Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BENEFACTION, by EFFIE WALLER SMITH Poet's Biography First Line: If thou the lives of men wouldst bless Last Line: For him who treads it after thee. Subject(s): Grief; Life; Sorrow; Sadness | ||||||||
If thou the lives of men wouldst bless, live thine own life in faithfulness; Thine own hard task, if made complete, Shall render others' toil more sweet; Thy grief, if bravely thou endure, Shall give men's sorrow solace sure; Thy peril, if met undismayed, Shall make the fearful less afraid. Each step in right paths firmly trod Shall break some thorn or crush some clod, Making the way more smooth and free For him who treads it after thee. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONOMA FIRE by JANE HIRSHFIELD AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS by JOHN HOLLANDER WHAT GREAT GRIEF HAS MADE THE EMPRESS MUTE by JUNE JORDAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 19 by JAMES JOYCE DIRGE AT THE END OF THE WOODS by LEONIE ADAMS A GOOD-BYE by EFFIE WALLER SMITH |
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