Poetry & Analysis
Selected Poems
Inspirational PoemsBe Strong
Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle—face it; ’tis God’s gift.
Be strong!
Say not, “The days are evil. Who’s to blame?”
And fold the hands and acquiesce—oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God’s name.
Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not—fight on! To-morrow comes the song.
Overview Short Summary
The poem urges readers to meet difficulty directly instead of drifting or blaming. It is a compact poem about courage, effort, and moral action.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Courage: The repeated command calls for strength in struggle.
- Responsibility: The speaker rejects passivity and blame.
- Perseverance: The final line promises that continued effort can lead to song.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is urgent and commanding, creating a mood of active bravery.
Craft Literary Devices
- Repetition: “Be strong!” structures the poem as a repeated call to action.
- Metaphor: Battle and song represent struggle and eventual hope.
Worth While
It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with the years,
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through tears.
It is easy enough to be prudent
When nothing tempts you to stray,
When without or within no voice of sin
Is luring your soul away;
But it’s only a negative virtue
Until it is tried by fire,
And the life that is worth the honour on earth
Is the one that resists desire.
By the cynic, the sad, the fallen,
Who had no strength for the strife,
The world’s highway is cumbered to-day—
They make up the sum of life.
But the virtue that conquers passion,
And the sorrow that hides in a smile—
It is these that are worth the homage on earth,
For we find them but once in a while.
Overview Short Summary
The poem argues that true character appears during difficulty, temptation, and sorrow. A person is “worth while” when virtue survives testing.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Tested virtue: Goodness matters most when it faces trouble.
- Self-control: The poem values resisting desire.
- Resilience: The smile through tears becomes a sign of strength.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is moral and encouraging, with a mood of mature realism.
Craft Literary Devices
- Contrast: Easy pleasantness is contrasted with strength under pressure.
- Metaphor: Virtue is tried by fire, suggesting purification through trial.
Solitude
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.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air;
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go;
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all,—
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life’s gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a large and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Overview Short Summary
The poem reflects on joy, sorrow, social approval, and loneliness. It offers a realistic view of emotional strength: some parts of suffering must be faced alone.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Emotional resilience: The poem recognizes that pain often requires private endurance.
- Human nature: People gather around joy but often avoid sorrow.
- Self-knowledge: The speaker teaches readers not to depend entirely on public sympathy.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is realistic and somber, creating a mood of sober reflection.
Craft Literary Devices
- Antithesis: Laugh/weep, sing/sigh, feast/fast create strong contrasts.
- Repetition: Balanced pairs make the poem memorable and proverbial.
The Winds of Fate
One ship drives east and another drives west,
With the self-same winds that blow,
‘Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
That tell them the way to go.
Like the winds of the sea are the winds of fate,
As we voyage along through life,
‘Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal
And not the calm or the strife.
Overview Short Summary
The poem compares life to sailing and argues that direction depends less on circumstances than on the set of the soul. It is a short poem about personal responsibility and inner orientation.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Personal responsibility: The soul’s direction matters more than external winds.
- Choice: Different ships can move in different directions under the same conditions.
- Self-mastery: Character shapes response to fate.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is concise and reflective, with a mood of calm motivation.
Craft Literary Devices
- Extended metaphor: Sailing represents human life and moral direction.
- Parallelism: The two ships show how different choices emerge from similar conditions.
For A' That and A' That
Is there, for honest poverty,
That hangs his head, and a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that;
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Our toils obscure, and a’ that;
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that!
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, and a’ that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man’s a man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, and a’ that;
The honest man, though e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, and a’ that;
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
His riband, star, and a’ that;
The man of independent mind
He looks and laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and a’ that;
But an honest man’s aboon his might,
Guid faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their dignities, and a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, and pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a’ that,
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, and a’ that;
For a’ that, and a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That man to man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.
Overview Short Summary
The poem argues that rank, wealth, and titles are less important than honesty, sense, worth, and human brotherhood. It is a strong character poem about dignity and moral equality.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Integrity: The honest person is valued above rank.
- Dignity: Poverty does not lessen human worth.
- Equality: The final stanza imagines a world of brotherhood.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is bold and democratic, creating a mood of proud moral confidence.
Craft Literary Devices
- Refrain: “For a’ that” reinforces the rejection of false status.
- Contrast: Titles and wealth are contrasted with honest worth.
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