Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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    I thought my heart was death chilled,
         I thought its fires were cold;
    But the new love, the new love,
         It warmeth like the old.

    I thought its rooms were shadowed
         With the gloom of endless night;
    But the new love, the new love,
         It fills them full of light.

    I thought the chambers empty,
         And proclaimed it unto men;
    But the new love, the new love,
         It peoples them again.

    I thought its halls were silent,
         And hushed the whole day long;
    But the new love, the new love,
         It fills them full of song.

    Then here is to the new love,
         Let who will sing the old;
    The new love, the new love,
         'Tis more than fame or gold.

    For it gives us joy for sorrow,
         And it gives us warmth for cold;
    Oh! the new love, the new love,
         'Tis better than the old.

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem is a poignant exploration of the themes of love, loss, and renewal. The speaker recounts the transformative power of a new love after a period of emotional desolation, creating a tone that is both introspective and triumphant. The poem’s structure adheres to a repetitive formula, each stanza introducing a perception of the speaker's heart, before the refrain "But the new love, the new love" signals a turn towards hope and rejuvenation.

A key literary device is the use of metaphor to represent the speaker's heart as a house, a domicile with "rooms," "chambers," and "halls." These initially are described as cold, shadowed, empty, and silent—evoking a sense of desolation and despair. However, the new love is presented as a redeemer, bringing warmth, light, people, and song into this house, suggesting a renewal of the speaker's emotional landscape. The repetition of the phrase "the new love" throughout the poem enhances the theme of resurrection and underlines the healing and transformative power of love. The poem concludes by valuing this new love over the old, marking it as a source of joy and warmth, even more precious than "fame or gold." This accentuates the speaker’s transition from despair to a state of joy and renewed vitality.