Poetry & Analysis
Selected Poems
Inspirational PoemsThe Sluggard
’Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain,
“You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again.”
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.
“A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;”
Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number,
And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.
I passed by his garden, and saw the wild brier,
The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher;
The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags;
And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find
That he took better care for improving his mind;
He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking;
But he scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.
Said I then to my heart, “Here’s a lesson for me;
This man’s but a picture of what I might be;
But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding,
Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.”
Overview Short Summary
Watts describes a lazy man whose garden, clothes, money, and mind all decline. The speaker turns the example into a warning for himself.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Laziness: Neglected time leads to neglected life.
- Self-improvement: Reading, work, and care shape character.
- Learning by example: The sluggard becomes a living lesson.
Practical Wisdom Life Lesson
The poem teaches that bad habits may seem small at first, but they slowly damage a whole life.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is cautionary and moral. The mood is simple enough for students but serious in its warning.
Let Dogs Delight to Bark and Bite
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For ’tis their nature too.
But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other’s eyes.
Let love through all your actions run,
And all your words be mild;
Live like the blessed Virgin’s Son,
That sweet and lovely child.
His soul was gentle as a lamb;
And as His stature grew,
He grew in favour both with man,
And God his Father too.
Overview Short Summary
Watts contrasts animal fighting with the gentleness expected of children. The poem teaches kindness, self-control, and peaceful behavior.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Self-control: Anger should not rule action.
- Kindness: Words and behavior should be mild.
- Moral growth: Gentleness is treated as a sign of maturity.
Practical Wisdom Life Lesson
The poem teaches that being human means rising above the impulse to hurt others.
My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is
My mind to me a kingdom is;
Such perfect joy therein I find
That it excels all other bliss
That world affords or grows by kind.
Though much I want which most men have,
Yet still my mind forbids to crave.
Content I live; this is my stay,—
I seek no more than may suffice.
I press to bear no haughty sway;
Look, what I lack my mind supplies.
Lo, thus I triumph like a king,
Content with that my mind doth bring.
I see how plenty surfeits oft,
And hasty climbers soon do fall;
I see that such as sit aloft
Mishap doth threaten most of all.
These get with toil, they keep with fear;
Such cares my mind could never bear.
No princely pomp, nor wealthy store,
No force to win a victory,
No wily wit to salve a sore,
No shape to feed a loving eye;
To none of these I yield as thrall:
For why, my mind despiseth all.
Overview Short Summary
This poem presents contentment as inner wealth. The speaker does not need status, riches, or power because his own mind gives him peace.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Contentment: Inner peace is better than restless craving.
- Self-mastery: The mind can resist envy and greed.
- Wisdom: High ambition often brings fear and instability.
Practical Wisdom Life Lesson
The poem teaches that a person can be inwardly rich even without outward luxury.
Attribution Source Note
This older poem has attribution variants in some editions. The source used here identifies Edward de Vere while noting historical attribution differences.
To a Mouse
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’ bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,
Wi’ murdering pattle!
I’m truly sorry man’s dominion
Has broken Nature’s social union,
An’ justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion,
An’ fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave
’S a sma’ request:
I’ll get a blessin wi’ the lave,
An’ never miss’t!
Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
Its silly wa’s the win’s are strewin!
An’ naething, now, to big a new ane,
O’ foggage green!
An’ bleak December’s winds ensuin,
Baith snell an’ keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste,
An’ weary winter comin fast,
An’ cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro’ thy cell.
That wee bit heap o’ leaves an’ stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou’s turned out, for a’ thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter’s sleety dribble,
An’ cranreuch cauld!
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promised joy.
Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e’e,
On prospects drear!
An’ forward, though I canna see,
I guess an’ fear!
Overview Short Summary
Burns speaks tenderly to a mouse whose nest has been destroyed by the plough. The poem becomes a lesson about vulnerability, planning, and compassion.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Compassion: The speaker sees the mouse as a “fellow-mortal.”
- Uncertainty: Even careful plans can fail.
- Humility: Humans are not as secure as they think.
Practical Wisdom Life Lesson
The poem teaches that life does not always follow our plans, so compassion and humility matter.
Reader Help Language Note
The poem is written in Scots. Its famous lesson is that even the best plans of mice and men often go wrong.
To a Louse
Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly;
I canna say but ye strunt rarely,
Owre gauze and lace;
Tho’, faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunned by saunt an’ sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her,
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.
Swith! in some beggar’s haffet squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,
Wi’ ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne’er dare unsettle
Your thick plantations.
Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight,
Below the fatt’rels, snug and tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye’ll no be right,
Till ye’ve got on it,
The very topmost, towering height
O’ Miss’s bonnet.
My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump and grey as ony grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I’d gie you sic a hearty dose o’t,
Wad dress your droddum!
I wad na been surprised to spy
You on an auld wife’s flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On’s wyliecoat;
But Miss’s fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do’t?
O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An’ set your beauties a’ abread!
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie’s makin:
Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin!
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion:
What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,
And ev’n devotion!
Overview Short Summary
Burns notices a louse on a fashionable woman’s bonnet and turns the comic scene into a lesson about self-awareness.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Self-knowledge: We often do not see ourselves clearly.
- Pride: Appearance can hide embarrassing truth.
- Humility: Seeing ourselves as others see us would correct many mistakes.
Practical Wisdom Life Lesson
The poem teaches that humility grows when we understand how limited our own self-image can be.
Reader Help Language Note
This poem is written in Scots. The final stanza gives its central lesson: seeing ourselves from another person’s view can free us from foolish pride.
Reader Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best poems about life lessons?
Some of the best classic poems about life lessons include “A Poison Tree,” “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” “Ozymandias,” “The Tables Turned,” “Fable,” “To a Mouse,” and “Against Idleness and Mischief.” Each poem teaches a clear lesson about anger, perspective, pride, learning, humility, planning, or good habits.
What is a life lesson poem?
A life lesson poem is a poem that teaches practical or moral wisdom through story, image, reflection, or character. It may teach about kindness, choices, time, patience, mistakes, pride, courage, work, or self-awareness.
Which poems about life lessons are good for students?
Good poems about life lessons for students include “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” “Fable,” “Against Idleness and Mischief,” “The Sluggard,” “Let Dogs Delight to Bark and Bite,” and “The Tables Turned.” These poems are clear, memorable, and useful for classroom explanation.
Are these poems public domain?
The poems included here are classic older works selected from public-domain sources. Modern poems and copyright-unclear internet poems were avoided to keep the article safe for publication.
What themes appear in poems about life lessons?
Common themes include wisdom, humility, anger, kindness, hard work, contentment, time, mortality, self-awareness, learning from mistakes, and the consequences of pride or poor choices.
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