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.
wow. I am definitely going to print out this poem and read it a few more times. Depression feels (lol). It’s so real. Everyone wants you happy and positive all the time (good vibes only
-_-)but don’t know how to just be there when you have a moment of vulnerability as the humans that we are bound to have all these messy emotions.
I love the way the poem uses the earth and nature to express these sad feelings, it’s like we/everything is so connected.
I am so happy you enjoyed the poem Christy!!! I chose this poem since I find its words to be 100% true for what I have experienced in life (for the most part, there are always exceptions!) I also think it calls on us to try and be our best/authentic/caring selves, at least that is my takeaway!