Reform

The time has come when men with hearts and brains
Must rise and take the misdirected reins
Of government; too long left in the hands
Of aliens and of lackeys.    He who stands
And sees the mighty vehicle of State
Hauled through the mire to some ignoble fate
And makes not such bold protest as he can,
    Is no American,

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet, born on November 5, 1850, and died on October 30, 1919. She was known for her works expressing optimistic views and moral lessons. Her most famous book was 'Poems of Passion'. Her poem 'Solitude' contains the famous lines, 'Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone'. Over her career, Wilcox became popularly known as a 'people's poet'.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Summer Girl

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Simple Poetry

Dear Motherland Of France, Dedicated To The Men And Women Of France

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Simple Poetry

Has Been

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Simple Poetry

The Radiant Christ

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Simple Poetry

English

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Protest

To sit in silence when we should protest
Makes cowards out of men.    The human race
Has climbed on protest.    Had no voice been raised
Against injustice, ignorance and lust
The Inquisition yet would serve the law
And guillotines decide our least disputes.
The few who dare must speak and speak again
To right the wrongs of many.    Speech, thank God,
No vested power in this great day and land
Can gag or throttle; Press and voice may cry
Loud disapproval of existing ills,
May criticise oppression and condemn
The lawlessness of wealth-protecting laws
That let the children and child-bearers toil
To purchase ease for idle millionaires.
Therefore do I protest against the boast
Of independence in this mighty land.
Call no chain strong which holds one rusted lin...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Protest

To sit in silence when we should protest
Makes cowards out of men.    The human race
Has climbed on protest.    Had no voice been raised
Against injustice, ignorance and lust
The Inquisition yet would serve the law
And guillotines decide our least disputes.
The few who dare must speak and speak again
To right the wrongs of many.    Speech, thank God,
No vested power in this great day and land
Can gag or throttle; Press and voice may cry
Loud disapproval of existing ills,
May criticise oppression and condemn
The lawlessness of wealth-protecting laws
That let the children and child-bearers toil
To purchase ease for idle millionaires,
Therefore do I protest against the boast
Of independence in this mighty land.
Call no chain strong which holds one rusted lin...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Awakened!

Slowly the People waken; they have been,
Like weary soldiers, sleeping in their tents,
While traitors tiptoed through the silent camp
Intent on plunder.    Suddenly a sound -
A careless movement of too bold a thief -
Starts one dull sleeper; then another stirs,
A third cries out a warning, and at last
The people are awake!    Oh, when as one
The many rise, united and alert,
With Justice for their motto, they reflect
The mighty force of God's Omnipotence.
And nothing stands before them.    Lusty Greed,
Tyrannical Corruption long in power,
And smirking Cant (whose right hand robs and slays
So that the left may dower Church and School),
Monopoly, whose mandate took from Toil
The Mother Earth, that Idleness might loll
And breed the Monster of Colossal Wealth ...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

A Song Of Republics

Fair Freedom's ship, too long adrift -
    Of every wind the sport -
Now rigged and manned, her course well planned,
    Sails proudly out of port;
And fluttering gaily from the mast
    This motto is unfurled,
Let all men heed its truth who read:
    "Republics rule the World!"

The universe is high as God!
    Good is the final goal;
The world revolves and man evolves
    A purpose and a soul.
No church can bind, no crown forbid
    Thought's mighty upward course -
Let kings give way before its sway,
    For God inspires its force.

The hero of a vanished age
    Was one who bathed in gore;
Who best could fight was noblest knight
    In savage days of yore;
Now warrior chiefs are out of date,
    The times have changed.    ...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

America Will Not Turn Back' Woodrow Wilson

America will not turn back;
    She did not idly start,
But weighed full carefully and well
    Her grave, important part.
She chose the part of Freedom's friend,
And will pursue it, to the end.

Great Liberty, who guards her gates,
    Will shine upon her course,
And light the long, adventurous path
    With radiance from God's Source.
And though blood dye that ocean track,
America will not turn back.

She will not turn until that hour
    When thunders through the world
The crash of tyrant monarchies
    By Freedom's hand down-hurled.
While Labour's voice from sea to sea
Sings loud, 'My country, 'tis of thee.'

Then will our fair Columbia turn,
    While all wars' clamours cease,
And with our banner lifted high
    Pro...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

What We Want

All hail the dawn of a new day breaking,
When a strong-armed nation shall take away
The weary burdens from backs that are aching
With maximum labour and minimum pay;
When no man is honoured who hoards his millions;
When no man feasts on another's toil;
And God's poor suffering, striving billions
Shall share His riches of sun and soil.

There is gold for all in the earth's broad bosom,
There is food for all in the land's great store;
Enough is provided if rightly divided;
Let each man take what he needs - no more.
Shame on the miser with unused riches,
Who robs the toiler to swell his hoard,
Who beats down the wage of the digger of ditches,
And steals the bread from the poor man's board.

Shame on the owner of mines whose cruel
And selfish measur...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox