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Time And Love
Time And Love by Ella Wheeler Wilcox reflects on two powerful forces in our lives. Time continues to move forward, changing our circumstances, our seasons, and even ourselves, while love can remain long after so much else has changed.
Wilcox does not present love as something that is always easy or joyful. She recognizes that love can begin sweetly yet become painful as the years pass. Still, through changing tasks, dreams, and seasons, its presence can be difficult to leave behind.
The final stanza gives the poem an especially thoughtful ending. If love has lost its joy and only regret remains, Wilcox asks that time carry that love away as well. Her words remind us that while lasting love can be precious, there may also be a time when letting go allows us to move forward.
Updated September 16, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
Time And Love
Poet: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Time flies. The swift hours hurry by
And speed us on to untried ways;
New seasons ripen, perish, die,
And yet love stays.
The old, old love — like sweet at first,
At last like bitter wine —
I know not if it blest or curst,
Thy life and mine.
Time flies. In vain our prayers, our tears,
We cannot tempt him to delays;
Down to the past he bears the years,
And yet love stays.
Through changing task and varying dream
We hear the same refrain,
As one can hear a plaintive theme
Run through each strain.
Time flies. He steals our pulsing youth,
He robs us of our care- free days,
He takes away our trust and truth,
And yet love stays.
O Time! take love! When love is vain,
When all its best joys die —
When only its regrets remain —
Let love, too, fly.
Key Reflections In This Poem
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Time Continues To Move Forward
Wilcox reminds us that time does not stop, no matter how much we may wish it would. Seasons change, years pass, and life continually carries us into new experiences.
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Love Can Remain Through Life's Changes
While time changes many things, love can continue to stay with us. Memories, feelings, and connections may remain even when circumstances and seasons of life have changed.
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Love Can Be Both Sweet And Painful
The poem recognizes that love is not always simple. What begins with happiness can sometimes become difficult, leaving us with feelings that are both precious and painful.
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There Can Be A Time To Let Go
In the final stanza, Wilcox asks time to carry love away when its joy has disappeared and only regret remains. Her words suggest that holding on is not always the answer and that sometimes moving forward requires letting go.
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Conclusion
Time And Love reminds us that life never stands still. Years pass, circumstances change, and we move through seasons that can bring both happiness and sorrow. Yet feelings of love can remain long after other parts of life have changed.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox also reminds us that enduring love is not always the same as joyful love. When love continues to enrich our lives, it is something to treasure. But when only pain and regret remain, her closing words encourage us to recognize that there may also be a time to release the past and move forward.
Wilcox's poetry often reflects on love, life, time, and the emotions that shape our experiences. Her words continue to speak to readers because they acknowledge both the joys and the difficulties that are part of loving and living.
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