Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox (November 5, 1850October 30, 1919) was an American author and poet. Her works include the collection '' Poems of Passion'' and the poem "Solitude", which contains the lines "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone." Her autobiography, ''The Worlds and I'', was published in 1918, a year before her death.

Biography

Ella Wheeler was born in 1850 on a farm in Johnstown, Wisconsin, east of Janesville, the youngest of four children. The family later moved north of Madison, after losing its wealth, as the result of her father's failed business aspirations and speculation. Wilcox's family held themselves to be intellectuals, and a mastery of the nuances of the English language was prized. During her childhood, Wilcox amused herself by reading books and newspapers, which may have influenced her later writing (most notably William Shakespeare, ''The Arabian Nights'', ''The Diverting History of John Gilpin'' and ''Gulliver's Travels'', in addition to the few other pieces of literature that were to be had in her home).

Around the age of 8, Wilcox turned to writing poetry as an outlet. When she was 13 years old, her first poem was published. After losing her subscription to ''The New York Mercury'', and being unable to afford to resubscribe, Wilcox thought that if she could get a piece of literature published, she would at least receive a copy of the paper wherein her piece was printed. The piece that she submitted is lost, and Wilcox later admitted that she could not recall even the topic of the poem. Wilcox became known as a poet in her own state by the time she graduated from high school.

Her poem "The Way of the World" was first published in the February 25, 1883 issue of ''The New York Sun''. The inspiration for the poem came as she was travelling to attend the Governor's inaugural ball in Madison, Wisconsin. On her way to the celebration, there was a young woman dressed in black sitting across the aisle from her. The woman was crying. Miss Wheeler sat next to her and sought to comfort her for the rest of the journey. When they arrived, the poet was so depressed that she could barely attend the scheduled festivities. As she looked at her own radiant face in the mirror, she suddenly recalled the sorrowful widow. It was at that moment that she wrote the opening lines of "Solitude":

:Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
:Weep, and you weep alone.
:For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth
:But has trouble enough of its own

She sent the poem to the ''Sun'' and received $5 for her effort. It was collected in the book ''Poems of Passion'' shortly afterward in May 1883. This collection was reported to have made $2000 that year.

In 1884, she married Robert Wilcox of Meriden, Connecticut

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