3 Must-Read Poems About Work for a Happier Life

Poetry isn’t only for leisure hours or artistic expression. It speaks in-depth about various aspects of life, including work. In this blog, you will explore five poems that offer wisdom and guidance for achieving a happier life through your approach to work. Each poem’s message is at the intersection of work, purpose, and personal fulfillment. If you want to achieve success as well as happiness in your work life, keep reading.

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1.    "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" is a classic poem that encourages you to reflect on the choices you make in life. It famously describes a traveler at a crossroads who chooses the less-traveled path, and this decision makes all the difference. This poem reminds you that your career choices and the paths you take can significantly impact your happiness and fulfillment. It encourages you to make choices aligned with your values and passions, even if they are unconventional, as they can lead to a more fulfilling work life.

 

2.    "If" by Rudyard Kipling

 

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

 

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

 

"If" by Rudyard Kipling imparts a series of life lessons and virtues, emphasizing qualities like patience, determination, and resilience. In the world of work, these virtues are essential for maintaining a positive outlook in the face of challenges and setbacks. The poem's message is that no matter where you end up in your life, you must not lose your virtue. If you approach work and life with a strong, composed, and determined mindset without losing your values, you will live a peaceful life.

 

3.    "To be of use" by Marge Piercy

 

The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

They seem to become natives of that element,

the black sleek heads of seals

bouncing like half-submerged balls.

 

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

 

I want to be with people who submerge

in the task, who go into the fields to harvest

and work in a row and pass the bags along,

who are not parlor generals and field deserters

but move in a common rhythm

when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

 

The work of the world is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done

has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

Greek amphoras for wine or oil,

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

and a person for work that is real.

 

Marge Piercy's poem, "To be of use," celebrates the value of work and the sense of purpose it can provide. The poem reflects on the satisfaction that comes from contributing to society and emphasizes the idea that work, when meaningful and purposeful, can bring happiness. It ignites a flair in your heart to work that aligns with your values and allows you to make a positive impact that, in the end, enhances your overall life satisfaction.

 

These three poems offer profound insights into work, life, and happiness. They encourage us to reflect on the choices we make, develop essential virtues, seek meaningful and purposeful work, appreciate the journey, and embrace the full spectrum of experiences that life and work bring. By embracing the wisdom of these poems in our lives, we can work towards a happier and more fulfilling existence, both professionally and personally.

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