The Beginning by Sarah Noble Ives
Dawn breaks over a hill-top cradle where the infant Dorothy lies, mist veiling the distant valley and the Shining Way that other children travel toward hours of play she has yet to know. Sweet, strange voices crowd around her swinging cradle; she imagines them formed of the shimmering white she sees upon the grass, unable yet to distinguish a dew-drop from a passing bobolink, or to grasp the many other things around her.
By Sarah Noble Ives · Genre: Poetry, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 133 words
First lines
Here is the beginning of the road; / And it's morning on the hill-top in the sky; / And there's mist across the valley to hide the Shining Way, / That's full of other children and happy hours of play, / Where Dorothy will travel by and by.
The air is full of voices strange and sweet, / That crowd around her cradle as it swings. / She thinks they're made of something white that shimmers on the grass, / For she doesn't know a dew-drop from the bobolinks that pass, / And she doesn't know a host of other things.
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form with consistent meter, rhyming patterns, and lyrical musicality characteristic of poetry rather than prose narrative.
- Children's Literature — The narrative centers on a child (Dorothy) from an infant's innocent perspective, employing whimsical imagery and a tone designed to engage young readers with themes of wonder and discovery.
- Fantasy — The work features ethereal, magical imagery including 'the Shining Way,' mystical voices, and dreamlike natural scenes that transcend realistic depiction and suggest otherworldly elements.
- Fairy Tale — Classic fairy tale conventions are present: a child protagonist, a mysterious journey ahead, enchanted natural settings, and an archetypal narrative of beginning and transformation.
Tags
infancy · innocence · awakening · dawn · cradle · mystery · mist · pastoral · journey · nature · wonder · anticipation
What this Textopian page supports
The Beginning is listed on Textopian as a poem by Sarah Noble Ives, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Sarah Noble Ives
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Spiritual/Inspirational
- Length: 133 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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- Work identity for The Beginning by Sarah Noble Ives
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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