WE never said farewell, nor even looked Our last upon each other, for no sign Was made when we the linkèd chain unhooked And broke the level line.
And here we dwell together, side by side, Our places fixed for life upon the chart. Two islands that the roaring seas divide Are not more far apart.
Mary Elizabeth Coleridge was a British poet and novelist, active during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras, and a descendant of the literary Coleridge line. She published several novels, including her first, 'The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus', but gained posthumous recognition as a poet. Her poetry, often signed with the pseudonym Anodos, is characterized by dreamlike imagery, a haunting lyricism, and a preoccupation with duality, mirrors, and the subconscious. Themes of feminine identity and inner conflict recur, set within medievally-tinged or mystical landscapes. Her work reflects the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites and the Aesthetic movement, blending romanticism with psychological depth. A collection titled 'Fancy's Following' appeared in 1896, but it was the posthumous 'Poems' (1908), edited by Henry Newbolt, that established her reputation. Well-known poems include 'The Other Side of a Mirror' and 'The Witch', which exemplify her gift for unsettling, resonant lyricism. Beyond poetry, she earned a living as a teacher and was a central figure in a lively intellectual circle. Today she is remembered as a distinctive voice bridging Victorian sentiment and modernist introspection.
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