INTRODUCTION:

ABOUT THE POET:

Max Ehrmann (September 26, 1872 – September 9, 1945) was an American
writer, poet, and attorney from Terre Haute, Indiana, widely known for his 1927
prose poem “Desiderata” (Latin: “things desired”). He often wrote on spiritual
themes.
Ehrmann died in 1945 and is buried in Highland Lawn Cemetery in Terre Haute,
Indiana. In 2010 the city honored Ehrmann with a life-size bronze statue by
sculptor Bill Wolfe. He is depicted sitting on a downtown bench, pen in hand,
with a notebook in his lap. “Desiderata” is engraved on a plaque next to the
statue and lines from the poem are embedded in the walkway. The sculpture is in
the collection of Art Spaces, Inc. – Wabash Valley Outdoor Sculpture Collection.
ABOUT THE POEM:
“Desiderata” is an inspirational poem by Max Ehrmann in which he attempts to
offer a positive outlook towards life. The world is often seen to be full of chaos,
fraud, hypocrisy, loneliness, misery, and drabness. Through this poem, Max
Ehrmann tries to inspire people to change their perception of the world as a cruel
place and appreciate its beauty. He advises his readers to follow certain
guidelines that would help them to lead a happy and fruitful life ahead.

Themes:
 Teaches a positive attitude towards environment
 Belief on one’s own self;

Desiderata: Tone
“Desiderata” is an inspirational poem by Max Ehrmann in which he attempts to offer a
positive outlook towards life. The tone of the poem is didactic, which is complemented
by the use of imperative sentences. The overall tone of the poem is very positive and
inspiring. The poet advises people to be nice and kind to others and be good listeners.
He advises them to look at the world for the beauty that it possesses. According to him,
loud and aggressive people who negatively impact our lives must be ignored. The
world is a balance of positivity and negativity, and the poet tries to inspire his readers
to look out for the good things in this world. He inspires the readers to strive for
happiness amidst all the misfortunes, hypocrisy, and broken dreams. The poet cautions
the readers of the evil tricksters in the world and advises them to be careful. But at the
same time, he asks them not to overlook the beauty in this world. He suggests the
readers be kind to people and not compare themselves with others. He advises them to
accept themselves for who they are and maintain their inner peace. The poet also warns
them not to distress themselves with “dark imaginings” and remain strong and calm.
Throughout the poem, the poet tries to encourage people to live their life in a better
and constructive way.
 SEQUENCE:
 Accept and be easy going in the messy and critical environment;
 Remember to find peace in silence;
 Maintain a good rapport with all;
 Speak out the truth calmly and clearly;
 Listen to all even – dull and ignorant;
 Avoid loud and harsh people;
 Avoid comparing with others;
 Cherish achievements and plans;
 Be passionate towards the Career;
 Be humble even in higher terms;
 Practice being alert in business affairs;
 Forget not the virtue in yourself;
 Be natural;
 Neither be cynical(doubtful) nor be feigned(pretended) about love and affection;
 Use the experiences in all the situations
 Be prepared or adaptable to face any sudden misfortunes;
 Avoid distressing in negative thoughts;
 Besides being disciplined be gentle to yourself;
 Comprehend(understand) the purpose of your life;
 Try to find peace with God;
 Despite the commotion of life try to keep your soul in peace;
 Strive to be happy amidst the drudgery(hard work) and disappointments.

POETIC DIVICES:
1.Simile-
A simile is a figure of speech in which a likeness between two different things is
stated in an explicit way using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’. For instance,
“Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
It is as perennial as the grass.”
 
Here, love and grass are absolutely two different things that have been compared
together. Love is compared to the perennial nature of the grass. It is meant to
suggest the idea that like grass love grows on its own unconditionally and
selflessly. The implication is that when life becomes arid and monotonous, love
will support people like the grass that grows throughout the year.

2.Alliteration-
Alliteration is the close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning
of words. For instance,
“Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.”
You can go through the Summary of Desiderata by Max Ehrmannd. Also
the theme and tone of Desiderata by Max Ehrmann here.
 DESIDERATA AS A DIDACTIC POEM:
Didactic poem:
The poem is didactic in the sense as it not only tells us ‘what to do’ but also
tells us ‘ how to do it’ .
Some of the suggestions given in Desiderata to live peaceful and happy life
are as follows -
 Remain calm and silent amidst all the noises of the world.
 Learn to get along with others.
 Voice your opinion clearly and listen to the opinion of the others.
 Be yourself and not imitate others .
 Be disciplined but at the same time be gentle to yourself.
 Give up negative thoughts.
 Be at peace with God and within your soul.
 In spite of all fakeness, darkness and drudgery the world is still
beautiful and worth living here.
 Try to be cheerful and happy.