7 Short Poems by Max Ehrmann
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Speak your Truth quietly ... and Briefly.
When most people hear the name Max Ehrmann, they instantly picture his sweeping masterwork, Desiderata—a long prose poem whose gentle, wisdom has graced posters, journals, and framed prints for generations. Yet while Desiderata remains a timeless guide for living, it represents only a single facet of Ehrmann’s prolific body of work. Beyond that celebrated anthem lies a treasury of brief, quiet verses that capture the same deep spiritual warmth and grounded peace in just a few lines.
If you have ever found comfort in Desiderata, these seven shorter poems offer a fresh way to experience Ehrmann’s unique voice. Written with delicate simplicity, each piece serves as a pocket-sized reminder to pause, breathe, and find quiet beauty amidst the noise of daily life.
The Dreamer and the Dead
The dreamer to the flesh must yield, Else life's a passing eddy; But he who lives in flesh alone, Why—he's quite dead already.
Max Ehrmann
This poem highlights that a balance between visionary idealism and practical reality is essential for a fulfilled life.
O Sweet Content
O sweet content! where is thy mild abode Where I may dwell in endless peace? Show me the much-sought road And give the lease. The answer came, “Then cease to vainly roam In search of me, for thou wilt find My quiet, hidden home . Within thy mind.”
Max Ehrmann
Contentment - that illusive state that cannot be found through restless searching in the outer world, but is instead discovered within one's own mind.
Oft in the Crowded Mart
To many strains I've touched my lute, But not as worthy as I should, For life and time still oft refute The things for which I once have stood. Though changed as seem my songs from youth, A voice within my heart still sings, "Live thou in tenderness and truth And love mankind instead of things." And often in the crowded mart, 'Mid rangling, selfish slaves of men, This little humming song will start, And bring me to myself again.
Max Ehrmann
This poem reflects on the struggle of maintaining personal integrity and moral grounding amid the chaos and materialism of our modern lives.
Two Women
Two women passed: the one had children many, A babe within her arms then cried, The other woman hadn't any; Yet both these women looked and sighed.
Max Ehrmann
A short poem illustrating how comparison and discontent affect us all, regardless of our path in life.
Kindness
Who lives For kindness gives A light to darkened lands; And tho no image of him stands In public place, he is a martyr Amid piratic schemes of barter And triumphs tho he die unwept; His light may once have crept Through hearts of stone And shone.
Max Ehrmann
This poem celebrates the quiet, enduring impact of selfless kindness over the ruthless pursuit of wealth.
You with the Still Soul
Maybe you have a still soul that goes murmurless like the water in the deep of rivers; And perchance you wander silent amid the din of the world's grinding barter like one journeying in strange lands. You, too, with the still soul, have your mission, for beneath the dashing, noisy waves must ever run the silent waters that give the tide its course.
Max Ehrmann
A soothing verse celebrating the quiet workers, the introverts and the contemplative souls that provide stability beneath the world's noise and fuss.
Good Night
Good night, thou sweet, old world, good night; Enfold me in the gentle light Of other days, when gleams Of dewy meadows held my dreams; And quiet walks, as day sank low, Dispelled each touch of woe. Let me forget these joys be gone, But feel them coming on From out the past, with laughter s cries And dream-enamored skies Of old. One hand let me hold tight. Good night, thou sweet, old world, good night.
Max Ehrmann
In this poem we are urged to embrace comforting memories and loving companionship to drift to a peaceful sleep.
"Pansies & Figs" - More poems under 12 lines
If you enjoyed this selection, and have the appetite for something just a little longer, consider "Pansies & Figs" an anthology of short poems with 12 lines or less - staying under the sonnet classification.
The Ultimate Short Poem Anthology
More than just Millay's Figs and Lawrence's Pansies, we have collected iconic short form poetry across centuries and continents. In these pages, you will find:
Masters of the short poem: Emily Dickinson, Sara Teasdale, Christina Rossetti, Percy Bysshe Shelley,
A. E. Housman, Joyce Kilmer, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Walt Whitman, William Blake and many more...
Elegant design: Each short poem is dedicated a full page providing focus and space to breathe.
Compact format: At a slim 5 x 8" format, in either paperback or hard cover, Pansies and Figs fit easily into your satchel or handbag for a sweet dose of poetry in quiet moments.
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