
This bright collection of verse invites listeners into a world where art and imagination rise like mountains toward the divine. The opening poem follows a pilgrimage across a mystic borderland, honoring creators as “genius‑crowned aristocrats” while the speaker offers a simple song amid vivid hills, rainbows, and the music of chisels and pens. Its tone is encouraging, urging courage in the act of creation.
Later poems turn that optimism toward everyday virtues, showing how a steady smile in hardship and a disciplined heart shape a life worth living. A standout piece uses a metaphorical house with rooms named Hope, Dreams, Pleasure, Duty, and Love, guiding the listener through a symbolic tour that ends with the key finally unlocking Happiness. The verses blend moral counsel with lyrical flair, feeling like a friendly conversation rather than a sermon.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (94K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2002-05-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1850–1919
Best known for the hugely popular poem “Solitude,” this American writer reached a wide audience with direct, emotional verse about love, loss, hope, and self-belief. Her work was often dismissed by critics but embraced by readers, helping make her one of the most widely read poets of her era.
View all books
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox