"Solitude" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850—1919)

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.

The poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox, was born in Johnstown Center, Wisconsin (1850), who claimed that she was a descendant of the Indian princess Pocahontas. One of the most popular and best known poets of her day, her most famous work is her poem "Solitude," which begins with the lines, "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." She was a prolific writer who produced at least two poems every day. She was a lifelong optimist, which, she said, helped her through her most trying times.