Analysis of Whatever Is - Is Best

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



I know as my life grows older,
 And mine eyes have clearer sight,
That under each rank of wrong, somewhere
 There lies the root of right;
That each sorrow has its purpose,
 By the sorrowing oft unguessed,
But as sure as the sun brings morning,
 Whatever is – is best.

I know that each sinful action,
 As sure as the night brings shade,
Is somewhere, sometime punished,
 Though the hour be long delayed.
I know that the soul is sided
 Sometimes by the heart’s unrest,
And to grow means often to suffer –
 But whatever is – is best.

I know there are no errors
 In the great Eternal plan,
And all things work together
 For the final good of man.
And I know as my soul speeds onward,
 In its grand Eternal quest,
I shall say as I look back earthward,
 Whatever is – is best.


Scheme abxbxbxC xdxdxcac xeaexcbC
Poetic Form
Metre 11111110 0111101 11011111 110111 11101110 10111 111101110 10111 11111010 1110111 11110 10101101 11101110 0110101 011110110 110111 1111110 0010101 0111010 1010111 011111110 0110101 11111111 10111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 779
Words 149
Sentences 6
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 195
Words per stanza (avg) 49
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 07, 2023

44 sec read
141

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

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