Poems List

Explore poems from our collection

Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Go Plant a Tree

Go Plant a Tree

God, what a joy it is to plant a tree,
And from the sallow earth to watch it rise,
Lifting its emerald branches to the skies

492
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

God's Work

God's Work

To J. J. H., Of Kentucky

Gathering brands from the burning,
Plucking them out of the fire,
Lifting the sheep that have…

335
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

From the Grave

From the Grave

When the first sere leaves of the year were falling,
I heard, with a heart that was strangely thrilled,
Out of the grave of a dead…

494
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Friendship

Friendship


Dear friend, I pray thee, if thou wouldst be proving
Thy strong regard for me,
Make me no vows. Lip-service is not loving;

439
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Forward

Forward


Let me look always forward. Never back.
Was I not formed for progress? Otherwise
With onward pointing feet and searching eyes

468
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Foes

Foes


Thank Fate for foes! I hold mine dear
As valued friends. He cannot know
The zest of life who runneth here
His earthly race w…

451
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Five Little Toes At Night

Five Little Toes At Night

This little toe is tired,
This little toe needs rocking,
This little toe is sleepy you know,
But this little to…

384
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Fleeing Away

Fleeing Away

My thoughts soar not as they ought to soar,
Higher and higher on soul-lent wings;
But ever and often and more and more
They …

424
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Finis

Finis


An idle rhyme of the summer time,
Sweet, and solemn, and tender;

Fair with the haze of the moon's pale rays,
Bright…

369
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Fame

Fame


If I should die, to-day,
To-morrow, maybe, the world would see
Would waken from sleep, and say,
"Why here was talent! why he…

492
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Fading*

Fading*


She sits beside the window. All who pass
Turn once again to gaze on her sweet face.
She is so fair; but soon, too soon, alas,

407
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ernestness

Ernestness


The hurry of the times affects us so
In this swift rushing hour, we crowd and press
And thrust each other backward as we go, <…

455
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Dream Town

Dream Town

Now who is ready to go with me
Off and away to dream town?
Oh, such a journey as that will be,
All dressed in a snow white gow…

412
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Earthly Pride

Earthly Pride

How baseless is the mightiest earthly pride,
The diamond is but charcoal purified,
The lordliest pearl that decks a monarch’s breas…

478
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Don't Tease The Lion

Don't Tease The Lion

If you saw a lion
Not within a cage,
Would you tease and fret him
Till he roared in rage?
Would you tempt hi…

397
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Does It Pay?

Does It Pay?

If one poor burdened toiler o’er life’s road,
Who meets us by the way,

Goes on less conscious of his galling load,
T…

306
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Desolation

Desolation


I think that the bitterest sorrow or pain
Of love unrequited, or cold death’s woe,
Is sweet, compared to that hour when we kno…

475
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Dell And I

Dell And I

In a mansion grand, just over the way,
Lives bonny, beautiful Dell;
You may have heard of this lady gay,
For she is a famous b…

424
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Death Of Labour

Death Of Labour

Methought a great wind swept across the earth,
And all the toilers perished. Then I saw
Pale terror blanch the rosy face of mirth…

365
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Daft

Daft


In the warm yellow smile of the morning,
She stands at the lattice pane,
And watches the strong young binders
Stride down to…

426
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Curious Story

Curious Story

I heard such a curious story
Of Santa Claus. Once, so they say,
He set out to find what people were kind,
Before he took pr…

413
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Courage

Courage


There is a courage, a majestic thing
That springs forth from the brow of pain, full-grown,
Minerva-like, and dares all dangers kn…

412
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Conversion

Conversion


When this world's pleasures for my soul sufficed,
Ere my heart's plummet sounded depths of pain,
I call on Reason to control m…

296
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Contentment

Contentment


If any line that I ever penned,
Or any word I have spoken,
Has comforted heart of foe or friend In
any way, why my li…

433