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
lies life unfinished work
Think your life was made for dreaming, nothing more,When God's work lies all unfinished at your door?
borrow earth laugh laughs sad trouble weep
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
dumb earth sins though
God! though all other sins on earth persist,Strike dumb the blatant, loud-mouthed atheist.
pass square task whatever
Whatever the task that comes your way,Just take it as part of your luck.Look it right square in the eyes, and say,""This is MY task, I'll do it to-day"":Don't pass the buck.
grace lent looking menial
Such menial duties; but her wayOf looking at them lent a graceTo things the world deemed commonplace.
learn love unwritten
Look in; and learn the wrong, and right,From your own soul's unwritten laws.And when you question, or demur,Let Love be your Interpreter.
life mortal wakes
If there be mortal without love,He wakes to no new life above.
attainment direction hinder seeking skill willing work
If you are seeking health, wealth, usefulness, skill in any direction, there is nothing and no one who can hinder your attainment of the coveted boon, if you are willing to work and wait.
god great immortal life miracles toward
But to the tireless toiler toward the goal,Shall the great miracles of God be knownAnd life revealed, immortal and divine.
cruel ease help pain salt sweet tears
If I could only weep,I think sweet help with my salt tears would come,To ease the cruel pain that is so dumb,And will not let me sleep.
moments till wasted work zeal
If you work with zeal and ardor till the night,You can only make the wasted moments right.
eternal final good great work
I know there are no errors,In the great Eternal plan,And all things work togetherFor the final good of man.
grow means soul suffer whatever
I know that the soul is aidedSometimes by the heart's unrest,And to grow means often to suffer --But whatever is--is best.
dark gain learn path
All in the dark we grope along,And if we go amissWe learn at least which path is wrong,And there is gain in this.