Wise Expression
A good name is much better,
Than any precious ointment;
As the death of a debtor,
Than birth of disappointment.
Better to go in mourning,
Than for going to a feast;
For the end without warning,
Than in the lair of a beast.
Sorrow better than laughter,
With a heart that is made glad;
Than seeing a face after,
Cries that had made them sad.
Because the heart of the wise,
Is in the house of sorrow;
Than any fool with closed eyes,
Without hope for tomorrow.
Better for a man to hear,
Of the rebuke of the wise;
Than any fool insincere,
Talking of a bunch of lies.
Crackling thorns under a pot,
So is laughter from a fool;
When vanity has been sought,
Where an idiot would rule.
For oppression drives the wise,
As a bribe corrupts the heart;
Allowing darkness disguise,
The madness that we impart.
Better is the end to bring,
Results coming from merit;
Than looks from the beginning,
To have a patient spirit.
Slow anger of your spirit,
Anger of fools will come fast;
Think of what you inherit,
Aft this life is in the past.
Why days past better than these,
From wisdom it will be not;
Because time is like a breeze,
Flowing freely as a thought.
Copyright ©2022 Richard Newton Sherrer
About this poem
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly Ecclesiastes 7:1-10
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Written on May 04, 2022
Submitted by richards.77936 on May 03, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:21 min read
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Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD AEAE FGFG XFXF HIJI FKFK CLCL LMLM NHNJ A |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,193 |
Words | 270 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1 |
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"Wise Expression" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/125969/wise-expression>.
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