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
adversity dead earth easy flows goes heart life man praises shines smile smiles test worth
It is easy enough to be pleasant, When life flows by like a song. But the man worth while is the one who can smile, when everything goes dead wrong. For the test of the heart is troubled, And it always comes with the years. And the smiles that is worth the praises of earth is the smile that shines through tears.
dumb earth sins though
God! though all other sins on earth persist,Strike dumb the blatant, loud-mouthed atheist.
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.
earth praises shines smile worth
...the smile that is worth the praises of earth Is the smile that shines through tears.
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.
breaks earth endless goes heart learns life rise sad sun
This is the way of it, sad earth over,The heart that breaks is the heart of the lover,And the other learns to forget.For what is the use of endless sorrow?Though the sun goes down, it will rise to-morrow;And life is not over yet.
earth kinds lift people
The two kinds of people on earth that I meanAre the people who lift and the people who lean.
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
followers looks taken tempting turns
Who is the wise? Not he who from the startWith Wisdom's followers has taken part;But he who looks in Folly's tempting eyes,And turns away, perceiving her disguise.
dwells lets proves puts sinews splendid strength strong
Who is the strong? Not he who puts to testHis sinews with the strong and proves the best;But he who dwells where weaklings congregate,And never lets his splendid strength abate.
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.
learn men
Live to learn, and learn to liveIf you want to give men knowledgeYou must get, ere you give.
creative force great majesty might universe
When the great universe was wroughtTo might and majesty from naught,The all creative force was -THOUGHT.