Simplicity

Read 'Simplicity' by 'Robert William Service' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

Simplicity by Robert William Service

 What I seek far yet seldom find
Is large simplicity of mind
 In fellow men;
For I have sprouted from the sod,
Like Bobbie Burns, my earthly god,
 --From plough to pen.

So I refuse my brain to vex
With problems prosy and complex,
 Beyond my scope;
To me simplicity is peace,
So I persue it without cease,
 And growing hope.

"The world is too much with us," wrote
Wise Wordsworth, whom I love to quote,
 When rhymes are coy;
And simple is the world I see,
With bud and bloom and brook and tree
 To give me joy.

So blissfully I slip away
From brazen and dynamic day
 To dingle cool . . .
Now tell me friend, if in your eyes,
By being simple I am wise,--
 Or just a fool?

Form: Lyric 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