Solitude - the Poem

I want to share a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. This poem explores the extremes of human connection and makes a case for how the world embraces you when life is good but runs the other way when facing sadness or experiencing suffering.

When I read it, so many of the lines resonated with me . I’ve known the companionship of others on the good days along with the loneliness when the storm comes in. As you read the poem, let the words speak to you.

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.*

— Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Final Thought

As I read this poem, I resonate with so much of it and the contrasting reactions people often have. However, I don’t want these words to be the end of the story. I’ve witnessed some very different reactions to pain and suffering. I’m so grateful for the people who sat with me on my darkest days. I also choose when able to practice empathy and come alongside those who grieve and hurt.

The poem was inspired by Wilcox's encounter with a weeping woman on a train who was grieving and in deep sorrow. May we feel what people feel and hold out hope that things can be different as we let our light shine in this sometimes dark world.

*Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45937/solitude-56d225aad9924