On the Death of a Young Gentleman
The poem mourns the loss of a young man who died suddenly and unexpectedly. It expresses sorrow and regret over his untimely death, lamenting the loss of potential and promise that he represented. The speaker reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of mortality, acknowledging that even the young and vibrant are not immune to fate's cruel hand.
By Phillis Wheatley · First published 1773 · Genre: Elegy, Lyric Poetry, Religious Poetry · 271 words
First lines
Who taught thee conflict with the pow'rs of night, To vanquish satan in the fields of light?
Who strung thy feeble arms with might unknown, How great thy conquest, and how bright thy crown!
War with each princedom, throne, and pow'r is o'er, The scene is ended to return no more.
O could my muse thy seat on high behold, How deckt with laurel, how enrich'd with gold!
What this Textopian page supports
On the Death of a Young Gentleman is listed on Textopian as a poem by Phillis Wheatley, dated 1773 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Phillis Wheatley
- Date: 1773 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Elegy, Lyric Poetry, Religious Poetry, Inspirational Poetry, Romanticism
- Length: 271 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for On the Death of a Young Gentleman by Phillis Wheatley
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Similar titles
- A Dirge by Madison Cawein
- The Last Dance by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Epitaph On Sir William Williams by Thomas Gray
- To One In Paradise by Edgar Allan Poe
- On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age by Phillis Wheatley
- The Cameo by Edna St Vincent Millay
Genres
- Elegy — The work mourns the loss of a young gentleman, reflecting on themes of death and remembrance.
- Lyric Poetry — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Religious Poetry — It incorporates spiritual themes, invoking divine presence and the afterlife.
- Inspirational Poetry — The poem aims to uplift and provide solace to those grieving.
Tags
Elegy · Poetry · Mourning · Grief · Loss · Death · Youth · Tragedy · Sorrow · Pain · Melancholy · Reflection
More by Phillis Wheatley
- To Maecenas (1733)
- On Virtue (1773)
- To the University of Cambridge, in New-England (1737)
- To the King's most Excellent Majesty. 1768 (1773)
- On being Brought from Africa to America (1773)
- On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell. 1769 (1773)
- On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 1770 (1770)
- On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age (1773)
- All works by Phillis Wheatley