'Lydia is gone this many a year' Summary

The poem 'Lydia is gone this many a year' by Lizette Woodworth Reese is an elegy that explores the themes of grief, loss, and the passage of time. The speaker of the poem is mourning the loss of a loved one named Lydia, and the poem charts the speaker's journey through the stages of grief. The poem begins with the speaker expressing a sense of disbelief and shock at Lydia's passing, and gradually moves through the stages of anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. The poem is written in a free verse style, and uses vivid imagery and sensory language to create a powerful and moving meditation on the experience of loss.