitting the traditional theme of an elegy.
- Pastoral — The setting and imagery involve rural and natural elements, typical of pastoral literature.
- Sentimental — The poem evokes deep emotions and nostalgia, aligning with sentimental literature.
Tags
Poem · Tragic · Death · Loss · Grief · Childhood · Memory · Nostalgia · Sentimental · Melancholy · Mourning · Funeral