Ella Wilcox
Ella Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcoxwas an American author and poet. Her best-known work was Poems of Passion. Her most enduring work was "Solitude", which contains the lines, "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone". Her autobiography, The Worlds and I, was published in 1918, a year before her death...
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth5 November 1850
earth praises shines smile worth
...the smile that is worth the praises of earth Is the smile that shines through tears.
best chaos discontent god man progress splendid springs
The splendid discontent of God With Chaos, made the world; And from the discontent of man The world's best progress springs
alight along bears bosom church float lamp love million pointing soul though thousand
The world has a thousand creeds, and never a one have I;Not a church of my own, though a million spires are pointing the way on high.But I float on the bosom of faith, that bears me along like a river;And the lamp of my soul is alight with love for life, and the world, and the Giver.
cannot dam fail knows river seeking
The river seeking for the seaConfronts the dam and precipice,Yet knows it cannot fail or miss;You will be what you will to be!
alone below dead dream earth fear full god great heaven judgement nobody seemed sky space view
Conversation"God and I in space alone . . .and nobody else in view . . ."And where are all the people,Oh Lord" I said, "the earth below and the sky overheadand the dead that I once knew?""That was a dream," God smiledand said: "The dream that seemed tobe true; there were no peopleliving or dead; there was no earth, and no sky overhead,there was only myself in you.""Why do I feel no fear?" I asked,"meeting you here in this way?For I have sinned, I know full welland is there heaven and is there hell,and is this Judgement Day?""Nay, those were but dreams" the Great God said, "dreams that have ceased to be.There are no such things as fear and sin;there is no you . . . you never have been.There is nothing at all but me.
action earnest fool great inaction purpose slightest soul whose win
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves.Let the fool prate of luck. The fortunateIs he whose earnest purpose never swerves,Whose slightest action or inaction servesThe one great aim.
goes halls
Feast, and your halls are crowded; Fast, and the world goes by
best brown dust far hidden house love sly sounds wonder
Far from the city's dust and heat,I get but sounds and odors sweet.Who can wonder I love to stay,Week after week, here hidden away,In this sly nook that I love the best --This little brown house like a ground-bird's nest?
breaks fear heart sworn twin
Fear is the twin of Faith's sworn foe, Distrust.If one breaks in your heart the other must.
body human
Body and mind, and spirit, all combineTo make the Creature, human and divine.
lips seal silence
BE STILL: Be stiller yet; and listen. Set the screenOf silence at the portal of your will.Relax, and let the world go by unheard.And seal your lips with some all-sacred word.
delay gods impatient ready rises spirit wait
Be not impatient in delay,But wait as one who understands;When spirit rises and commands,The gods are ready to obey.
chain continued earth endless finite heaven left link love missing
Between the finite and the infiniteThe missing link of Love has left a void.Supply the link, and earth with Heaven will joinIn one continued chain of endless life.
found happiness love spirit
So much of love her spirit had,She found an ever-flowing springOf happiness in everything.