Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, OF WHAT IS LIFE?, by KARL E. MUNDT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OF WHAT IS LIFE?, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: It isn't the kind of work you do
Last Line: "I can say, ""it was good to live."
Subject(s): Happiness; Life; Joy; Delight


It isn't the kind of work you do
Or the size of the check you draw,
Nor is it the crowd that follows you,
Or speaks of your name in awe.

It's none of these things nor all combined
Which makes for a life sublime,
And it isn't the goal nor the path behind
Which rewards men for their time.

The life that really counts the most
And which clearly shows the way,
Is the one of which a man may boast,
"I live happily every day."

If hard work brings this happiness,
If it's family life, or ease,
It matters not what he may possess,
He has what the crowd can't seize.

The man whose fort is happiness
Is rich beyond fame or gold,
No other reward can well express
The pay for a life grown old.

The rich may live in houses large
The famous may head parades,
But to earn such honor they pay a charge
Which the obscure man evades.

Oh, give me a life that's free from woe,
I'm willing to struggle and give,
If when it's over, I'll only know—
I can say, "It was good to live."





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net