#MIDDLEBURY
Eros
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The sense of the world is short, –
Long and various the report, –
To love and be beloved;
Men and gods have not outlearned it;
And, how oft soe’er they’ve turned it,
‘Tis not to be improved.
About this poem
“Eros” was published in “Poems” (James Munroe & Co., 1847).
About Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston. His books include “Nature” (James Munroe & Co., 1836) and “Poems” (James Munroe & Co., 1847). He died on April 27, 1882.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
This poem is in the public domain. Originally published in Poem-a-Day, www.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.