Village Mystery

Read 'Village Mystery' by 'Elinor Wylie' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

Village Mystery by Elinor Wylie

 The woman in the pointed hood 
And cloak blue-gray like a pigeon's wing, 
Whose orchard climbs to the balsam-wood, 
Has done a cruel thing.

To her back door-step came a ghost, 
A girl who had been ten years dead, 
She stood by the granite hitching-post 
And begged for a piece of bread.

Now why should I, who walk alone, 
Who am ironical and proud, 
Turn, when a woman casts a stone 
At a beggar in a shroud?

I saw the dead girl cringe and whine, 
And cower in the weeping air-- 
But, oh, she was no kin of mine, 
And so I did not care!

Form: Ballad Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace