The poem should be compared with
“Insomnia” written
at about the same time. Its
biographical relevance—a poem shadowed by DGR's memory of his
dead wife—seems clear. An unintegrated line scripted on the Delaware draft
manuscript—“We
two may end our martyrdom”—is a peculiarly poignant sign of how DGR continued to be
haunted by the memory of his wife.
Textual History: Composition
Composed in 1881, only one manuscript of the poem is known,
the corrected draft in the library of the Delaware
Art Museum.
Printing History
The poem was first printed in the 1881
Ballads
and Sonnets and was collected thereafte
This collection contains 19 texts and images, including:
Ballads and Sonnets text
Scholarly Commentary
Introduction
The poem should be compared with “Insomnia” written at about the same time. Its biographical relevance—a poem shadowed by DGR's memory of his dead wife—seems clear. An unintegrated line scripted on the Delaware draft manuscript—“We two may end our martyrdom”—is a peculiarly poignant sign of how DGR continued to be haunted by the memory of his wife.
Textual History: Composition
Composed in 1881, only one manuscript of the poem is known, the corrected draft in the library of the Delaware Art Museum.
Printing History
The poem was first printed in the 1881 Ballads and Sonnets and was collected thereafte