In the Window by Marie Van Vorst
The speaker awaits her beloved’s arrival after weary days apart, brightening the candle and fire and standing hidden within the window to listen for him. She recognizes his approach by the beating of her heart and cherishes intimate signs of their bond: a ribbon only he has known and the message of his kiss left upon her palms. Though love waits through every season and often suffers vain watching, her expectation is fulfilled when his footsteps reach the threshold and her love comes to her.
By Marie Van Vorst · First published 1903 · Genre: Love Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 234 words
First lines
Oh. my love comes to me to-night, / After the weary days. / And I must trim the candle bright / And light a cheerful blaze.
Then close within the window stand, / As down the silent streets / My heart shall hear his coming, and / How it knows, and beats!
His footstep falls from stair to stair, / (Oh my love is my own! ) / I wear a ribbon in my hair / That only he has known.
His kiss upon my palms he left; / I hold its message, still. / Long days have made his soul bereft, / To-night. he takes his fill!
What this Textopian page supports
In the Window is listed on Textopian as a poem by Marie Van Vorst, dated 1903 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: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Love Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Waiting and Longing Poetry, Domestic Poetry
- Length: 234 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for In the Window by Marie Van Vorst
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Love Poetry — The poem centers on a speaker's joyful anticipation of her beloved's return and culminates in their reunion.
- Romantic Poetry — Its intimate first-person voice, heightened emotion, idealized beloved, and imagery of longing and fulfillment are characteristic of Romantic verse.
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, musical, subjective expression of personal feeling rather than a narrative with extensive plot development.
- Waiting and Longing Poetry — The speaker prepares for and listens for her lover after weary days apart, making expectancy and yearning central themes.
Tags
fiction · literary fiction · American literature · early twentieth-century literature · romance · social drama · society fiction · character-driven narrative · psychological fiction · domestic themes · relationships · marriage