Ambition's Trail

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



If all the end of this continuous striving
  Were simply to attain,
How poor would seem the planning and contriving
The endless urging and the hurried driving
Of body, heart and brain!

But ever in the wake of true achieving,
  There shine this glowing trail –
Some other soul will be spurred on, conceiving,
New strength and hope, in its own power believing,
Because thou didst not fail.

Not thine alone the glory, nor the sorrow,
   If thou doth miss the goal,
Undreamed of lives in many a far to-morrow
From thee their weakness or their force shall borrow –
On, on, ambitious soul.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

31 sec read
63

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAAB ACAAC DEDDE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 591
Words 106
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

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