Love Thyself Last
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
Love thyself last. Look near, behold thy duty
To those who walk beside thee down life’s road;
Make glad their days by little acts of beauty,
And help them bear the burden of earth’s load.
Love thyself last. Look far and find the stranger,
Who staggers ‘neath his sin and his despair;
Go lend a hand, and lead him out of danger,
To heights where he may see the world is fair.
Love thyself last. The vastnesses above thee
Are filled with Spirit Forces, strong and pure.
And fervently, these faithful friends shall love thee:
Keep thou thy watch o’er others, and endure.
Love thyself last; and oh, such joy shall thrill thee,
As never yet to selfish souls was given.
Whate’er thy lot, a perfect peace will fill thee,
And earth shall seem the ante-room of Heaven.
Love thyself last, and thou shall grow in spirit
To see, to hear, to know, and understand.
The message of the stars, lo, thou shall hear it,
And all God’s joys shall be at thy command.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 07, 2023
- 52 sec read
- 119 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD AEAE AFAF XGXG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 967 |
Words | 176 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Love Thyself Last" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10699/love-thyself-last>.
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