Cold by Madison Cawein (1902)
The poem explores the harshness and desolation of winter, personifying the season as a cruel despot. It depicts a frozen landscape under a moonlit sky, where the stillness of the wind amplifies feelings of loneliness and despair. The imagery evokes a sense of suffering, particularly for those who are impoverished and without shelter, highlighting the stark contrast between the warmth of a home and the coldness of the outside world. The speaker reflects on the emotional weight of winter, suggesting that it brings not only physical cold but also a deeper sense of hopelessness and longing. The poem captures the essence of winter's brutality, emphasizing its impact on both nature and humanity.
By Madison Cawein · First published 1902 · Genre: Poetry, Nature, Romanticism · 169 words
First lines
/ A mist that froze beneath the moon and shook / Minutest frosty fire in the air. / All night the wind was still as lonely Care / Who sighs before her shivering ingle-nook. / The face of Winter wore a crueler look / Than when he shakes the icicles from his hair, / And, in the boisterous pauses, lets his stare / Freeze through the forest, fettering bough and brook. / He is the despot now who sits and dreams / Of Desolation and Despair, and smiles / At Poverty, who hath no place to rest, / Who wanders o'er Life's snow-made pathless miles, / And sees the Home-of-Comfort's window gleams, / And hugs her rag-wrapped baby to her breast.
What this Textopian page supports
Cold is listed on Textopian as a poem by Madison Cawein, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Madison Cawein
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature, Romanticism, Symbolism, Dark Fantasy
- Length: 169 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Cold by Madison Cawein
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- Frost by Madison Cawein
- Snow by Madison Cawein
- Hoar Frost by Madison Cawein
- Before The Rain by Madison Cawein
- Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
- Stanzas by Edgar Allan Poe
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing meter and rhyme, characteristic of poetry.
- Nature — The poem vividly describes winter and its effects on the landscape, emphasizing natural imagery.
- Romanticism — The themes of emotion, nature, and individual experience align with Romantic literary ideals.
- Symbolism — The use of winter as a symbol for desolation and despair reflects symbolic literary techniques.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Winter · Seasonal · Coldness · Frost · Snow · Ice · Desolation · Loneliness · Melancholy · Mortality