|
|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SOLITUDE, by ELLA WHEELER WILCOX Recitation Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography
First Line: Laugh and the world laughs with you
Last Line: Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Alternate Author Name(s): Wilson, Robert, Mrs.
Variant Title(s): The World As It Is;laughter;companionship;the Way Of The World;life's Magnet
Subject(s): Advice; Aging; Pain; Solitude; Time; Suffering; Misery; Loneliness
First Line: Laugh and the world laughs with you
Last Line: Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Alternate Author Name(s): Wilson, Robert, Mrs.
Variant Title(s): The World As It Is;laughter;companionship;the Way Of The World;life's Magnet
Subject(s): Advice; Aging; Pain; Solitude; Time; Suffering; Misery; Loneliness
Laugh, and the world laughs with you,
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its 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;
For 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.
Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!
Other Poems of Interest...
IN ABEYANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV
IN A VACANT HOUSE by PHILIP LEVINE
SUNDAY ALONE IN A FIFTH FLOOR APARTMENT, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS by WILLIAM MATTHEWS
SILENCE LIKE COOL SAND by PAT MORA