Morning Prayer

Read 'Morning Prayer' by 'Ella Wheeler Wilcox' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

Morning Prayer by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 Let me to-day do something that shall take
A little sadness from the world’s vast store, 
And may I be so favoured as to make
Of joy’s too scanty sum a little more.
Let me not hurt, by any selfish deed
Or thoughtless word, the heart of foe or friend; 
Nor would I pass, unseeing, worthy need, 
Or sin by silence when I should defend.
However meagre be my worldly wealth, 
Let me give something that shall aid my kind –
A word of courage, or a thought of health, 
Dropped as I pass for troubled hearts to find.
Let me to-night look back across the span
‘Twixt dawn and dark, and to my conscience say –
Because of some good act to beast or man –
“The world is better that I lived today.”

Form: Quatrain Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace