Loss
and Gain
Lloyd
Newell
The life of beloved poet Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow is proof that
good can come from sorrow and difficulty. He received great
honors for
his many successes, but — like all of us — he also knew his share of
heartbreak and grief, including the tragic death of his wife.
From the losses he suffered, however, Longfellow
gained insight and strength that found voice in his poems.
Longfellow's
poetry lives on today not only for its rhyme and rhythm but because it
expresses courage and optimism, even in the face of disappointment.
In his poem "Loss and Gain" Longfellow writes of
regret, of longing, of the wisdom born of humility, and of the hope
that can come when we have faith in the future.
When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.
I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.
But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.1
Life is full of wins and losses. But no loss
will be in vain if we do our best to learn from it and then forge ahead
with all the courage and optimism we can muster. We'll often find
that
life's inevitable stumbling blocks can become our greatest stepping
stones.
1 The Complete Poetical Works of Longfellow
(1893), 359.
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© 2006, Jace Carlton. All International Rights Reserved.
