Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

About Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. Ella was born on November 5, 1850 to a poor farm family in Wisconsin. The youngest of four children, her mother was fond of literature and encouraged her to develop a love for reading and writing.

Wilcox's first poem was written when she was 8 years old, and by the age of 14, she was published. Before graduating high school, Wilcox was known as a poet by those who lived in Wisconsin.

Her most famous poem was "Solitude," which contains the lines: "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone." It was inspired by a woman she came in contact with while traveling to the Governor's inaugural ball. It was published by the New York Sun on February 25, 1883, and she received $5 for it.

During her life, Wilcox received many rejection letters before a publisher gave her books of poetry a chance. Despite these rejections, Wilcox remained very optimistic. Her best-known poetry book was Poems of Passion (1883).

Many of the subjects Wilcox wrote about included theosophy, new thought, and spiritualism. She believed in reincarnation, which was a source of her optimism. Her goal was to lift people's spirits with her writing.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox died of cancer on October 30, 1919.

References

crcsite.org

    Poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

  • The End Of The Summer

    Famous Poem

    in Famous Nature Poems

    The birds laugh loud and long together
    When Fashion's followers speed away
    At the first cool breath of autumn weather.
    Why, this is the time, cry the birds, to stay!

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    • Stories 0
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    • Votes 11
    • Rating 4.36
  • Our Blessings

    Famous Poem

    in Famous Nature Poems

    Sitting to-day in the sunshine
    That touched me with fingers of love,
    I thought of the manifold blessings
    God scatters on earth, from above;

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    • Stories 0
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    • Favorited 3
    • Votes 31
    • Rating 4.29
  • The Two Kinds Of People

    Famous Poem

    in Famous Friendship Poems

    There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
    Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

    Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood,

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    • Stories 0
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    • Votes 22
    • Rating 4.36
  • The Year

    Famous Poem

    in Famous Holiday Poems

    What can be said in New Year rhymes,
    That’s not been said a thousand times?

    The new years come, the old years go,

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 3154
    • Favorited 12
    • Votes 369
    • Rating 4.38
  • It Might Have Been

    Famous Poem

    in Famous Inspirational Poems

    We will be what we could be. Do not say,
    "It might have been, had not or that, or this."
    No fate can keep us from the chosen way;
    He only might who is.

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 1452
    • Favorited 35
    • Votes 224
    • Rating 4.10


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