The Trio

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



We love but once.  The great gold orb of light
 From dawn to eventide doth cast his ray;
But the full splendour of his perfect might
 Is reached but once throughout the live-long day.

We love but once.  The waves, with ceaseless motion,
 Do day and night plash on the pebbled shore;
But the strong tide of the resistless ocean
 Sweeps in but one hour of the twenty-four.

We love but once.  A score of times, perchance,
 We may be moved in fancy’s fleeting fashion –
May treasure up a word, a tone, a glance,
 But only once we feel the soul’s great passion.

We love but once.  Love walks with death and birth
 (The saddest, the unkindest of the three):
And only once while we sojourn on earth
 Can that strange trio come to you or me.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 07, 2023

42 sec read
114

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD ECEC FGFG
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 738
Words 140
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

2 fans

Discuss the poem The Trio with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Trio" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10915/the-trio>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    4
    hours
    48
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    A group of lines forming a unit in a poem is called a _______.
    A sonnet
    B stanza
    C rhyme
    D verse