Absence by Marie Van Vorst (1906)
“Absence” presents a brief exchange between separated lovers. One voice protests that the repeated address “My darling!” is all the other can say, questioning the value of affectionate words when someone is far away. The answering voice insists that even a single loving word is better than silence, and says that if the desired words were spoken, they would “fill the world with sun.” The poem closes by returning to the repeated cry, “O darling— / ‘My darling!’”
By Marie Van Vorst · First published 1906 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Romantic Poetry · 99 words
First lines
O darling -- / "My darling! " / And this is all you say? / And what are words of love and cheer / When one is far away? / O darling -- / "My darling! " / A word is more than none / And if you say what I would hear / You'll fill the world with sun / O darling -- / "My darling! "
What this Textopian page supports
Absence is listed on Textopian as a poem by Marie Van Vorst, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Marie Van Vorst
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Separation Poetry, Sentimental Poetry
- Length: 99 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
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- Work identity for Absence by Marie Van Vorst
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a brief, musical verse centered on emotional expression rather than narrative development.
- Love Poetry — Its speaker addresses a beloved and focuses on the emotional importance of affectionate words between separated lovers.
- Romantic Poetry — The poem presents idealized longing, tenderness, and the restorative power of reciprocal romantic speech.
- Separation Poetry — Distance from the beloved is the poem's central conflict, with the speaker yearning for reassurance while one person is away.
Tags
fiction · romance · love and separation · emotional drama · psychological fiction · social relationships · marriage · longing · loss · identity · women's fiction · American literature