Solitude
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the
sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of its
own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The
echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice,
and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full
measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and
your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to
decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's
gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes
by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you
die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly
train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of
pain.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox grew up in Wisconsin as the youngest of four siblings. She showed a great interest in poetry as a child and only gained recognition with time. Her poetry is usually centered around optimism, however, she her work is sometimes criticized for her style.
Words such as laugh, joyful, pleasure, succeed, and words like weep, alone, grieve, and pain send the reader the idea that this poet is trying to convey optimism versus pessimism. Personally, I think the speaker of the poem recognizes that good thing happen when you stay positive, while the opposite is true for those who make the worst of every situation. The form of the poem allows for a smooth, balanced rhythm, which makes it easier to comprehend.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the
sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of its
own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The
echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice,
and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full
measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and
your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to
decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's
gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes
by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you
die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly
train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of
pain.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox grew up in Wisconsin as the youngest of four siblings. She showed a great interest in poetry as a child and only gained recognition with time. Her poetry is usually centered around optimism, however, she her work is sometimes criticized for her style.
Words such as laugh, joyful, pleasure, succeed, and words like weep, alone, grieve, and pain send the reader the idea that this poet is trying to convey optimism versus pessimism. Personally, I think the speaker of the poem recognizes that good thing happen when you stay positive, while the opposite is true for those who make the worst of every situation. The form of the poem allows for a smooth, balanced rhythm, which makes it easier to comprehend.