BE manly, lad—your folks have made Their way by work and waiting, Be manly, lad—a spade's a spade Though it hath a silver plating. For all must work or all must steal— What's idleness but stealing? To each will come his woe and weal His weak or strong revealing. And work makes brains, but error's chains Are forged in fashion's idleness! Be honest, lad—you weaker grow From gain that's falsely gotten. Be honest, lad—what's outward show When all within is rotten? For each must live or each must die— What's honor lost, but dying? To live with Truth and you a lie!— Was ever death more trying? And Truth makes men—but falsehood's den Is the home of dwarfs and pigmies! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WORLD AS WILL AND REPRESENTATION' by HAYDEN CARRUTH TO KNOW IN REVERIE THE ONLY PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE ABSOLUTE by HAYDEN CARRUTH EXPLICATION OF AN IMAGINARY TEXT by JAMES GALVIN LET ME NOT HATE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON THE GOLDEN WEDDING OF STERLING AND SARAH LANIER by SIDNEY LANIER |