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Poems About Influence

Table of Contents

Influence

  1. Speak Gently by George Washington Langford
  2. Heart not so heavy as mine by Emily Dickinson
  3. Example by Edgar A. Guest
  4. Cheerfulness by Edwin Oscar Gale
  5. Influence by Nettie Squire Sutton
  6. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by William Ross Wallace
  7. The Boy's Ideal by Edgar A. Guest
  8. Seeds And Thoughts by Amos Russel Wells
  9. A Teacher's Life by Charlotte Webb Montgomery

  1. Speak Gently

    Speak gently: 'tis a little thing
    Dropped in the heart's deep well;
    The good, the joy, which it may bring,
    Eternity shall tell.

    – George Washington Langford
    Speak Gently
    by George Washington Langford

    Speak gently; it is better far
    To rule by love than fear:
    Speak gently; let no harsh words mar
    The good we might do here.

    Speak gently to the little child;
    Its love be sure to gain;
    Teach it in accents soft and mild;
    It may not long remain.

    Speak gently to the aged one;
    Grieve not the careworn heart:
    The sands of life are nearly run;
    Let such in peace depart.

    Speak gently, kindly, to the poor;
    Let no harsh tone be heard;
    They have enough they must endure,
    Without an unkind word.

    Speak gently to the erring; know
    They must have toiled in vain;
    Perhaps unkindness made them so;
    Oh, win them back again.

    Speak gently: 'tis a little thing
    Dropped in the heart's deep well;
    The good, the joy, which it may bring,
    Eternity shall tell.

  2. Heart not so heavy as mine

    by Emily Dickinson

    Heart not so heavy as mine,
    Wending late home,
    As it passed my window
    Whistled itself a tune, —

    A careless snatch, a ballad,
    A ditty of the street;
    Yet to my irritated ear
    An anodyne so sweet,

    It was as if a bobolink,
    Sauntering this way,
    Carolled and mused and carolled,
    Then bubbled slow away.

    It was as if a chirping brook
    Upon a toilsome way
    Set bleeding feet to minuets
    Without the knowing why.

    To-morrow, night will come again,
    Weary, perhaps, and sore.
    Ah, bugle, by my window,
    I pray you stroll once more!

  3. Example

    by Edgar A. Guest

    Perhaps the victory shall not come to me,
    Perhaps I shall not reach the goal I seek,
    It may be at the last I shall be weak
    And falter as the promised land I see;
    Yet I must try for it and strive to be
    All that a conqueror is. On to the peak,
    Must be my call—this way lies victory!
    Boy, take my hand and hear me when I speak.

    There is the goal. In honor make the fight.
    I may not reach it but, my boy, you can.
    Cling to your faith and work with all your might,
    Some day the world shall hail you as a man.
    And when at last shall come your happy day,
    Enough for me that I have shown the way.

  4. Cheerfulness

    by Edwin Oscar Gale

    As placid lake reflects the sun,
    Which ruffled cannot do,
    Your cheerful face to every one
    Returns like smiles to you.
    The loved, who look to us when night
    Gives respite to our cares,
    Grow stronger when our faces, bright
    Reflect the smiles of theirs.

    Clouds do not melt the winter's snow,
    Nor lift the ice from streams,
    The crystal diamonds fail to flow
    Till warmed by solar beams.
    The nightshade thrives in gloomy meads,
    But roses in the sun,
    And hearts soon grow but noxious weeds
    If smiles their portals shun.
    We turn unto a happy face
    As magnet to its star;
    The frowns that may awhile deface
    By smiles soon scattered are.
    We to ourselves and others owe
    Kind words and gentleness,
    Whatever kindness we bestow,
    Returns ourselves to bless.

  5. Influence

    by Nettie Squire Sutton

    We may not realize a kind word spoken
    May cheer some lonely heart that's almost broken.
    We go about our daily tasks without a care
    Of burdens we might lighten here or there.
    Our daily occupation seems to be
    So all important that we fail to see
    Kind words and deeds will far outlive the rest;
    We say or do and that alone will make us truly blessed.
    For on some future day we know not when,
    Our daily work will cease to trouble us, and then
    Like ripples on the waves they'll reach the farther shore
    And we will find them there when we cross o'er.
    We little know the influence of a word
    For good or bad that we some bosom stirred;
    We pass them by, nor do we care to know
    Those thoughtless words we spoke were but a blow
    And rankled in the heart of some dear friend—
    And some kind word to one with cares oppressed
    May cheer their heart till they are blessed,
    And in return we get some cheerful word from those who love us yet.
    And when we have no kind friend to linger near
    Some ray of sunshine as from clouds above
    Will fill our hearts with peace, content and love.
    O, speak the word of comfort now and here
    Before the flowers are scattered o'er the bier.

  6. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

    For the hand that rocks the cradle
    Is the hand that rules the world.

    – William Ross Wallace
    The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
    by William Ross Wallace

    Blessings on the hand of women!
    Angels guard its strength and grace.
    In the palace, cottage, hovel,
    Oh, no matter where the place;
    Would that never storms assailed it,
    Rainbows ever gently curled,
    For the hand that rocks the cradle
    Is the hand that rules the world.

    Infancy's the tender fountain,
    Power may with beauty flow,
    Mothers first to guide the streamlets,
    From them souls unresting grow—
    Grow on for the good or evil,
    Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,
    For the hand that rocks the cradle
    Is the hand that rules the world.

    Woman, how divine your mission,
    Here upon our natal sod;
    Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
    Always to the breath of God!
    All true trophies of the ages
    Are from mother-love impearled,
    For the hand that rocks the cradle
    Is the hand that rules the world.

    Blessings on the hand of women!
    Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
    And the sacred song is mingled
    With the worship in the sky—
    Mingles where no tempest darkens,
    Rainbows evermore are hurled;
    For the hand that rocks the cradle
    Is the hand that rules the world.

  7. The Boy's Ideal

    by Edgar A. Guest

    I must be fit for a child to play with,
    Fit for a youngster to walk away with;
    Fit for his trust and fit to be
    Ready to take him upon my knee;
    Whether I win or I lose my fight,
    I must be fit for my boy at night.

    I must be fit for a child to come to,
    Speech there is that I must be dumb to;
    I must be fit for his eyes to see,
    He must find nothing of shame in me;
    Whatever I make of myself, I must
    Square to my boy's unfaltering trust.

    I must be fit for a child to follow,
    Scorning the places where loose men wallow;
    Knowing how much he shall learn from me,
    I must be fair as I'd have him be;
    I must come home to him, day by day,
    Clean as the morning I went away.

    I must be fit for a child's glad greeting,
    His are eyes that there is no cheating;
    He must behold me in every test,
    Not at my worst, but my very best;
    He must be proud when my life is done
    To have men know that he is my son.

    This learned I from the shadow of a tree
    That to and fro did sway upon a wall:
    Our shadow selves, our influence may fall
    Where we can never be.

    – A.E. Hamilton

  8. Seeds And Thoughts

    Who plants a seed, he little knows
    What warm arousing light is lit,
    What spring of living water flows,
    What forces leap to nurture it.

    - Amos Russel Wells
    Seeds And Thoughts
    by Amos Russel Wells

    Who plants a seed, he little knows
    What warm arousing light is lit,
    What spring of living water flows,
    What forces leap to nurture it.

    Who plants a seed, what thought has he
    Of timid sprout, of leaflets young.
    Of sturdy trunk and branching tree,
    Of noble forest far outflung?

    What dream has he who plants a seed
    Of blossoms ravishing the air,
    Of shade that cools, of fruits that feed,
    Of agelong blessings hidden there?

    And he who plants the seed of thought,
    Some eager truth, some daring plan,
    Never he knows what he has wrought
    Of never-ending good to man.

    Through subtle channels winding swift
    The foodful currents gladly run,
    And all the heavens bring their gift
    Of tender breezes, rain, and sun.

    It feels the elemental fears,
    The frost the storm the barren skies;
    And yet throughout the growing years
    Its roots extend, its branches rise;

    Until, one knows not how or when,
    Through all the world the thought has spread,
    And myriads of grateful men
    Pluck from the branches overhead.

    Oh, happy he who plants a seed
    With promises of fruitage fraught;
    But his a happier, holier deed
    Who plants in human souls a thought.

  9. A Teacher's Life

    by Charlotte Webb Montgomery

    To work, to wait, to watch, to pray,
    To strive some truth to give each day,
    To render aid to this one's needs,
    Some comfort bear for that one's woes,―
    This is the life a teacher leads,
    As every teacher knows.

    To have the warning thrust aside,
    To feel the patience sorely tried,
    To lift the weight of heavy cares,
    Increased by words that hurt like blows,―
    This is the pain a teacher bears,
    As every teacher knows.

    To hear "Good morning" brightly said,
    To meet the smiles which pleasure shed,
    The glance, the word, which love reveals,
    The pity that in trouble flows,―
    These are the joys a teacher feels,
    As every teacher knows.

    Then work, and wait, and watch, and pray,
    Still strive some truth to give each day,
    Each worthy effort firm shall stand,
    The joys shall far exceed the woes;
    God bids thee work nor hold thy hand,―
    As every teacher knows.

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