**Poetry Can Inspire and Shape Feelings and Emotions That can Lead to Nonfiction**

Poetry shows the Poet’s feelings and emotions, and in that sense, it is nonfiction. The reader may connect with the implied feelings and emotions as well as the message in the words. That connection can lead to expression by the reader that could be either nonfiction or fiction.

These poems describe the purpose of life and how one should handle the sorrow and struggles along the way. The poem begins with the speaker contradicting a listener who wants to explain life to him as a matter of numbers and figures. It reminds me of:

"The Winds of Fate” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
One ship drives east and another west,
With the self-same winds that blow.
’Tis the set of the sail, and not the gale,
Which tells us the way to go.

Both poems tell us, “Life is real! Life is earnest!” it is up to us how we let the winds of life influence and direct us. Both poems inspired me as I wrote the book, “Work Matters: Insights and Strategies for Job Seekers in this Rapidly Changing Economy.”

A Psalm of Life

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1807-1882

What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
"Life is but an empty dream!"
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
"Dust thou art, to dust returnest,"
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Finds us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God overhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labor and to wait.

"The Winds of Fate,” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east and another west,

With the self-same winds that blow.

’Tis the set of the sail, and not the gale,

Which tells us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,

As we journey along through life;

’Tis the set of the soul that decides the goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

………………………………

Analysis

This short poem reminds us that we are all impacted by fate but still have choices. It brings some questions to our minds and leaves us asking which way the wind is blowing in our life journey.

Do the upheavals, ups, and downs leave you with tough choices? What do we do when the wind shifts entirely and there is no reliable forecast? We can change the set of our sails, but when, how much, and is more needed?

The ship is an effective metaphor for the lives and journeys of people. Each individual has their own choices on how they choose to be influenced by those things that happen. The wind is considered fate, but setting the sail is more important than the direction of the wind.

People pick very different goals and destinations, and life is about choices.

Additional Information
on how author Brent M. Jones used this poem

It was a strong influence on his book “Work Matters: Insights and Strategies For Job Seekers In This Rapidly Changing Economy.”. In addition, it would be helpful to consider this book before reading Embrace Life’s Randomness: Your Path to Personal Reinvention and Positive Change.

.

Poetry shows the Poet’s feelings and emotions, and in that sense, it is nonfiction. The reader may connect with the implied feelings and emotions as well as the message in the words. That connection can lead to expression by the reader that could be either nonfiction or fiction.

These poems describe the purpose of life and how one should handle the sorrow and struggles along the way. The poem begins with the speaker contradicting a listener who wants to explain life to him as a matter of numbers and figures. It reminds me of:

"The Winds of Fate” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

One ship drives east and another west,

With the self-same winds that blow.

’Tis the set of the sail, and not the gale,

Which tells us the way to go.

Both poems tell us, “Life is real! Life is earnest!” it is up to us how we let the winds of life influence and direct us. Both poems inspired me as I wrote the book, “Work Matters: Insights and Strategies for Job Seekers in this Rapidly Changing Economy.”

A Psalm of Life

What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, "Life is but an empty dream!"For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal;"Dust thou art, to dust returnest," Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way;But to act, that each to-morrow Finds us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave,Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life,Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead!Act,--act in the living Present! Heart within, and God overhead!

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime,And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main,A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate;Still achieving, still pursuing Learn to labor and to wait.

"The Winds of Fate,” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east and another west,

With the self-same winds that blow.

’Tis the set of the sail, and not the gale,

Which tells us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,

As we journey along through life;

’Tis the set of the soul that decides the goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

………………………………

Analysis

This short poem reminds us that we are all impacted by fate but still have choices. It brings some questions to our minds and leaves us asking which way the wind is blowing in our life journey.

Do the upheavals, ups, and downs leave you with tough choices? What do we do when the wind shifts entirely and there is no reliable forecast? We can change the set of our sails, but when, how much, and is more needed?

The ship is an effective metaphor for the lives and journeys of people. Each individual has their own choices on how they choose to be influenced by those things that happen. The wind is considered fate, but setting the sail is more important than the direction of the wind.

People pick very different goals and destinations, and life is about choices.

Additional Information

on how author Brent M. Jones used this poem

It was a strong influence on his book “Work Matters: Insights and Strategies For Job Seekers In This Rapidly Changing Economy.”. In addition, it would be helpful to consider this book before reading Embrace Life’s Randomness: Your Path to Personal Reinvention and Positive Change.

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
"Life is but an empty dream!"
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
"Dust thou art, to dust returnest,"
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Finds us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God overhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labor and to wait.