On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Ag
The poem is a lamentation of the death of a young girl, using imagery and metaphor to convey the speaker's grief. The tone is somber and reflective, with a focus on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of mortality. The language is formal and ornate, characteristic of 18th-century poetry.
By Phillis Wheatley · First published 1773 · Genre: Elegy, Religious Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 408 words
First lines
From dark abodes to fair etherial light
Th' enraptur'd innocent has wing'd her flight; On the kind bosom of eternal love
What this Textopian page supports
On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age 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, Religious Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Children's Literature, Didactic Poetry
- Length: 408 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age by Phillis Wheatley
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Elegy — The work mourns the loss of a young girl, reflecting on death and the emotions surrounding it.
- Religious Poetry — The poem expresses themes of faith, divine love, and the afterlife, emphasizing spiritual beliefs.
- Lyric Poetry — The personal and emotional nature of the poem aligns with the characteristics of lyric poetry.
- Children's Literature — The subject matter involves a young child, making it relevant to themes found in children's literature.
Tags
Elegy · Poetry · Mourning · Death · Childhood · Loss · Grief · Funeral · Tears · Sorrow · Pain · Regret
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 Gentleman (1773)
- All works by Phillis Wheatley