Living
Life Is Jolly
From Foliage (1913)
This life is jolly, O!
I envy no man's lot;
My eyes can much admire,
And still my heart crave not;
There's no true joy in gold,
It breeds desire for more;
Whatever wealth man has,
Desire can keep him poor.
This life is jolly, O!
Power has his fawning slaves,
But if he rests his mind,
Those wretches turn bold knaves.
Fame's field is full of flowers,
It dazzles as we pass,
But men who walk that field
Starve for the common grass.
This life is jolly, O!
Let others know they die,
Enough to know I live,
And make no question why;
I care not whence I came,
Nor whither I shall go;
Let others think of these--
This life is jolly, O!
Codex Note
A refrain-poem: 'This life is jolly, O!' The speaker envies no man, prizes neither gold, power nor fame, and ends: 'Enough to know I live, and make no question why.'
Cite this poem
MLA
Davies, W. H. “Life Is Jolly.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/davies_wh/22/.
Chicago
Davies, W. H. “Life Is Jolly.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/davies_wh/22/.
Read this poem with the Codex →