Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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    Before I lost my love, he said to me:
         'Sweetheart, I like deep azure tints on you.'
    But I, perverse as any girl will be
         Who has too many lovers, wore not blue.

    He said, 'I love to see my lady's hair
         Coiled low like Clytie's -with no wanton curl.'
    But I, like any silly, wilful girl,
         Said, 'Donald likes it high,' and wore it there.

    He said, 'I wish, love, when you sing to me,
         You would sing sweet, sad things -they suit your voice.'
    I tossed my head, and sung light strains of glee -
         Saying, 'This song, or that, is Harold's choice.'

    But now I wear no colour -none but blue.
         Low in my neck I coil my silken hair.
    He does not know it, but I strive to do
         Whatever in his eyes would make me fair.

    I sing no songs but those he loved the best.
         (Ah! well, no wonder: for the mournful strain
    Is but the echo of the voice of pain,
         That sings so mournfully within my breast.)

    I would not wear a ribbon or a curl
         For Donald, if he died from my neglect -
    Oh me! how many a vain and wilful girl
         Learns true love's worth, but -when her life is wrecked.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a poignant exploration of regret, lost opportunities, and the power of hindsight in the realm of love. The central theme revolves around the speaker's reflection on her past behavior towards her lover, whose preferences she ignored in favor of other suitors. The speaker's dismissive attitude towards her lover's preferences in the past contrasts sharply with her present actions, where she adheres meticulously to his tastes. This change appears to be driven by a sense of remorse after losing him, hence the recurring theme of regret.

The tone of the poem is melancholic, with the speaker expressing a yearning for the past and a deep sense of loss. The structure of the poem, which alternates between the memory of the past and the narrator's present actions, underscores the contrast and amplifies the regret. Noteworthy literary devices include the use of direct dialogue to reveal the lover's preferences, and the repetition of the word 'said' to emphasize the speaker's previous disregard for her lover's desires. The final line delivers a powerful message on the destructive consequences of vanity and neglect in relationships, providing a sobering close to the poem.