Little Heartbreak by Ruth Collie
Little Heartbreak* by Ruth Collie personifies grief as a small, wan figure sitting alone in sorrow, insisting to herself that she will never be whole again. The poem traces her quiet, incremental rescue by the ordinary world: a sunbeam slips through the door and dances on a shelf, halting her tears before she even understands why; a passing breeze brushes her face and wipes away every trace of crying; and finally a bird's song awakens an answering "silvern echo" that takes root in her own breast and sings back with equal sweetness. By the close, Heartbreak tosses her head and laughs, conceding that though her heart has truly bled and she has known real despair, she cannot remain broken for long in a world so freely offering sunbeams, breezes, and birdsong. The piece functions as a brief allegorical lyric on the resilience of the wounded heart — showing healing not as willed or reasoned, but as something gently imposed by nature's small, unbidden kindnesses.
By Ruth Collie · First published 1928 · Genre: Poetry, Children's Literature, Allegory · 250 words
First lines
A little Heartbreak, wan and sore, was sitting by herself. A sunbeam / slipped around the door and danced upon a shelf. Though little / Heartbreak knew not why, she ceased, quite suddenly, to cry. Still / little Heartbreak sat alone. "I never will be whole again," thus / said she in her saddest tone, "I never will be healed of pain. " / Then, unannounced, a little breeze that had been playing in the / trees, passed softly over Heartbreak's face, and, lo! of tears there / was no trace. Then when a bird began to sing, and Heartbreak / couldn't help but hear, there happened such a curious thing -- a / silvern echo did appear, enthroned itself in Heartbreak's breast and, / like the bird, sang with sweet zest! So little Heartbreak tossed her / head and laughed to find the world so fair. "It's true," she cried, / "my heart has bled, and I have lived with black despair. But I can't / be quite broken, long -- with sunbeams, zephyrs, and birds' song! "
What this Textopian page supports
Little Heartbreak is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ruth Collie, dated 1928 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ruth Collie
- Date: 1928 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Children's Literature, Allegory, Fantasy, Romance
- Length: 250 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Little Heartbreak by Ruth Collie
- 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
Genres
- Poetry — The work employs rhythmic verse structure, rhyming couplets, and lyrical language characteristic of poetic composition with musicality and cadence throughout.
- Children's Literature — Features allegorical personified characters, a narrative arc from sorrow to joy, magical elements, and an uplifting moral message typical of children's stories and fairy tales.
- Allegory — Heartbreak is personified as an abstract human emotion embodied as a character experiencing emotional transformation and recovery.
- Fantasy — Contains magical elements including sentient natural forces—a mystical breeze with healing properties and a bird's song creating a silvern echo that manifests within the heart.
Tags
contemporary fiction · literary fiction · women's fiction · family relationships · romance · love · loss · grief · heartbreak · emotional drama · personal growth · self-discovery