When Thy Gaze Turns it on Thy Own Soul
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The highest culture is to speak no ill;
The best reformer is the man whose eyes
Are quick to see all beauty and all worth;
And by his own discreet, well-ordered life,
Alone reproves the erring.
When thy gaze
Turns it on thy own soul, be most severe.
But when it falls upon a fellow-man,
Let kindliness control it; and refrain
From that belittling censure that springs forth
From common lips like weeds from marshy soil.
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The above poem was published in our associated websites on 18 January 2020, being reproduced from the book “Poetical Works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox”, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Edinburgh, UK, W. P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell, undated edition, probably 1917, see p. 263. It is also published at “The Aquarian Theosophist”, July 2018 edition, p. 05. Its verses convey a profound lesson in theosophy and a difficult task for both neophytes and experienced students. No one should boast of being entirely above such a challenge.
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Click to see other writings by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
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