Written in 1927, Max Ehrmann’s ​didactic poem​ (a morally 

instructional piece) ​Desiderata​ (Latin for ‘​desired things​’) offers 

a code for life​ emphasizing tolerance, inclusion and optimism. 
The poem is full of wise sayings and gentle guidance. The reader 
is urged to find peace within themselves, and project this inner 
peace in their dealings with the world. We see the poem 
endorsing an attitude to accept the world in all its entirety, with 
all its contrasts. 

Considering his occupation as a lawyer, Ehrmann’s poem 

portrays his ethical and temperate leanings to the art of living. 
Max Ehrmann once wrote in his diary ​“I should like, if I could, to 
leave a humble gift — a bit of chaste prose that had caught up 
some noble moods.” T ​ hat ‘humble gift’ which he mused about 
in his diary became a timeless legacy – ​Desiderata​. 

Desiderata is a p
​ rose poem​ that retains poetic elements like 
imagery and emotion, but in ‘​prose​’ or natural speech form. 
There is no undue embellishment in rhythm or tone. In 
Desiderata’s case, its beauty stems solely from its clear meaning 
and tender intent. This simple telling of universal wisdom is 
perhaps what will continue it for generations to come. In its 
wisdom, the poem is comparable to ​Rudyard Kipling’s famous 
poem​ ‘If–’​. 

The opening promises a realm of tranquility ahead. The world is 

loud and fast. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sensory 
overload. Keep your calm or ‘​Go placidly​’ is what the poet 
advises. Interestingly the poet asks us to ‘​remember’​ this peace, 
implying that this is not a new experience. On occasion, 
everyone has felt a serenity when left alone in silence. 
Sometimes, we forget to draw into this ‘​peace’​ when we get lost 
in the frenetic pace of our lives. Therefore the reminder – Keep 
calm and cool off. 
Simply, give respect and keep your respect. The poet speaks of 
being ‘​on good terms with all persons​’ or getting along well 
with people. It is wise to play the diplomat. And who doesn’t like 
being loved by everyone? But we owe it to ourselves not to 
shortchange our own principles and beliefs. The poet notes that 
we might need to fight to do the right thing- ‘​without 
surrender​’. Life is never neat. The poet understands the 
difficulty of the choices we face and that’s probably why he says 
‘​as far as possible’.​ Try not to get on the wrong side of people 
while doing the right thing. 

‘​Truth’​ here is the intimate sharing of one’s self- thoughts, 

experiences, feelings, ideas or beliefs. The poet guides us to 
speak our truths ‘​quietly and clearly​’. ‘​Quietly’​ – allowing our 
truth the dignity it deserves while not imposing it on anyone. 
‘​Clearly’​ so that those who genuinely want to listen will take 
something of worth. 

It takes courage to speak up. It takes an open mind to listen – a 

different sort of courage. The poet asks us to give others the 
respect that we would expect for ourselves. He points out that 
even people who seem dull or ignorant have their own hidden 
stories. It’s not necessary you’ll gain insights from every 
conversation you have, but ‘listening’ keeps us humbled and 
aware. 

Throughout the poem D ​ esiderata​, we see an emphasis on 

staying calm. The poet believes this to be vital in achieving 
peace. Loud and aggressive people can give out unhealthy 
vibes, stirring feelings of stress and restlessness around them. 
They seek to dominate and become ‘​Vexations to the spirit’ ​– or 
distressing to the soul. You are the company you keep. The 
reactions these people provoke will simply disturb your 
equilibrium. Hence, the poet advises to best avoid such people if 
inner peace is the reader’s goal. 
Be content with who you are. The poet advises not to evaluate 
our worth through comparisons with every other person. If you 
see yourself as better, misplaced pride would make you 
arrogant. If you perceive yourself as inferior, chances are you’ll 
likely turn resentful and petty. Bottom line, stay true to yourself. 
You have to be your own biggest critic and your own biggest 
fan. 

Perhaps one of the most subtle ways anyone has said ‘Don’t rest 
on your laurels’. The poet tells us to allow ourselves credit where 
it is due – ‘​enjoy your achievements​’. Savoring the fruits of one’s 
labor makes the effort worth it. Yet at the same time, he tells us 
to enjoy our ‘​plans​’. This is a gentle nudge to go onward, plan 
ahead to move onto greater things; don’t just rest on past 
achievements. 

A career is essentially what you choose to do with your entire 

life. Regardless of what work you choose, the poet asks us to 
‘keep interested’. Taking an active interest in your work ensures 
that your work remains interesting. Inevitably it leads to 
excellence. In the ‘​changing fortunes of time’​, one never knows 
what Fate has in store. Excellence in what you do and finding 
joy in doing it become invaluable in good times or bad. This is ‘​a 
real possession’​ or asset of real value. 

The poet’s words are a warning. Be discreet and keep your own 
counsel in matters of income and work. There are people who 
would manipulate a person’s opportunities, strengths and 
weakness or failures to their benefit. The world can be a 
scheming place and you should not give your faith blindly. You 
never know who will take advantage of your reputation or your 
earnings. Be on guard and keep your counsel secret is what the 
poet is trying to say. 
The world might be a tricky place, but as the poet points out – 
there is also another side to it. You can find heroism in equal 
measure. Angels walk alongside the demons. There are people 
with morals and values – those who ‘​strive for high ideals’​. In 
watching your back, the poet counsels, don’t ignore the people 
who have got your back – who are there to support you. As the 
poem reads, ‘​let this not blind you to what virtue there is​’. Give 
your trust and respect to people who have earned it. 

Be true to your heart. Disney has built an entire franchise on this 

concept, not to mention how many other brands. Cliché this 
may be, it is still a challenge. Peer pressure, society’s 
expectations and the need for acceptance are realities that we 
constantly face. For peace in your heart, do not fake your 
feelings- ‘​do not feign affection’​. 

Being ’​ cynical about love’​ means to be distrustful or mocking 

about the existence of love. True Love when found, is eternal. It 
is ‘​as perennial as the grass’​ – it does not die after a specified 
period of time. Even when faced with tough and hopeless 
conditions – ‘​aridity and disenchantment’​, love will happen if it 
has to happen. The poet’s idea behind the use of grass as a 
metaphor is that like grass, love is unconditional – it does not 
require any special treatment or season to grow. 

The poet portrays Age as a teacher here. Each of the years we 
live makes us wiser through all we live through. ‘Counsel of the 
years’ includes our own individual experiences as well as the 
experience and wisdom of the elders. On the other hand, youth 
is marked by inexperience, passion and restlessness. When 
people are young, they are often guided by impulsion. The poet 
here urges us to give up those emotions of the youth and be 
guided by the wisdom that mankind has gathered over the 
ages. Use of the words ‘kindly’ and ‘gracefully’ reminds us to stay 
humble to life’s lessons without losing our dignity.​. 
‘​Strength of spirit’​ is an inner force that is your own. Nurturing 
this strength is a disciplined decision to build character. To the 
poet, this is important because it allows only you to be in charge 
of your life and happiness. Especially when trouble strikes, more 
often than not we are caught unawares. Help then is not usually 
available readily. In times like this, the strength of spirit that you 
cultivated will stand you in good stead. You are not helpless or 
at another’s mercy. You know that you can rely on yourself. 

Sometimes our minds can be our worst enemy. The poet speaks 
of ‘​dark imaginings’​ or negative thoughts that could come from 
unnecessary worrying, distrust or anger. The poem identifies the 
root of most fears stemming from tiredness and isolation. 
Therefore he directs us to consciously steer away from 
depressing situations and rein our minds in. The ‘strength of 
spirit’ the poet just spoke about particularly comes in handy 
here.​f. 

This is a question of setting standards. The poet is discerning 

enough to mention a ‘​wholesome’​ discipline. That refers to a 
code of conduct needed to promote our overall moral 
well-being. 

Then again, the poet reminds us that we are human. Life being 
the unpredictable teacher that it is, can push us into grey areas 
– circumstances where a rigid adherence to our principles may 
not be possible. Then the poet reminds you to ‘​be gentle with 
yourself’​ – don’t be too hard on yourself. When life demands, we 
must find the grace to forgive ourselves and take comfort 
knowing we did our best in a particular situation. 

Sure, there is a bit of philosophical dreaminess to these lines of 

‘Desiderata’. But the meaning is still undeniable. When the poet 
says ‘​you are a child of the universe​’, he is reminding you that 
you are part of a bigger world than you can imagine. 
Scientifically speaking, on a cellular level, you are comprised of 
pretty much the same elements as the world around you – 
primarily carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen. The universe 
nourishes you with what you require much the same way as it 
nurtures other beings – right from living things like the trees to 
nonliving entities like the stars. 

The words ‘​You have a right to be here​’ are profound. No one 

wills themselves into existence. Each of us were meant to be 
because of the designs of nature and fate. Therefore, we all have 
our parts to play. By reminding us of our right to be here, the 
poet is asking us to appreciate our place in the world and not 
belittle ourselves or our fellow entities with whom we share the 
universe. 

Who are we to grasp the significance of our lives in the great 

scheme of things? The poet is trying to make us realize that we 
cannot control everything. We are but tiny specks – infinitesimal 
beings in this vast universe. We cannot presume to know or 
fathom the logic or pattern that the universe is working on. 
Seemingly unrelated events have their own significance, 
becoming cause and consequence in their own right – ‘​the 
universe is unfolding as it should​’. 

Though the working of this universe is beyond our control, the 

poet is helping us find an anchor. The clue is in the verse ‘​Peace 
with God’​. This means to submit to God and let things run their 
course. Don’t fret on things beyond your control. 

Understanding that God means different things to each person 

– ‘​whatever you conceive Him to be’, t​ he poet reaches out to a 
broad audience, making God more accessible. At a personal 
level, God represents the being that makes you face your 
feelings, examine your actions and keep your hopes alive. In 
short, He is the being whom your inner compass – your 
conscience – converses with. 

Life is a jumble — organized and muddled, predictable and 

random, joyful and sad. Sometimes one after the other, other 
times all at once. Then add the tangle of the way our lives 
crisscross with others’. You get the poet’s picture of the ‘noisy 
confusion of life​’. 

Our thoughts and deeds (​labors and aspirations​) are reactions 

to the contradictory situations and roles Life throws at us. Ideally 
these should be in sync with our souls. The ‘​soul’​ is your deepest 
self – who you are. Yet who you become is sometimes at odds 
with who you want to be. Listening to your inner self and 
staying true to your heart are important to keep the inner peace 
intact. 

Don’t lose sight of the beauty of the world. Sure, bad things 
happen. The poet admits there are fraud (sham), drudgery 
(boring, hard work) and unfulfilled dreams. No one can pretend 
otherwise. But the sweeter parts of Life are also a reality that 
need to be acknowledged. The poet does not want the bad bits 
to blind the reader to the good that exists side by side. The 
world is truly a beautiful place, if you will allow yourself to see it. 

In the final word, less is more. Few simple words to provide the 
most impact. The poet of ‘Desiderata’ tells us to ‘​be cheerful; 
strive to be happy​’ – look for the bright side of life. Count your 
blessings. There is a lot in life to be grateful for. There are things 
to look forward to. 
 
This includes how to keep what’s important in front of mind, balance 
one’s career, inner peace, and aspirations. While also striving to be a 
good person in a world that doesn’t always treat you fairly.  
‘​Desiderata’​ by Max Ehrmann is a prose poem that in its original form 
was contained within one long paragraph or stanza. In later years, 
without the consent of the author, it was separated out into stanzas. As 
a prose poem, this piece has some of the attributes of prose, or 
structured, purposeful writing that is focused on outcomes and plots, 
and some of poetry. The latter is seen through the use of stanzas, line 
breaks, e​ njambment​, and other poetic techniques.  

This piece does not rhyme, nor does it conform to a specific metrical 
pattern. The lines read more like sentences, albeit with breaks in places 
that make them poetic, than they do lines of verse. It is easy to approach 
this piece as a ​speech​, a kind of manifesto on how to live one’s life. 

Despite being a prose poem, there are several poets techniques at work 
in ​‘Desiderata’. T
​ hese include but are not limited to enjambment, 
sibilance​, and ​alliteration​. The first of these, enjambment, is a very 
prominent technique in this poem. It occurs when a line is cut off before 
its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next 
line, and the next, quickly. One has to move forward in order to 
comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. For example, the transition 
between lines three and four as well as that between lines twenty-five 
and twenty-six.  

Alliteration is another common technique. It occurs when words are 

used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the 
same sound. For example, “peace” and “possible” in lines two and three 
as well as “however humble” in line fifteen. 

Sibilance is similar to alliteration but it is concerned with soft vowel 

sounds such as “s” and “th”. This kind of r​ epetition​ usually results in a 
prolonged hissing or rushing sound. It is often used to mimic another 
sound, like water, wind, or any kind of fluid movement.  

The Desiderata​", is a term meanig "​Things Desire​". The critics 

have called it didactic in form and spiritual in nature. Every line 
of the poem is unequal eight stanzas in full of depth impling the 
understanding of life. A prose poem, it offers a simple and 
positive crado (​faith and belief​) for life. Not only does it teach us 
to be aware of our weakness but it also shows those paths which 
leads to peace and joy, In explaining the mysteries of life, the 
poet spreads a positive atmosphere around our life. It requests us 
to be strong and asks us to listen to our conscence. There are 
enough reminders and careful observations of how we could face 
the troubles of our life and move towards a world of compassion.  

The first stanza begins with an instruction being an instructional 

poem, to be calm amidst noise and haste. The second line 
immediately then spells out the value of silence and peace in 
everyday life. The first half of the 20th centuary was a big 
moment for American History. Not only did America asume the 
big brother role, after the ​First World War​ but also faced the great 
recession of 1929. In such circumstances of American fast life, 
the poet saw loose of peace. Hence he requested for , "​Going 
placedly​". Then he goes on to value human relationship on a 
positive note. Whatever happened in life, Ehrmann believed that 
being good term with all person and surrending ourselves for the 
cause of the world was slowly missing from the main stream of 
life. Instead people beacame self centered and spoke lied to 
benefit themselves. In addition , people hardly had the time to 
listen to others. They spoke loudly and rudely forgetting all 
ethiques of normal human life. The concept of truth was 
somehow sold awsy with the dart element of the world. No, one 
wanted to speak the truth quietly and clearly. They even forget 
how even the dull and ignorant hard then stories to be told. 
Hence the poem instructs us to do the otherwise becoming 
truthful and simple. 

The ​beginning of 20th centuary marked by aggression and violence​. 

People seem to have lost the divine presence of peace. Bitterness 
seem to have supressed, gentleness and softness in language and 
syle. Hence the poet requests avoidance of loud and agressive 
people saying they are disturbance to spirit. Besides, lets also not 
forget what Ehrmann meant by it when he warned against 
agression. Vain or Bitterness is necessarily connected with 
agressive nature. Besides making us prowd it also kills all our 
relationship. Therefore such people should not be given an 
opportunity to air their bitterness to put you down, upsetting all 
your plan and purpose. The poet then tells us to ignore any kind 
of comparison in the big world of rat race and cut throat 
competition, it is better that every individual meantains his 
personal individualities. Depending and believing in the fact that 
every person has enough apportunities to achieve hights, we 
must all move forward achieving our plans irrespective of who is 
before and after us. The moment comparison set in, there is 
likely to be risk of becomming ​vain​ or b
​ itter​. 

In the fast moving world, Ehrmann suggests high degree of 

professionalism. According to him no task or job is unimportant 
or useless, however humble. Even ​Gandhiji​, the g
​ reat father of 
India agreed with the phylosphy - "Work is worship​.​"​ Dignity of 
labour is what defines the character of a person. Everyone 
possesses unique skill and talance and everybody is destined to 
decorate oneself with various kinds of duties and responsiblities 
in everyday life. Hence there is nothing in the world which should 
be ignored or depreciated. Each profession thus has its own value 
and therefore Eharmann requests us to feel prowd of what we do 
as professions. 

Moving further, the poet now discusses individually identities 

and their importance in the big wide world. Such is the beauty of 
virtue of life in nature that even we as human beings are 
essentially unique and individually important to others. There is 
no reason why we must consider ourselves burdened for other. 
Life manifests itself in different forms. As such, each of us is an 
integral part. There is enough reason to face what comes our way. 
Therefore the poet advices us to, "Be yourself". There is no use - 
pretending to be someone else because it will give us virues and 
deflected pictures of ourself. We wouldn't be able to understand 
who we are, then and words till we lost in the confused growing 
population. Trying to ape someone else in the crowd. The poem 
again goes on to say that the world is an arid and this enchanted 
place in which we should become grass lasting temporarily. The 
poet uses a beautiful metaphor of grass lasting short.  

Taking the same message of individual importance, the poet 

furthers the idea of How everyone deserves his life. As a child of 
the universe, we are all stars and trees. WIthout us the world is 
certainly not complete and no one must ever have this feeling 
that we are not needed here. Rather eb=veryone has a right to be 
here on eartjh. However the poet also warns us against egos and 
vanity because we must not forget that we are just part of the 
universe and nothing in universe waits for us. As such everyone is 
expected to follow the universal truths of life. When in trouble 
and danger , we must remember to have got amidst us and 
whatever our labour and aspirations be, never run short of peace 
in our sole. The world is indeed a moisy confused place and cant 
afford to loose our peace and happiness. Everymoment we must 
keep in mind that this is a world where hiss will finds shame , 
Drudgry and broken dreams. Despite all these harsh realities, 
only one thing that should lead us forward is our personal life 
that world is a beautiful place and we must as well strive to be 
happy and cheerful. This is the only way we could find the 
meaning in life. This is the only way to find purpose in our life 
and finally this is the only way we grow in the fulness of life.