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Poem
April 15, 1960
Minneapolis Spokesman
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
A didactic poem advising readers to better the world by cultivating personal honesty, wisdom, and kindness in their daily lives, using metaphors like creating a personal Eden and planting acorns for shade.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Do you wish the world were better?
Let me tell you what to do;
Set your watch upon your actions
Keep them always straight and true;
Rid your mind of selfish motives,
Let your thought be clear and high;
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.
Do you wish the world were wiser?
Well, suppose you make a start
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrap-book of your heart.
Do not waste one page on folly
Live to learn and learn to live;
If you want to give men knowledge,
You must get it ere you give
Do you wish the world were happy?
Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way.
For the pleasures of the many
May go oft times traced to one,
As the hand that plants the acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.
—Selected.
Let me tell you what to do;
Set your watch upon your actions
Keep them always straight and true;
Rid your mind of selfish motives,
Let your thought be clear and high;
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.
Do you wish the world were wiser?
Well, suppose you make a start
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrap-book of your heart.
Do not waste one page on folly
Live to learn and learn to live;
If you want to give men knowledge,
You must get it ere you give
Do you wish the world were happy?
Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way.
For the pleasures of the many
May go oft times traced to one,
As the hand that plants the acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.
—Selected.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
World Improvement
Personal Virtue
Honest Actions
Accumulating Wisdom
Seeds Of Kindness
Moral Instruction
What entities or persons were involved?
Selected
Poem Details
Author
Selected
Subject
Improving The World Through Personal Actions
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains
Key Lines
Do You Wish The World Were Better?
Let Me Tell You What To Do;
Set Your Watch Upon Your Actions
Keep Them Always Straight And True;
You Can Make A Little Eden
Of The Sphere You Occupy.
If You Want To Give Men Knowledge,
You Must Get It Ere You Give
Just To Scatter Seeds Of Kindness
As You Pass Along The Way.
As The Hand That Plants The Acorn
Shelters Armies From The Sun.