Old Road to Paradise (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Pulitzer-Winning American Lyric Poems of Memory, Devotion, Love, and WomanhoodBy Margaret Widdemer
Length1h 59m
About this audiobook
Margaret Widdemer's *Old Road to Paradise* is a finely wrought collection of poems that moves between domestic lyric, spiritual longing, social sympathy, and romantic retrospection. Its "old road" is both literal and symbolic: a path through memory, moral aspiration, and the fragile consolations of beauty. Written in accessible meters and melodious diction, the volume belongs to the early twentieth-century American lyric tradition, yet it also reflects the era's widening concern with women's experience, labor, and democratic feeling. Widdemer, an American poet and novelist, brought to her verse both literary discipline and a keen awareness of contemporary life. Born in 1884, she wrote during a period when women writers were expanding the emotional and public range of poetry. Her earlier social-protest poem "The Factories" helped establish her reputation, and *Old Road to Paradise*—which shared the 1919 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry—reveals her ability to unite ethical seriousness with songlike grace. This collection is recommended to readers interested in lyrical poetry that is clear, humane, and historically resonant. It offers not modernist difficulty, but a poised and thoughtful music: poetry for those who value feeling disciplined by craft.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
GenrePoetry
Length1 hr 59 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 6, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
44THREE STUDIES FOR A PORTRAIT
2Introduction
45OLD TALES
3Historical Context
46THE GRAY MASK
4Synopsis (Selection)
47THE SEEKER
5THE OLD KINGS
48A LOST COMRADE
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6ST. JEANNE RIDES OUT
49DEPARTURE
7A BALLAD OF THE WISE MEN
50DISCOVERY
8NEXT YEAR
51WOMAN-LORE
9HOMES
52THE UNFOUND CITY
10FATHER PRAYER
53THE DARK CAVALIER
11GOOD-BY, MY LOVER
54TRAVEL PRAYER
12POEM FOR A PICTURE
55HIS MOTHER
13PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
56IN AN OFFICE BUILDING
14THE GRAY MAGICIAN
57GOD'S PLACES
15THE DANCERS
58PEOPLE
16THE GYPSY STAR
59A BOY OF THE GHETTO
17THE FAUN'S SWEETHEART
60LIFE TELLS THE DREAMER
18DREAM-HOUSE
61PRESCIENCE
19GARDEN DREAM
62I TELL MY HEART
20SWAN-CHILD
63FULFILMENT
21CHANGELING
64ONCE I MET HAPPINESS
22SONGS FROM A MASQUE
65DENIAL
23THE WOODFOLK SWEEP THROUGH
66THE MASTERS
24SWANHILD SINGS UNSEEN
67I SAID, "LOVE IS GONE"
25SWANHILD SINGS TO THE KNIGHT
68VAIN HIDING
26UNSPELLED
69"MARY, HELPER OF HEARTBREAK"
27THE SINGING WOOD
70INTERIM
28WHISTLE-FANTASY
71OTHER PEOPLE
29ONCE WHEN WE BOUGHT VALENTINES
72AND IF YOU CAME–
30WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL
73I WAS STILL A CHILD
31THE GARDEN
74PEACE
32OCTOBER
75ONE WORSE THING
33HEART OF YOUTH
76GIVERS
34SONG: I WISH I WERE OLD NOW
77I TOOK HIS DREAMS
35TO YOUTH AFTER PAIN
78CERTAINTIES
36OLD BOOKS
79SONG: KIND ADIEU
37THE WIRES
80I DID NOT KNOW
38WOMEN
81AN AFTERNOON
39EMBROIDERY
82THE WOOD-PATH
40TEA
83WARNING
41DREAM DEATH
84Analysis
42TOYS
85Reflection
43MOTHER-PRAYER
86Memorable Quotes
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