Delilah

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

             In the midnight of darkness and terror,          When I would grope nearer to God,              With my back to a record of error          And the highway of sin I have trod,              There come to me shapes I would banish -          The shapes of the deeds I have done;              And I pray and I plead till they vanish -          All vanish and leave me, save one.              That one with a smile like the splendor          Of the sun in the middle-day skies -              That one with a spell that is tender -          That one with a dream in her eyes -              Cometh close, in her rare Southern beauty,          Her languor, her indolent grace;              And my soul turns its back on its duty,          To live in the light of her face.              She touches my cheek, and I quiver -          I tremble with exquisite pains;              She sighs - like an overcharged river          My blood rushes on through my veins',              She smiles - and in mad-tiger fashion,          As a she-tiger fondles her own,              I clasp her with fierceness and passion,          And kiss her with shudder and groan.              Once more, in our love's sweet beginning,          I put away God and the World;              Once more, in the joys of our sinning,          Are the hopes of eternity hurled.              There is nothing my soul lacks or misses          As I clasp the dream shape to my breast;              In the passion and pain of her kisses          Life blooms to its richest and best.              O ghost of dead sin unrelenting,          Go back to the dust and the sod!              Too dear and too sweet for repenting,          Ye stand between me and my God.              If I, by the Throne, should behold you,          Smiling up with those eyes loved so well,              Close, close in my arms I would fold you,          And drop with you down to sweet Hell!

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline


Share the Love of Poetry

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a deeply introspective exploration of guilt, redemption, temptation, and obsessive love. The speaker, wrestling with a past littered with sin and error, seeks solace and forgiveness in the divine. However, the persistent interjection of past deeds, personified as tormenting ghosts, impedes this spiritual journey. The poet employs a vivid, almost gothic imagery to paint a picture of a haunted conscience, creating an atmosphere of darkness and terror.

The core of this poem, though, is an intense passion that overshadows the speaker's desire for spiritual purification. The female figure, characterized by her 'smile like the splendor', her 'tender spell', and 'dream in her eyes', is the personification of an all-consuming, irresistible love or lust that the speaker can't escape. The language becomes more sensual and fervent when describing her, suggesting a profound emotional entanglement that borders on obsession.

Structurally, the poem maintains a consistent rhythm and rhyme scheme, which adds to its dramatic intensity. The repetition of certain phrases, like 'she smiles' and 'I clasp her', underscores the cyclical nature of the speaker's struggle, suggesting a repeated return to sin and temptation.

In conclusion, the poem offers a layered exploration of the human struggle between the desire for spiritual purity and the allure of earthly pleasures. It presents a poignant portrayal of regret, yearning, and the overpowering pull of an illicit love. The speaker's final acceptance of his sinful love, even at the cost of eternal damnation, underscores the tormenting grip of this passion, offering a haunting conclusion to the poem.

Exploring Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.


Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:

  • Structured Plot: Narrative poems typically have a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a plot that might involve conflict, climax, and resolution, much like a short story or novel.
  • Character Development: Characters in narrative poems are often well-developed, with distinct voices and personalities that drive the story forward.
  • Descriptive Language: The language used in narrative poetry is vivid and descriptive, painting a clear picture of the scenes and events, while also conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story.

From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.