My Birthday
The poem describes a birthday celebration where the speaker reflects on their life and mortality. It's a melancholic reflection on the passing of time and the fleeting nature of human existence. The speaker notes that birthdays mark another year of life, but also bring closer the inevitability of death. The tone is somber and contemplative, with a focus on the transience of life.
By John Greenleaf Whittier · First published 1826 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Spiritual, Nature Poetry · 430 words
First lines
Beneath the moonlight and the snow Lies dead my latest year; The winter winds are wailing low Its dirges in my ear.
I grieve not with the moaning wind As if a loss befell; Before me, even as behind, God is, and all is well!
What this Textopian page supports
My Birthday is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, dated 1826 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: John Greenleaf Whittier
- Date: 1826 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Spiritual, Nature Poetry, Reflective, Philosophical
- Length: 430 words
- Structure: 1 section, 16 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for My Birthday by John Greenleaf Whittier
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering My Birthday?
- How does this poem by John Greenleaf Whittier fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
- Except To Heaven She Is Nought by Emily Dickinson
- My Heaven by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- For Annie by Edgar Allan Poe
- After by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- If I Should Die by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Wraith by Edna St Vincent Millay
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work expresses personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Spiritual — Themes of divine presence and spiritual contemplation are central to the poem.
- Nature Poetry — Nature imagery is prevalent, reflecting on the beauty and cycles of life.
- Reflective — The poem involves introspection and contemplation of life experiences.
Tags
Poem · Birthday · Nostalgia · Childhood · Memory · Family · Love · Loss · Grief · Mourning · Death · Afterlife