Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox – Full Poem, Meaning & Analysis

Read Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, a timeless poem about joy, sorrow, and human nature. Full text, simple meaning, analysis, summary, and study guide included.

🔹 Full Poem: Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air;
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go;
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all;
There are none to decline your nectar’d wine,
But alone you must drink life’s gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Line by Line Paraphrase + Analysis + Bangla Meaning of full poem

Stanza 1

1. Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Paraphrase: If you are happy, people will be happy with you.
Analysis: Joy attracts others; people like to share in laughter.
Bangla: হাসো, আর পৃথিবী তোমার সাথে হাসবে।

2. Weep, and you weep alone;
Paraphrase: If you cry, no one will share your sadness.
Analysis: People usually avoid others’ sorrow.
Bangla: কাঁদো, আর তুমি একাই কাঁদবে।

3. For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
Paraphrase: The world already has so much sorrow, so it seeks joy from others.
Analysis: Happiness is rare, and everyone wants to take it.
Bangla: দুঃখে ভরা এই পুরোনো পৃথিবী সুখ ধার করে নেয়।

4. But has trouble enough of its own.
Paraphrase: Everyone already has enough problems in life.
Analysis: That’s why no one wants to carry more sadness.
Bangla: কিন্তু পৃথিবীর নিজেরই যথেষ্ট সমস্যা আছে।

5. Sing, and the hills will answer;
Paraphrase: If you sing, nature will echo your voice.
Analysis: Happiness spreads and comes back to you.
Bangla: গান গাও, পাহাড় প্রতিধ্বনি দেবে।

6. Sigh, it is lost on the air;
Paraphrase: If you sigh with sadness, no one hears it.
Analysis: Sadness goes unnoticed.
Bangla: দীর্ঘশ্বাস ফেলো, তা বাতাসে মিলিয়ে যায়।

7. The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
Paraphrase: Echoes repeat happy sounds.
Analysis: Happiness multiplies and spreads.
Bangla: প্রতিধ্বনি আনন্দের শব্দকে ফিরিয়ে দেয়।

8. But shrink from voicing care.
Paraphrase: Echoes avoid repeating sad sounds.
Analysis: Sadness does not spread like joy.
Bangla: কিন্তু দুঃখের শব্দ প্রতিধ্বনি এড়িয়ে যায়।

Stanza 2

9. Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Paraphrase: If you are joyful, people will come to you.
Analysis: Joy attracts friends.
Bangla: আনন্দ করো, মানুষ তোমার কাছে আসবে।

10. Grieve, and they turn and go;
Paraphrase: If you are sad, people will leave you.
Analysis: Sorrow drives people away.
Bangla: শোক করো, আর তারা চলে যাবে।

11. They want full measure of all your pleasure,
Paraphrase: People want to share your happiness.
Analysis: People are selfish; they only want joy.
Bangla: তারা তোমার সুখ পুরোপুরি ভোগ করতে চায়।

12. But they do not need your woe.
Paraphrase: No one wants to share your sadness.
Analysis: Sorrow is a burden avoided by others.
Bangla: কিন্তু তারা তোমার দুঃখ চায় না।

13. Be glad, and your friends are many;
Paraphrase: If you are cheerful, you will have many friends.
Analysis: Happiness builds relationships.
Bangla: খুশি থাকো, তোমার অনেক বন্ধু থাকবে।

14. Be sad, and you lose them all;
Paraphrase: If you are sad, friends will leave you.
Analysis: Sadness breaks relationships.
Bangla: দুঃখী হলে, তুমি সবাইকে হারাবে।

15. There are none to decline your nectar’d wine,
Paraphrase: Everyone accepts when you offer joy.
Analysis: People always enjoy good times together.
Bangla: তোমার মধুর মদ কেউ প্রত্যাখ্যান করবে না।

16. But alone you must drink life’s gall.
Paraphrase: But you must suffer life’s bitterness alone.
Analysis: Sorrow is personal; no one shares it.
Bangla: কিন্তু জীবনের তিক্ততা তোমাকেই একা পান করতে হবে।

Stanza 3

17. Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Paraphrase: If you give a feast, many people will come.
Analysis: People gather for enjoyment.
Bangla: ভোজ দাও, আর তোমার হল ঘর ভরে যাবে।

18. Fast, and the world goes by.
Paraphrase: If you fast (don’t eat), no one cares.
Analysis: In hard times, people ignore you.
Bangla: উপবাস করো, আর পৃথিবী চলে যাবে পাশ কাটিয়ে।

19. Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
Paraphrase: Success and generosity make people support you.
Analysis: People value success and kindness.
Bangla: সফল হও এবং দাও, এতে মানুষ তোমাকে বাঁচতে সাহায্য করবে।

20. But no man can help you die.
Paraphrase: But no one can die in your place.
Analysis: Death is personal and lonely.
Bangla: কিন্তু কেউ তোমার হয়ে মরতে পারবে না।

21. There is room in the halls of pleasure
Paraphrase: In joy, there is space for many people.
Analysis: Happiness is shared widely.
Bangla: আনন্দের হলে অনেক জায়গা আছে।

22. For a long and lordly train,
Paraphrase: Crowds gather in happy moments.
Analysis: Many people follow joy.
Bangla: আনন্দের পেছনে লম্বা রাজকীয় শোভাযাত্রা থাকে।

23. But one by one we must all file on
Paraphrase: But in pain, we walk alone.
Analysis: Suffering is personal; each must face it.
Bangla: কিন্তু একে একে আমাদের সবাইকে এগোতে হয়।

24. Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Paraphrase: Everyone must go alone through the path of pain.
Analysis: Life’s struggles and death are faced alone.
Bangla: দুঃখের সংকীর্ণ পথ দিয়ে সবাইকে একাই যেতে হয়।

Summary

The poem says:
# People love to share happiness but avoid sadness.
# Joy spreads quickly, sorrow stays lonely.
# Nature, like humans, responds to joy but ignores sorrow.

The poem “Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox shows the difference between joy and sorrow in human life. When we are happy and laughing, people come to us and share in our joy, but when we are sad and crying, we must suffer alone because everyone has their own troubles. Success, pleasure, and generosity bring friends and company, but pain, grief, hunger, and death are faced alone. The poet teaches that happiness spreads and attracts others, while sorrow isolates us and must be endured individually.

Main Idea

👉 Happiness attracts people, sorrow pushes them away.
👉 Human nature prefers joy over pain.

The main idea of “Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is that happiness attracts people, but sorrow drives them away. When we are joyful, successful, or generous, friends and society gather around us, but when we are sad, suffering, or facing death, we must bear it alone. The poem highlights human nature: people love to share pleasure but avoid sharing pain.
👉 In one line: Joy is shared, sorrow is solitary.

MCQ with Answers

Who is the poet of Solitude?
a) Robert Frost
b) Ella Wheeler Wilcox ✅
c) William Wordsworth
d) Emily Dickinson
“Laugh, and the world laughs with you” suggests—
a) People avoid laughter
b) People share joy ✅
c) People ignore joy
d) People remain silent
“Weep, and you weep alone” suggests—
a) Everyone cries together
b) Sorrow is shared
c) Sorrow is lonely ✅
d) Sorrow spreads fast
What does “mirth” mean?
a) Anger
b) Happiness ✅
c) Sorrow
d) Fear
What answers to singing?
a) Trees
b) Hills ✅
c) Rivers
d) Clouds

20 Short Questions and Answers

Q: Who wrote the poem Solitude?
A: Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Q: What happens if you laugh?
A: The world laughs with you.
Q: What happens if you weep?
A: You weep alone.
Q: Why does the world not share sadness?
A: Because it has enough problems.
Q: What does the earth borrow?
A: Mirth (happiness).
Q: What does the earth already have?
A: Trouble.
Q: What answers to singing?
A: The hills.
Q: What happens to sighs?
A: They are lost on the air.
Q: What do echoes repeat?
A: Joyful sounds.
Q: What do echoes avoid?
A: Sad sounds.
Q: What is the theme of the poem?
A: Joy brings company, sorrow brings loneliness.
Q: Which emotion spreads quickly?
A: Happiness.
Q: Which emotion isolates?
A: Sadness.
Q: What does “weep” mean?
A: To cry.
Q: What does “mirth” mean?
A: Happiness.
Q: What does “sigh” mean?
A: A deep breath of sadness.
Q: What is “Solitude”?
A: Loneliness.
Q: How does nature react to joy?
A: It responds (echoes).
Q: How does nature react to sorrow?
A: It ignores it.
Q: What is the famous first line?
A: Laugh, and the world laughs with you.

10 Long Questions and Answers

Q: Explain the meaning of “Laugh, and the world laughs with you.”
A: It means people like to share happiness, so they join in laughter.
Q: Explain the meaning of “Weep, and you weep alone.”
A: It means people avoid sadness, so you suffer alone.
Q: Why does the world borrow happiness?
A: Because happiness is rare and people seek it wherever they find it.
Q: What lesson does the poem teach us?
A: Joy connects people, sorrow isolates.
Q: How does nature respond to joy and sorrow?
A: Nature echoes joy but ignores sorrow.
Q: Why does the poet call earth “sad old earth”?
A: Because life is already full of troubles.
Q: What is the contrast in the poem?
A: Between joy (shared) and sorrow (lonely).
Q: What role do echoes play in the poem?
A: They symbolize how happiness spreads.
Q: How is the title Solitude suitable for the poem?
A: It shows that sadness leads to loneliness.
Q: Write the central idea of the poem in your own words.
A: People join in happiness but leave you alone in sadness.

Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Poem, solitude by ella wheeler wilcox
ella wheeler solitude, poem solitude by ella wheeler wilcox, poem solitude by wilcox, solitude by ella wheeler, solitude by ella wheeler wilcox analysis, solitude poem by ella wheeler wilcox