Social Commentaries

Little Cell

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860–1935

From In This Our World (1893; 5th ed. 1914)

Social Commentaries

Little Cell! Little Cell! with a heart as big as heaven,
Remember that you are but a part!
This great longing in your soul
Is the longing of the whole,
And your work is not done with your heart!

Don’t imagine, Little Cell,
That the work you do so well
Is the only work the world needs to do!
You are wanted in your place
For the growing of the race,
But the growing does not all depend on you!

Little Cell! Little Cell! with a race’s whole ambition,
Remember there are others growing, too!
You’ve been noble, you’ve been strong;
Rest a while and come along;
Let the world take a turn and carry you!

MLA

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “Little Cell.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/gilman/19/.

Chicago

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “Little Cell.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/gilman/19/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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